Agonising cramps, vomiting and odd poos – doctors dismissed them all as IBS but now I won't live to see my 30th birthday
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DOCTORS repeatedly dismissed Shannin Pain's vomiting, agonising cramps and oddly-shaped poos as IBS due to her age - until tests revealed she might only have three years to live.
The 26-year-old visited three separate doctors after she began struggling to keep food down in October 2023.
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Shannin Pain, 26, started experiencing nausea and intense stomach cramps in 2023
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It took months for her concerns to be taken seriously
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She was eventually diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer
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But they all insisted her nausea, "stabbing" stomach cramps and bowel changes weren't anything to worry about.
Shannin was tested for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), coeliac disease, Crohn's, and was even told she might have haemorrhoids.
It wasn't until 2024 that an MRI revealed Shannin had stage four bowel cancer that had silently spread through her body.
The 26-year-old was given a terrifying prognosis: three years to live with chemotherapy, or just three months without it.
'I knew something wasn't right,' Shannin, a content creator from Kawartha Lakes, Canada, said.
'I was told it was IBS or anxiety. But deep down, my gut was literally screaming at me.'
Her symptoms began in October 2023, when she started feeling intense nausea after eating, couldn't keep food down, and noticed her bowel habits had changed dramatically.
'I went from being regular to barely going at all. And when I did, my stool was pencil-thin,' Shannin said.
'It might be TMI, but it was a huge red flag.'
She also started experiencing agonising stomach pains.
Diagnosed with bowel cancer at 22
'I'd get these stabbing cramps in my lower left abdomen - so bad I couldn't breathe.
"I would double over, gasping, clutching my stomach. It felt like something was ripping through me.'
Shannin is "frustrated" that none of her doctors suggested she get colonoscopy when she presented with these symptoms.
'Colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers if caught early, but no one took me seriously because of my age," she claims.
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Shannin wishes she'd been offered a colonoscopy earlier
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She was given three years to live, with treatment
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In April 2024, Shannin was sent for an MRI to 'rule things out' - and never left the hospital.
'The scan showed a complete intestinal blockage, and I was admitted on the spot for emergency surgery,' she recalled.
'When I woke up, they told me I had cancer.'
Surgeons removed the tumour in her large intestine but during the procedure, they discovered the disease had already spread to her right ovary, which had to be removed.
What are the red flag warning signs of bowel cancer?
IT'S the fourth most common cancer in the UK, the second deadliest - yet bowel cancer can be cured, if you catch it early enough.
While screening is one way of ensuring early diagnosis, there are things everyone can do to reduce their risk of the deadly disease.
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, spotting any changes and checking with your GP can prove a life-saver.
If you notice any of the signs, don't be embarrassed and don't ignore them. Doctors are used to seeing lots of patients with bowel problems.
The five red-flag symptoms of bowel cancer include: Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo
A change in your normal toilet habits - going more frequently for example
Pain or a lump in your tummy
Extreme tiredness
Losing weight
Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia. It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness.
In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction.
Other signs include: Gripping pains in the abdomen
Feeling bloated
Constipation and being unable to pass wind
Being sick
Feeling like you need to strain - like doing a number two - but after you've been to the loo
While these are all signs to watch out for, experts warn the most serious is noticing blood in your stools.
But, they warn it can prove tricky for doctors to diagnose the disease, because in most cases these symptoms will be a sign of a less serious disease.
Shannin was diagnosed with a Krukenberg tumour, a rare secondary cancer that starts in the gastrointestinal tract and spreads to the ovaries.
In the same surgery, doctors also removed 13 of Shannin's lymph nodes, 11 of which were cancerous, and part of her peritoneum - the a membrane that lines the inside of the abdomen and pelvis.
With one ovary remaining, Shannin underwent egg retrieval in May 2024 with the hope of being able to have children one day and successfully saved seven eggs.
'The idea of losing my fertility while fighting for my life was heartbreaking,' she said.
'I'm so grateful we were able to get those eggs. It gives me hope for the future.'
But Shannin also found out that her liver was so covered in tumours, it couldn't be operated on at all.
She was told she needed to start chemotherapy immediately, or the cancer would become untreatable.
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Recent scans show Shannin's cancer hasn't progressed but she's looking into alternative treatments
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Shannin pictured with her family
Credit: Cover Images
'They said without chemo, I had less than three months. With it, maybe up to three years. I just froze.'
As of June 2025, she's completed 27 rounds of chemo and is preparing for her twenty-eighth.
In October and November, things took a dangerous turn when Shannin twice went into anaphylactic shock after reacting to one of her chemo drugs.
'My throat closed up. I couldn't breathe. I honestly thought I was going to die.'
The 26-year-old instead switched to immunotherapy and a take-home chemo bottle she wears for several days after each session.
Last hope
Shannin recently received a small but hopeful update: her latest MRI showed no new tumours in her liver.
'Some deposits have grown slightly, but nothing alarming,' she shared.
'After taking a six-week chemo break, I was terrified the cancer had exploded. This gave me relief.'
On top of conventional treatment, Shannin is also looking into personalised integrative oncology in hopes of extending her life further.
She's working with a naturopathic oncologist in Switzerland, who is conducting testing to determine what therapies might target her cancer, including high-dose vitamin C, Ivermectin, and other metabolic treatments.
No one should be told they're too young for cancer
Shannin Pain
'The goal is to test my blood against different therapies and find what actually kills my tumour cells. Then, with those results, I'll hopefully travel to Sweden and start treatment there," Shannin said.
There's no reliable scientific evidence that vitamin C or Ivermectin - an anti-parasitic drug - can combat cancer.
Shannin has launched a GoFundMe to help fund her travel, testing and treatment.
'This is my last hope. I'm not ready to give up. I've come this far, and I'm going to keep fighting," she said.
She's now documenting her experiences on TikTok, hoping to raise awareness for other young people experiencing similar symptoms.
'If I can help even one person get diagnosed sooner, it'll all be worth it.
"No one should be told they're too young for cancer.'
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