Woman diagnosed with cancer aged 44 shares the four symptoms that made her realize something was wrong

Drastic weight loss

“I was not exercising or consciously trying to lose weight,” she told the New York-based publication, but still lost a staggering 20 pounds in one month – January 2024.

“I did begin to associate food with pain,” she added.

The following months her symptoms became more severe, leading her to visit RWJBarnabas Health – a comprehensive health care in New Jersey.

Mom-of-six Elaine Griffin is cancer-free – and has been since September (LinkedIn/Elaine Griffin)

Fatigue

Griffin described herself as being ‘pretty fast’ – helping look after six children will do that to a person.

But she noticed a drastic change to her body.

“I started to feel more exhausted doing very normal things — climbing a flight of stairs, walking down a hallway, things that would never, ever cause any kind of stress,” she described of her symptoms.

One of the symptoms that forced Griffin to realize that something was wrong was due to her feeling much more fatigued (Getty stock)

Trouble with colonoscopy

Having gone for a colonoscopy to determine what exactly was going on with her body, her worst fears were all but confirmed.

Doctors were unable to complete her colonoscopy due to a large tumor obstructing her colon.

In April 2024, she was diagnosed with the colon cancer due to the results, although thankfully following treatment she’s now got the all-clear.