Before my cancer diagnosis, I’d had stomachaches on and off for years. My husband and I work as landscapers in the summer, and I always felt good during those months. It was when we’d stop working in the winter that I’d start to feel unwell.
I saw a few doctors over the span of about five years, but the pain was never consistent, so we didn’t take it too seriously. I figured it must be due to wintertime inactivity and eating poorly. Worst case, I thought I might have Crohn’s disease, because my brother and niece both have it, but no doctor ever confirmed that suspicion.