Mom diagnosed with colon cancer at 44 shares the 4 major symptoms she experienced

A mom of six has opened up about her colon cancer diagnosis, and the four major warning signs she experienced.

Elaine Griffin was diagnosed with Stage 2b colon cancer and has spoken about the ordeal with The New York Post.

Colon cancer kills around 50,000 Americans a year. Credit: SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty

In April 2024, her diagnosis meant that the cancer had spread beyond the colon wall but had not yet reached the lymph nodes or distant organs.

"I was very shocked, and I think the doctors were as well because it doesn’t typically affect someone in their mid-40s," Griffin said.

Dr. Charles Eisengart, her surgeon at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, explained just how serious her condition was: "If she delayed seeking medical attention, she would have rather quickly developed complete colon obstruction and would have required resection with colostomy."

Griffin underwent surgery to remove part of her sigmoid colon, avoiding the need for a colostomy bag. She then started oral and infusion chemotherapy and, by September 2024, was declared cancer-free.

Griffin is sharing her story to raise awareness about the rising rates of colorectal cancer among younger adults.

Colorectal cancer is on the rise in people under 50, baffling medical experts. Griffin, who had no family history of the disease, initially dismissed her symptoms, thinking they were just part of getting older.

But by early 2024, the signs became too severe to ignore:

For months, Griffin experienced severe cramping after eating.

"It felt like glass going through my intestines," she recalled.

At first, she assumed it was a food intolerance, cutting out dairy, gluten, and other foods—yet the pain persisted.

By January 2024, Griffin had lost 20 pounds without trying.

"I was not exercising or consciously trying to lose weight," she said. "I did begin to associate food with pain."

Sudden unplanned weight loss can be a bad sign. Credit: Kinga Krzeminska / Getty

Despite being used to a fast-paced lifestyle—balancing work as Associate Director of the Office of Research at Rutgers University with raising her three biological daughters and three stepdaughters—Griffin suddenly found herself struggling with basic activities.

"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 before," she explained.

The most alarming symptom came when Griffin noticed blood in her stool, along with persistent bloating and pain.

"It was very hard to sit, stand, and use the bathroom," she said. "I started noticing blood with each bowel movement."

Her stool also became pencil-thin, a known warning sign of colorectal cancer.

You should keep track of your bowel movements. Credit: Antonio Hugo Photo/Getty

Throughout her battle, Griffin made a personal vow: "One of the things I did was kind of beg for my life. I prayed to God and I said, ‘You know, if you just let me live, I’ll do anything I can to make sure that other people have this information.’"

True to her word, she launched a campaign to get 2,000 people screened for colon cancer—and the response has been overwhelming.

So far, over 1,400 people have completed their colonoscopies, with another 100 scheduled through mid-May.

Guidelines recommend that people at average risk for colon cancer start getting screened at age 45—but those with a family history or symptoms may need to start even earlier.

Griffin’s story highlights how early detection can save lives.

"The tumor that I actually had taken out had grown over the course of 10 years," she revealed. "I had no clue, and that’s why colonoscopies are really important."

She hopes that by sharing her journey, more people will take action before it’s too late.

"I just knew something was changing, but I wasn’t quite sure. If my story helps even one person get screened earlier, it’s all worth it."

Featured image credit: Shapecharge / Getty