Shawn Michael, from Springfield, Missouri, recently shared his journey in a candid interview on The Patient Story’s YouTube channel. Since its release last month, the video has garnered nearly 100,000 views.

Doctors diagnosed Michael with stage 4 colorectal cancer, which had already spread to several organs. Despite the severity of his condition, he and his medical team remain hopeful due to his overall health and age.

Michael’s diagnosis came as a shock because he had only experienced one relatively common symptom. In October of last year, he noticed bowel issues and assumed he was simply constipated. When over-the-counter treatments failed, he sought help at an urgent care facility, where he was given a strong laxative. While it provided some relief, he still felt discomfort.

“Two days later, I could still physically feel something inside me. It hurt so bad,” he recalled.

Upon returning to urgent care, a CT scan revealed a mass in his colon. Doctors determined that immediate surgery was necessary. Although the procedure successfully removed a large section of his colon, surgeons also discovered concerning tumors on his omentum, a fatty tissue layer surrounding the colon.

“[The surgeon] explained that the obstruction in my colon was so large he was absolutely shocked it hadn’t ruptured yet,” Michael shared. “That was actually kind of a lucky break—it had attached to that fatty tissue, which helped slow down its spread to other organs.”

Although doctors removed all visible cancer during the surgery, some still remains in his body. Michael remains optimistic about his recovery and is now preparing to undergo three months of chemotherapy to eliminate the remaining cancer cells.