A 24-year-old nurse who belched constantly was shocked to learn what was causing her discomfort.
Bailey McBreen has stage 3 colon cancer. Her incessant belching was actually a warning sign of her illness, reports the New York Post.
“I never thought it could be related to such a terrible disease,” says the young woman. “I don’t know if one day I’ll be able to process this aggressive cancer diagnosis at such an advanced stage,” she adds.
According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer usually affects older people. This insidious condition is the “third leading cause of cancer-related death in men and women in the United States and is projected to cause approximately 52,550 deaths nationwide in 2023.”
Bailey, who worked as a plastic surgery and cardiology nurse, began burping more frequently in 2021 while traveling to Nashville with her fiancé.
“I was burping 5 to 10 times a day,” the young woman recalled, according to NeedToKnow.Online. “It wasn’t normal. I rarely belched before. That’s why I realized how weird it was.”
McBreen reported to his doctor in February 2022 that he was suffering from acid reflux. Then his condition worsened. And by January of this year, she was in excruciating pain, had no appetite and was unable to defecate, according to the New York Post.
The diagnosis was stage 3 colon cancer and a tumor that was blocking his colon.
“I never thought that a vague symptom was actually cancer,” Bailey regrets.
“I’m not ready to die”
“I remember the first thing I said was, ‘I’m not ready to die.'”
But what about his constant burping? “Lots of burping is not a typical sign of colon cancer, but my oncologist told me that was probably where my symptoms started,” says Bailey McBreen.
“Gastric reflux started less than a month after I developed excessive belching. Reflux was a symptom for me because my tumor was slowly causing a complete intestinal obstruction,” explains the young woman.
Despite the severity of her illness, doctors managed to remove Bailey’s tumor during emergency surgery in late January. The young woman began her chemotherapy, which will last until August.
“Now all that matters is spending time with my family, eating healthy, my faith and just being with my friends. Life is too short to be constantly pleasing people and doing things that don’t make you happy,” concludes Bailey.