When Bailey Hutchins first started feeling "off," she didn't think much of it. She was 24, a registered nurse, and active. Honestly, who expects a life-altering diagnosis in their early twenties? But by January 2023, the reality set in: stage 3 colorectal cancer.
Her journey, which she shared with over 170,000 followers on TikTok under the handle @healingwithbailey, became a raw, unfiltered look at what it actually means to fight this disease. It wasn't just about the big medical terms. It was about the daily reality of her body changing. Bailey tragically passed away on February 7, 2025, at the age of 26, but the bailey hutchins symptoms she documented remain a crucial blueprint for young people who think they’re "too young" for cancer.
The Subtle Warning Signs Nobody Takes Seriously
For Bailey, the symptoms didn't arrive with a bang. They were sneaky. In the beginning, she barely noticed anything was wrong. That’s the scary part about colorectal cancer—it’s a quiet crawler. It often starts with tiny shifts in how your body functions.
Think about how often you feel bloated. Maybe you had a heavy dinner? For Bailey, abdominal discomfort—persistent pain, cramping, and that annoying sense of fullness—became more frequent. It wasn’t just a "bad stomach day." It was her body trying to say something was blocking the pipes.
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Changes in Bowel Habits
One of the most common signs she and medical experts emphasize is a shift in your "normal" bathroom routine. We're talking:
- Diarrhea that doesn't go away.
- Constipation that feels different than usual.
- Stools that look narrower or have a different consistency.
- The feeling that you didn't quite "finish," even after you've gone.
The Appearance of Blood
This is the big red flag. Literally. Bailey and organizations like the American Cancer Society point out that blood in the stool—whether it’s bright red or dark and tarry—is a major indicator of bleeding in the digestive tract. It's easy to dismiss it as hemorrhoids. Many people do. But for a young person, it's something that needs an immediate doctor's visit. No excuses.
When "Little Spots" Become Big Problems
As her cancer progressed from stage 3 to stage 4 with peritoneal metastasis, the symptoms got more aggressive. Toward the end of 2024 and into early 2025, Bailey shared updates about a "spotty spot" that was causing real trouble.
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This "spot" was actually a tumor growth that began pressing on her colon. It caused an obstruction. Imagine your digestive system as a highway; this tumor was a permanent roadblock. This led to intense nausea, vomiting, and a total lack of energy. Her husband, Caden Hutchins, shared in late January 2025 that she was "out of energy." It wasn’t just being tired. It was profound, bone-deep fatigue that sleep couldn't fix.
The obstruction eventually led to her final hospitalization. When a tumor blocks the colon, it’s a medical emergency. You can’t eat, you can’t process waste, and the pain becomes, as Caden described it, "torturous."
Why These Symptoms Get Missed in Young Adults
Bailey’s story is part of a disturbing trend. While 80% of colon cancer cases happen in people over 55, the rates are climbing fast in younger generations.
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The medical community is still catching up. Often, when a 20-something walks into a clinic complaining of abdominal pain or constipation, they're told it’s IBS, stress, or a poor diet. Bailey herself expressed disbelief at her diagnosis. She once said that if someone had told her a year prior she’d have stage 3 cancer, she would have thought they were "freaking crazy."
The "I'm Too Healthy" Trap
Bailey was a nurse. She knew the body. She even joked on TikTok about people telling her she was "working out too much" and causing her own obstructions. She had to shut that down—it was "Goliath" (the tumor), not her lifestyle. This is a huge takeaway: you can be the healthiest person in the room and still have a tumor growing.
Anemia is another silent symptom. Chronic blood loss from a tumor leads to a drop in red blood cells. You might feel dizzy, look pale, or get short of breath just walking up a flight of stairs. If you’re a young woman, it’s often blamed on a heavy period. Bailey’s advocacy was about stopping these "easy" explanations and getting real tests done.
Practical Steps If You're Worried
If you’ve been Googling bailey hutchins symptoms because you're feeling something similar, don't panic, but do take action.
- Track your habits. Keep a literal log for two weeks. When do you feel bloated? What does your stool look like? Doctors love data.
- Demand a FIT test or Colonoscopy. If you have blood in your stool or a persistent change in bowel habits, a FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test) is a non-invasive first step. But a colonoscopy is the gold standard.
- Know your family history. If a close relative had polyps or colon cancer, your "screening age" isn't 45—it's much earlier.
- Listen to your "gut." If you feel like something is wrong and your doctor dismisses it as "just stress," get a second opinion. Bailey’s legacy is about being your own best advocate.
Bailey Hutchins used her final years to make sure other people didn't have to go through the same "disbelief" she did. She turned a "torturous" journey into a lesson for all of us. The symptoms are often quiet, but if you know what to look for, you might just catch "Goliath" before it’s too late.
Next Steps for Advocacy and Health
- Review the Colorectal Cancer Alliance guidelines for early-onset symptoms.
- Schedule a basic blood panel to check for unexplained anemia or iron deficiency.
- Share Bailey's story with friends who think they are too young to worry about their digestive health.