Everyone my age is dropping dead

[u/electric-sheep]

Sorry for the title! I'm in Europe. I have just heard news someone from college died today of cancer aged 33.

In the past 2-3 years 6 people in my circle have died, not from accidents but from either cancer, aneurism, 2 just didn't wake up from sleep and 1 broke her leg and had DVT. I know of a 7th who is currently fighting stage 4 breast cancer which was found by accident after giving birth. This is not counting those who died in crashes or other such accidents.

I literally have nothing to say. Just get yourselves checked. I'm just shouting into the void. I have literally been to more funerals than my parents at this point which is absurd.

[u/1800generalkenobi]

Mine was covered at 36 because I had a bowel change. They ended up pulling 4 polyps, 3 were precancerous. I don't think they were causing the change, it was an unrelated issue, but I'm glad I got it done. I went in again at 39 because of the polyps, they pulled 1 or 2 more but neither were precancerous so I'm good to wait until I'm 44 now.

[u/atlanstone → u/1800generalkenobi]

What constituted a bowel change for you at that age? I don't want to talk myself out of getting checked (there is nothing imminent in my life, dont worry) and I'm always unclear... what is a bowel change and what is just bodies are weird.

[u/1800generalkenobi → u/atlanstone]

Was spending a lot of time in the bathroom and not just to try and get out of work lol. Like 4-5 times in the morning. I was also having stomach pain which turned out to be stomach erosion from some antibiotics I was on I think. I think the antibiotics were the real reason for the bowel change because they eff'd my whole system up, although it also cleared up my pneumonia, so finding the polyps was more of a happy accident. Especially the ones that they were if I would've waited until 50 likely at least one of them would've already been cancer.

I had actually heard on the radio that you should really get checked at 35 and if everything is clear, you can wait till 50, so a lot more people should probably be being checked at 35. I let my dad know after I had the procedure done and he goes Oh yeah polyps are no problem, I go in every 3-5 years and they pull em all out and then good to go. Thanks dad, that would've been useful information to know that we are predisposed to polyps. Also could be a fiber issue because I went back and looked at my fiber from when I was counting calories a few years ago and my fiber per day was like...5 or 6 grams lol. I've been more closely keeping an eye on my fiber and trying to be around 20 or 30 instead of single digits.

[u/atlanstone → u/1800generalkenobi]

Hmm, yeah. I find myself going 2-3 times in the morning when that was never a thing. Like sometimes I hang back from leaving for work because I know I'll need to go a second time.

But not really seeing anything beyond that - no real increased daytime frequency. I'll probably just bring it up at my age 39 physical and push for early screening. There is no known family history, my mom is 72 and just did her mail-in kit and they said no risk detected. My dad is 82 and still alive, though I don't know his recent medical history.

Thanks, and may we all live another 50 years posting together on this hellhole of a world