Mother of Two, 42, Is Told Stomach Problems Are Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Chrohn’s Disease; It Turned Out To Be Stage 4 Colon Cancer

She didn't have a choice. She got her nine-year-old and her seven-year-old situated in the car, and they left. When Adams finally made it to a bathroom, the situation got even worse. "It was painful and there was a lot of blood," she said. "I flushed the loo and didn't say anything to my daughter, but walked around the shop feeling distracted."

As time went on, Adams's bathroom habits became harder and harder to manage. "I was constantly going to the toilet, there was constant blood loss. At one point, my daughter said to me, 'Mummy, there's blood on the floor over there,'" Adams said. She started feeling anxious if she did not have immediate access to a bathroom. As a real estate agent, Adams had to plan bathroom trips in between property viewings. "In about three weeks, it went from this one-off event to completely controlling my life," she said.

She transitioned to a liquid diet hoping to find some relief. When she visited the hospital, her doctor suspected she might have Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome. The doctor booked her for a colonoscopy. When the day came, Adams received alarming news: "They told me straight away they couldn't get the camera around because I had a tumor."

By the time she learned she had colorectal cancer, Adams was in extreme pain. She couldn't find any relief. "Even morphine wasn't helping. It was 24 hours of round-the-clock caring for someone who shouldn't be in that much agony," her sister said.

Her scan results were devastating. "We were told I had a stage three cancerous tumor in the upper rectum, a spot on my liver and a suspected spot on my lymph node," Naomi recalled. The doctor told her her colorectal cancer would need extensive treatment: "Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, a bowel resection and a liver resection, and a colostomy bag," she said.

A few days later, she returned to the hospital and was given a tragic update. "The oncologist said that my cancer had spread outside of the bowel so it was, by definition, stage 4," Adams said. "I remember thinking if it had been stage 3 I could have been cured, but if it was stage 4 I'd have to live with cancer."

Dr. Heather Yeo explains your options for treating stage 4 colorectal cancer.

When she began radiation, Adams learned that she was even worse off than she thought. "[The doctor] said to me very simply, 'It's not good news. It has spread and there won't be an operation.' I just screamed. All I could think about was the children," she said.

Adams's family is doing everything they can to research alternative treatments and clinical trials, but they are also focused on sharing their story. Adams hosts a podcast with her sister called Baby Name Envy, and they have cracked the top 10 in the "parenting" category of Apple podcasts. Through the show, they have connected with many other people battling colorectal under 50-years-old. "I've been honest about my symptoms while at my most vulnerable, and about 50 people have told me they've gone to get checked," she said. "Our intention is to share it all. We want to share our heartfelt experiences – both good and bad."

Creating an Online Community during a Cancer Battle

During a cancer battle, it's important to know that you are not alone. There's a community out there for you to be vulnerable with, if you'd like, and it's worth it to at least try to connect with some people as you battle the disease.

Kate Hervey is another cancer warrior who has touched many people by sharing her story. A young college girl, she was shocked to be diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that tends to form near large joints in young adults, after seeing her doctor for tenderness and lumps in one of her legs.

Inspiring College Student, 20, Builds Community on TikTok Sharing Her Cancer Journey During COVID-19

Hervey, a nursing student at Michigan State, had to handle her cancer battle during the COVID-19 pandemic and scale back on her social activities as a high-risk patient. That's when she turned to TikTok as a creative outlet, and inspired thousands.

"One thing that was nice about TikTok that I loved and why I started posting more and more videos is how many people I was able to meet through TikTok and social media that are going through the same things," she says. "I still text with this one girl who is 22. If I'm having a hard time, I will text her because she will understand. As much as my family and friends are supportive, it's hard to vent to someone who doesn't know what it's really like."

Hervey is now cancer-free, and says she couldn't have done it without the love and support of her TikTok followers.

"I feel like I've made an impact on other people and they have made an impact on me through TikTok, which is crazy to say. I can help people go through what I've been going through as well." She has graciously agreed to allow SurvivorNet to use her content in order to help our community.

So while sharing your story for thousands of TikTok users might not be your thing, it's important to consider opening up to others about your struggles during a cancer battle. Even if it's with a smaller group, you never know how much the support can help you or help those you share with unless you try.

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