The mom is urging people to ‘advocate’ for themselves

Warning: This article is loaded with discussion of ca-n-cer which some readers may find distressing

A single mum diagnosed with stage four colon ca-n-cer has share a warning for others about the symptoms she initially ignored.

Radwah Oda has sadly been received a diagnosis with stage four colon ca-n-cer, all while trying to maintain her office job in Texas and raise her child.

The mum-of-one posted a TikTok which now has 2.3 million views, explaining all the w:ar:ning signs that she dismissed, ‘assuming’ it was something less serious.

This woman is now urging people to ‘advocate for themselves’, after many find that they are told their symptoms are not ca-n-cer.

When she outlined the five main symptoms, she noted: “If you have any of these symptoms, please don’t be concerned, but go see a doctor.”

Change in stool

This is one of the most common signs of colon ca-n-cer. And for Oda, it was the first subtle sign that she noticed.

Her stool appeared to be thin and pencil-like, yet she brushed the symptom off as ‘constipation’.

Additionally, she noticed blood in her stool, but assumed that it was as a result of haemorrhoids.

However, in younger patients, a study in 2024 highlighted blood in stool as one of two top ‘red flag’ symptoms.

She also noted feeling like her bowels were never fully empty.

“Each time I would use the restroom, I would feel like I still needed to go. I would keep pushing and pushing but nothing would come out.”, she said in the video.

Unexplained pain

Though pain near the abdomen is a known symptom of colon ca-n-cer, pain that is felt elsewhere in the body could be a sign that the ca-n-cer has spread.

Oda felt pain on her right side near her breast.

She said: “I just assumed my bra was too tight, even though it was just on one side.”

In fact, her ca-n-cer had actually spread to her liver.

Chronic fatigue

Radwah Oda was also chronically tired – no matter how much sleep she had.

“I would still need to take a nap a few times during the day and nothing really helped.”, she shared.

Cancer causes fatigue as ca-n-cer cells use up all the body’s energy.

@radwah.oda Colon cancer symptoms #coloncancer #stage4cancer #coloncancerawareness #mdandersoncancercenter ♬ Deep Understanding – Dominic DiTanna

Other signs

In a separate video, she documented a couple of the less-known symptoms that she experienced leading up to her diagnosis.

These included loss of appetite, weight loss, and constant stomach pains.

Up until doctors told her she had ca-n-cer, she blamed these symptoms on a ‘really bad stomach bug’.

In case you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek advice from a healthcare professional as soon as possible.