These twins' lives were identical, until one got colon cancer at 21

"Brinlee Luster brushed off the exhaustion and stomach cramps as stress. She was finishing college, planning a wedding, and racing toward graduation. At first, the changes were easy to dismiss. A cold that wouldn't clear up. An unsettled, uncomfortable feeling in her gut that could be anxiety. Feeling winded on an easy hike. But as the pain sharpened and she started leaving class 10 times to use the bathroom, she knew something was seriously wrong."

"Or more accurately, her sister did. Mariela Luster and Brinlee are identical twins who share everything together - attending the same college, in the same program, even meeting their husbands on the same day at the same community event. Their voices are nearly indistinguishable; even their parents struggle to keep track of who's who on their podcast. Mariela was the first to flag that Brinlee, normally energetic and enthusiastic, was not just under the weather."

"After more than a year of intensifying pain, debilitating fatigue, and medical visits that raised more questions than answers, doctors found a tumor so large it was blocking her colon. At 21, Brinlee was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer that had already spread to her lymph nodes and her liver. Over the months I've spent getting to know Brinlee, over Zoom and in person, she seems like any healthy, cheerful 24-year-old. You'd never guess she spent the past year and a half enduring round after round of chemo and surgery."

Brinlee Luster initially attributed exhaustion and stomach cramps to stress while finishing college and planning a wedding. Early signs included a persistent cold, gut unease, and becoming winded on easy hikes. As pain intensified and bathroom visits increased to ten times per class, her twin sister Mariela recognized personality changes and depression. After more than a year of worsening pain, fatigue, and inconclusive medical visits, doctors discovered a tumor blocking her colon; at 21 she received a stage 4 diagnosis with spread to lymph nodes and liver. She subsequently endured rounds of chemotherapy and surgery. Her case reflects a sharp rise in colon cancer among young people, often diagnosed at late stages.

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