A Sayville woman is urging people to put their health first and see a doctor at the first sign that something's wrong.

Julianne Sirianni says she's living proof that it's a decision that could save one's life.

"I've had cancer, and that's a scary issue," Sirianni says. She says she was experiencing stomach pain, but she did not think much of it.

"I had been having gas pain for several weeks, actually almost two months. And I just kept taking Gas-X," Sirianni says.

Sirianni continued like this until the pain became unbearable that she went to the emergency room.

She was diagnosed with a small bowel tumor.

"Looking back, I should've gone to the doctor much sooner," Sirianni says.

Dr. David Pechman at Northwell Health was in the ER that day and he says more people have been waiting to go to the doctor or hospital for their issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We're seeing people with appendicitis, gallbladder problems-- things where they would've normally gone to the doctor day of -- we're seeing them a week later, and it's becoming a bigger problem," Pechman says.

Sirriani's gastrointestinal system had a mass that was cancerous and quite large that it was even pushing into another part of her intestine. And while Dr. Pechman was able to remove it in time, he wishes she had come in sooner.

"Pain is never normal. That's something that I think is important for people to know," Pechman says.

Sirianni hopes that by sharing her story it will encourage other people to listen to their bodies and go to a doctor when they think something is wrong.