'I thought the blood was nothing to worry about - but it was something far worse'
A 24-year-old graduate assumed she was too young for the blood in her stool to be a sign of anything serious. Then she was given a devastating diagnosis that left her in 'complete shock'
When Meagan began noticing blood in her stool, she assumed it was caused by haemorrhoids - but it was actually a telltale sign of something much worse.
Meagan Meadows, 24, first spotted the blood in October 2024, but after chatting it over with friends and family, decided this was "nothing to worry about" on account of her age. She dismissed this symptom as a sign of haemorrhoids - swollen blood vessels that can form lumps inside or around a person's anus and lower rectum.
Meagan said: "The only symptom I had was blood in my stool. I didn't have a very good diet at the time, and I wasn't drinking enough water - anyone I spoke to told me it was haemorrhoids. I waited it out, but every time I went to the bathroom, it was there."
A few months went by, and Meagan was still experiencing the same symptoms. It was at this point that she booked an appointment to see her doctor.
READ MORE: Spot early signs of cancer at home with new patch - it could save thousandsAlthough the medic "wasn't concerned", they ordered blood work and a CT scan to be on the safe side, both of which came back clear. In April 2025, the recent teaching graduate was referred to a gastroenterologist, but at this point, she was so certain that everything would be fine that she almost cancelled the appointment.
Meagan, from Temecula, California, shared: "I started off with getting the blood work back, nothing indicated there was an issue. I got the CT scan back, which came back normal. I thought obviously my results were fine, so I thought I was fine and I didn't need to go further. I was so close to cancelling my appointment with my GI doctor."
The gastroenterologist performed a colonoscopy, and it was at this point that the true cause of her discomfort finally came to light.
According to Meagan, the physician was in "complete shock" after finding a large mass and ordered another CT scan and blood tests. Just three days later, Meagan was diagnosed with colon cancer and learned surgery would be needed to remove the tumour.
Opening up about her shock, Meagan remembered: "Three days later, they told me I had colon cancer. I was in complete shock. I had a strong feeling it might be, but I was still really scared and upset.
"The hardest part about it all was not knowing what was going to happen next. The doctor had told me I was the youngest person he had seen with this diagnosis."
Doctors removed the mass in June 2025, alongside 25cm of Meagan's colon and 20 lymph nodes - "much more" than they'd expected - which were sent for biopsy. Seven of these lymph nodes were found to be cancerous, and Meagan was given a further diagnosis of stage three colon cancer.
Meagan, who is currently undergoing a six-month course of chemotherapy, said: "My heart sank when they told me that my cancer was stage three. When they said that seven lymph nodes were cancerous, I was floored. I did not expect it to be so extreme.
"After that, I didn't hear a thing - I shut down. The whole drive home, I was telling my parents that I didn't want to die. It was so scary going from a normal 24-year-old to knowing that death was a possibility at my age."
Meagan continued: "That was the appointment I was dreading the most. I was so relieved that the tumour had gone, but it was a scary 10 days of waiting. Treatment has been difficult; it gets a lot harder each time I go. It takes a lot of willpower to go back each time."
Meagan's loved ones have now launched a GoFundMe to help cover her medical expenses. You can find out more here
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com