Eivind Ertesvag 
When Krystal Maeyke first began feeling sharp pains in her stomach, she assumed it was food intolerance. She was healthy, exercised daily, and lived an active life as a single mother – but beneath the surface, a deadly disease was spreading.
For several months, Krystal tried to ignore the increasingly intense pain in the lower part of her abdomen. Some days, the pain was so severe she had to lie down on the floor.
– At first I thought I should get tested for food intolerances. I was healthy, worked out every day, and ate well, she told People.
But the tests showed no allergies. The pain continued, and Krystal started using a heating pad to ease the discomfort. Only when the pain became unbearable was she airlifted to the hospital.
The doctor’s shocking message
After several tests, she received the news no one wants to hear.
– I was woken up by a doctor who said: “Krystal, I have bad news… You have cancer.” The words completely knocked the wind out of me, she says.
She was diagnosed with stage four metastatic colon cancer – the cancer had already spread to her stomach, liver, and ovaries.
– I didn’t think it was serious. That’s why it spread. I could feel it growing in my colon, she says.
Warns others not to ignore the signs
Krystal explains that she also experienced symptoms she never associated with cancer: constant fatigue, night sweats, and irregular bowel movements.
She often woke up drenched in sweat several times during the night but assumed it was simply the summer heat. Looking back, she now knows her body was trying to warn her.
– I woke up in the middle of the night soaked in sweat, having to change both my clothes and my bedding – multiple times. I just thought the air conditioning couldn’t keep up, she says.
Now, the 39-year-old spends her time warning others, openly sharing her cancer journey on TikTok, where more than 50,000 people follow her daily life with the disease.
The toughest thought – her son Maison
For Krystal, the greatest fear isn’t death itself, but what will happen to her 12-year-old son, Maison.
– The real burden isn’t my own pain, but the potential loss my son, Maison, might face. He is a vulnerable child who could lose a mother’s love and presence, she says.
On GoFundMe, she has launched a fundraiser to ensure financial security for her son when the day comes that she is no longer here.
Krystal’s story is a powerful reminder of how important it is to take the body’s signals seriously. Even small changes – like night sweats, stomach pain, or fatigue – can be signs of something more serious.
