So I was diagnosed in November with peritoneal mesothelioma stage II. I know a lot of people come here looking for lung cancer symptoms but I wanted to post about what I actually experienced because it might help someone recognize this earlier than I did.
I kept a symptom journal starting in like August so I could track what was going on. Main things I noticed:
Abdominal pain and bloating. This was the big one for me. Started as this weird fullness after eating even small meals. Then it progressed to actual pain, not sharp but this dull ache that got worse as the day went on. By October I couldn't fit into my regular pants.
Fluid buildup, my abdomen started swelling noticeably. I gained about 15 pounds in weight but it was all in my stomach area, which seemed odd.
Nausea and loss of appetite, couldn't eat much without feeling sick. Lost about 20 pounds overall between the fluid weight and not eating.
Fatigue, this was relentless. I'd wake up tired and just couldn't get through a full day without needing to rest.
Constipation alternating with other digestive issues.
I know the searches mention lung mesothelioma but peritoneal is actually more common than a lot of people realize, especially for people who worked with asbestos like I did at Johns-Manville back in the 70s and 80s. The latency period is crazy long, mine showed up 40+ years after exposure.
If you're experiencing persistent abdominal symptoms that don't improve with standard treatments, push your doctor for imaging. CT scan is what caught mine. Don't let them dismiss it as normal aging or IBS or whatever.