DOCTORS repeatedly dismissed Shannin Pain’s vomiting, agonising cramps and oddly-shaped poos as IBS due to her age – until tests revealed she might only have three years to live.
The 26-year-old visited three separate doctors after she began struggling to keep food down in October 2023.
But they all insisted her nausea, “stabbing”; stomach cramps and bowel changes weren’t anything to worry about.
Shannin was tested for (IBS), , , and was even told she might have haemorrhoids.
It wasn’t until 2024 that an MRI revealed Shannin had stage four that had silently spread through her body.
The 26-year-old was given a terrifying prognosis: three years to live with chemotherapy, or just three months without it.
“I knew something wasn’t right,”; Shannin, a content creator from Kawartha Lakes, , said.
“I was told it was IBS or anxiety. But deep down, my gut was literally screaming at me.”;
Her symptoms began in October 2023, when she started feeling intense nausea after eating, couldn’t keep food down, and noticed her bowel habits had changed dramatically.
“I went from being regular to barely going at all. And when I did, my stool was pencil-thin,”; Shannin said.
“It might be TMI, but it was a huge red flag.”;
She also started experiencing agonising stomach pains.
“I’d get these stabbing – so bad I couldn’t breathe.
“I would double over, gasping, clutching my stomach. It felt like something was ripping through me.”;
Shannin is “frustrated”; that none of her doctors suggested she get colonoscopy when she presented with these symptoms.
“Colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers if caught early, but no one took me seriously because of my age,”; she claims.
In April 2024, Shannin was sent for an MRI to “rule things out”; – and never left the hospital.
“The scan showed a complete intestinal blockage, and I was admitted on the spot for emergency surgery,”; she recalled.
“When I woke up, they told me I had cancer.”;
Surgeons removed the but during the procedure, they discovered the disease had already spread to her right ovary, which had to be removed.
Shannin was diagnosed with a Krukenberg tumour, a rare secondary cancer that starts in the gastrointestinal tract and spreads to the ovaries.
In the same surgery, doctors also removed 13 of Shannin’s lymph nodes, 11 of which were cancerous, and part of her peritoneum – the a membrane that lines the inside of the abdomen and pelvis.
With one ovary remaining, Shannin underwent egg retrieval in May 2024 with the hope of being able to have children one day and successfully saved seven eggs.
“The idea of losing my while fighting for my life was heartbreaking,”; she said.
“I’m so grateful we were able to get those eggs. It gives me hope for the future.”;
But Shannin also found out that her liver was so covered in tumours, it couldn’t be operated on at all.
She was told she needed to start immediately, or the cancer would become untreatable.
“They said without chemo, I had less than three months. With it, maybe up to three years. I just froze.”;
As of June 2025, she’s completed 27 rounds of chemo and is preparing for her twenty-eighth.
In October and November, things took a dangerous turn when Shannin twice went into after reacting to one of her chemo drugs.
“My throat closed up. I couldn’t breathe. I honestly thought I was going to die.”;
The 26-year-old instead switched to and a take-home chemo bottle she wears for several days after each session.
Last hope
Shannin recently received a small but hopeful update: her latest MRI showed no new tumours in her liver.
“Some deposits have grown slightly, but nothing alarming,”; she shared.
“After taking a six-week chemo break, I was terrified the cancer had exploded. This gave me relief.”;
On top of conventional treatment, Shannin is also looking into personalised integrative oncology in hopes of extending her life further.
She’s working with a naturopathic oncologist in , who is conducting testing to determine what therapies might target her cancer, including high-dose vitamin C, Ivermectin, and other metabolic treatments.
No one should be told they’re too young for cancer
Shannin Pain
“The goal is to test my blood against different therapies and find what actually kills my tumour cells. Then, with those results, I’ll hopefully travel to and start treatment there,”; Shannin said.
There’s no reliable scientific evidence that vitamin C or Ivermectin – an anti-parasitic drug – can combat cancer.
Shannin has launched a GoFundMe to help fund her travel, testing and treatment.
“This is my last hope. I’m not ready to give up. I’ve come this far, and I’m going to keep fighting,”; she said.
She’s now documenting her experiences on , hoping to raise awareness for other young people experiencing similar symptoms.
“If I can help even one person get diagnosed sooner, it’ll all be worth it.
“No one should be told they’re too young for cancer.”;
