Four years ago, Stacey Betancourt noticed a shift in herbowel movements.
It was almost like a switch that happened one day, she tells SELF.
There was never any normal bowel movement.
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[My doctor] saw the tumor right away, Betancourt says.
Biopsies confirmed what her doctor suspected: Betancourt hadcolorectal cancer.
I remember it like it was yesterday, Betancourt says of hearing her diagnosis.
Stacey Betancourt. Courtesy of the subject
The first words that came out of my mouth were, But I m only 27.
I couldnt say much because I was in shock.
Unfortunately, shes not alone.
Allison Rosen. Courtesy of the subject
Like Betancourt, Allison Rosen is among those numbers.
Rosen suffers fromCrohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition, and had regular colonoscopies as a result.
Ive always had gastrointestinal issues and have always been aware of my bowel habits, she says.
Stacey Betancourt. Courtesy of the subject
Suddenly, she noticed that she went from going to the bathroom regularly to beingconstipatedfor a few days.
And, after a colonoscopy and biopsy, it was confirmedshe hadcancer.
Because of Crohns disease, my colon was at risk of developing cancer again, she explained.
Allison Rosen in the hospital. Courtesy of the subject
Then, she had chemo again.
Betancourt went through a similar process.
I was completely frightened by it, she says.
The very thought of having the ileostomy bag made me cry.
I was single and I thought, Who is going to want todateme?
I felt like I would be undesirableit was embarrassing almost.
Eventually, she came to terms with it.
I thought, This is temporary, I can do it, she says.
It didnt affect me like I thought.
The fears were all in my head.
However, she ended up wearing wigs and had a lot of fun with it.
I had to use a cane, she says.
It was very difficult for me to adjust to that.
Betancourt calls her cancer journey a whirlwind, noting that shes still battling it.
However, Im treatable.
Betancourt says shell be on chemotherapy drugs for the rest of her life with the goal of keeping hercancerstable.
Soon, shes about to undergo a clinical trial.
I feel really empowered and grateful and blessed that Im strong enough to tell my story, she says.
Nobody likes to talk about theirbowel movements, but for me its good to spread the word.
I had a night when I was on the toilet and blood was gushing out, she says.
Rosen says that was a hard decision for her.
I know one day Ill make an amazing mom.
Rosens life has been altered by cancer in other ways, too.
That is one of the hardest things I struggle with now, she says.
I am single and trying to date.
Rosen says shes proud of herscar, but trying to explain an external poop bag isnt very easy.
Rosen says some people find it empowering, but shes not quite there yet.
But people my age already struggle with theirbody imageand now this poop bag is part of my body.
Rosen participated in a body image fashion show for cancer patients at MD Anderson and says it helped.
I think its a process that Ill be working through for a long time .
finding my new normal is a process.
And, if your doctor brushes off your symptoms and they persist, find another.
Watch: How I Discovered I Had Breast Cancer as a Young Woman
