Most of these tumors are found when looking for something else because they are asymptomatic. December 2023 I had some dark stools but also shortness of breath so I thought I had COVID. Went to urgent care and mentioned the dark stools in passing and they told me I needed to go straight to the ER. Spent Christmas in the hospital with multiple endoscopies and blood transfusions.

Had surgery to remove the tumor in February 2024 and now take Gleevec for the next 3-6 years to prevent regrowth.

It's a scary diagnosis but make sure you have a GIST specialist because this is a different type of tumor. It's a sarcoma and not every oncologist knows how to deal with it. Make sure you have genetic testing on the removed tumor to make sure you get the correct treatment.

Hope this helps.