Contents
Persistent abdominal pain
A lump in the abdomen
Constant fatigue
Irregular bowel movements
Persistent night sweats
Bloating and discomfort
Gradual weight loss
Krystal Maeyke was 37, fit, healthy, and living in a remote Australian town when her body started sending subtle but serious warnings.
At the time, the symptoms didn’t seem alarming. But together, they pointed to a devastating diagnosis—stage 4 bowel cancer.
By the time she reached the hospital, the cancer had already spread to her abdomen, liver, and ovaries.
“Never in a million years would I think that I would have this cruel disease in my body trying to kill me,” Krystal said.
Now 39, she’s sharing her story to help others recognise the signs she missed.
These are the seven symptoms she wishes she hadn’t ignored:
Persistent abdominal pain
Krystal’s first symptom was sharp, stabbing stomach pain. At first, she thought it was something she ate.
“Some days I would be in agony and have to keep a heat pack on it,” she said.
The pain intensified over time, going from a light pinch to unbearable. Eventually, it left her collapsed in pain.
A lump in the abdomen
She noticed a lump but didn’t think it was anything serious. A health check suggested it might be a swollen lymph node.
“I felt the lump appear and was told it may just be a lymph node,” she recalled.
But later, she found out it was actually a tumour.
Constant fatigue
Krystal began to feel unusually tired all the time.
“I started to feel tired all day, every day,” she said.
She assumed it was just the exhaustion of being a busy mum, not a symptom of something life-threatening.
Irregular bowel movements
She also started experiencing digestive changes.
“I was having irregular bowel movements but I thought it was IBS,” she said.
She didn’t realise it was one of the most common early signs of bowel cancer.
Persistent night sweats
Another symptom came in the form of intense, regular night sweats.
“I would wake up during the night drenched in sweat, enough so I had to change clothes and sheets,” she said.
She dismissed it as a side effect of the summer heat, especially since she had the air conditioning on.
Bloating and discomfort
Krystal often felt bloated and uncomfortable, especially in her lower stomach. It added to her general unease.
Still, she chalked it up to digestion issues and didn’t see a reason to worry.
Gradual weight loss
She also began to lose weight. It wasn’t dramatic, but in hindsight, it was a clear warning.
Her body was fighting hard, and the signs were everywhere.
By the time she was airlifted to Alice Springs Hospital in May 2023, she was in severe pain. Morphine didn’t help. Nurses had to administer Fentanyl mid-air to relieve her symptoms.
After several tests, a doctor gave her the news that changed everything.
“Krystal, I’ve got bad news… You have cancer.”
When she asked how he knew, he said, “It’s everywhere.”
Since then, Krystal has been openly sharing her journey on TikTok, where she has over 50,000 followers. She documents both the treatments and the emotions.
But the hardest part, she says, is what it means for her son, Maison.
“The true weight of my struggle lies not in my own pain, but the potential loss for my 12-year-old son,” she wrote on her GoFundMe page.
Her story comes at a time when bowel cancer is rising sharply among people under 50.
Experts are looking into environmental factors, including pollution and plastics, as possible causes—especially in otherwise healthy individuals.
Krystal’s message is urgent: even if you’re young and active, take unusual symptoms seriously.
“Cancer hurts,” she said. “And I want others to listen to their bodies before it’s too late.”
(Mail One)
