The symptom continued for six years until she was diagnosed with bowel cancer in May 2014.
"I fought for six years to get anyone to listen to me."
Ms Reynolds, of Tomahawk, said her other symptoms included using the bathroom up to 24 times a day, weight loss and fatigue.
"I was barely functioning."
Due to her age, she was refused a colonoscopy referral and told it was most likely irritable bowel syndrome.
When she told her doctor she was in pain, she was referred for a colonoscopy.
The test revealed her bowel was "blocked with a massive tumour and riddled with polyps".
She believes if she had had been referred for the test four years earlier, she would avoided the surgery to remove her large bowel.
The impact of the surgery, and four follow-up abdominal surgeries relating to the first surgery rather than cancer, could stop her dream of having more children.
If her cancer had been diagnosed earlier, she might not be struggling to conceive.
"If I had been taken a bit more seriously when I was 20, I could have avoided a lot of operations and could be trying for a baby — so I’ve had to start reprocessing some of the anger."
She was telling The Star her story because she wanted people to talk about bowel cancer symptoms and how it could affect young people.
Bowel Cancer New Zealand general manager Rebekah Heal said the charity was running its "Never Too Young" awareness campaign this month.
The aim of the campaign was to remember the young lives lost to bowel cancer and reduce the statistic of those dying needlessly from it.
The campaign was designed "to drive home how important it is for everyone, of any age to know the symptoms of bowel cancer".
She urged people to "not sit on their symptoms"and to "understand bowel cancer can strike at any age".
"You’re never too young.”
Every year, more than 350 people younger than 50 were diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Those who have a family history of bowel cancer or want to do regular checks, could talk to their doctor or buy a commercially available bowel screening kit.
"However, if you have symptoms, we advise seeing your GP immediately."
Bowel cancer
- Bleeding from the bottom or seeing blood in the toilet after a bowel motion.
- Change of bowel motions over several weeks without returning to normal.
- Persistent or periodic severe pain in the abdomen.
- A lump or mass in the abdomen.
- Tiredness and loss of weight for no particular reason.
- Anaemia.
