This morning I had an appointment with the Oncologist as my chemo is coming to an end on Tuesday. He told me that I am considered..............................CURED....................wooo hooooo, yes yes yes!!!!!!
For anyone who has just been diagnosed with bowel cancer, this is my journey:
My symptoms started in March 2008 when I was shopping in B&Q of all places. I had the most tremendous urge to go to the toilet......and I needed to go very VERY quickly. This kept happening periodically and I eventually went to see my GP at the end of June 2008. I was given a full examination and was told that I would be referred to a Surgeon for further investigations. I was sent a PCQ (questionnaire) by the hospital asking various details about my symptoms etc and from the answers I gave it was decided that I needed a flexible sigmoidoscopy. Oh no, a camera up the bum! Still, if it was going to show what was wrong then it had to be done and I needed to be a brave soldier. The procedure was done in September 2008 and wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be. After an hours rest I was allowed home and the Nurse Endoscopist who carried it out told me before I left that she had found 2 abnormal areas which were biopsied but that she wasn't too concerned about them. I would get an appointment if anything showed that needed any treatment. Well, the biopsies came back as normal and I was told that I had IBS and given a prescription for Fybogel.
The symptoms never did go away and over the months I tried all sorts of medications from my GP and I also tried a variety of probiotic/prebiotic tablets. A colleague who had suffered from IBS in the past told me that it was like a living hell, and I thought that this is how IBS is and I just had to get on with things.
May 2009 - things became totally unbearable and I returned to the GP again and said that things were really bad. Another full examination down below was performed and I was told that I had an impacted bowel. The GP mentioned about going for Biofeedback studies, which would show how my bowel was working. Not very pleasant tests apparently but something to consider having done. I left with a prescription for Movicol and enemas, and a sick note for 4 weeks. The Movicol certainly got things moving, but after 4 weeks I decided that I needed to have the Biofeedback studies and went to see my GP to get this arranged. He told me that the surgeon would have to refer me to a hospital in Liverpool to have these tests as they aren't done in North Wales, so another referral was sent to my local hospital. I asked my GP to refer me to a particular Colorectal Surgeon, who I knew was considered the best in our area. I had an appointment the following week and was told that I needed a colocoscopy to check further along the colon. This was done within the week and despite taking the nuclear explosive bowel cleaner, my bowel had not cleared completely. After recovering from the colocoscopy I was taken to see the consultant, fully expecting him to say that I needed to come back again as the bowel wasn't clear enough, but no..................he told me that he had found a 'massive' tumour (and yes, that was the word he used MASSIVE. He told me that I would be having a CT scan and virtual colocoscopy, and that whatever the result, I would need surgery. My CT scan and virtual colonoscopy was done the following Friday and the MDT would meet on Monday to discuss my case. Mr Maw, my surgeon, would see me after the meeting. I should just mention that I work at the hospital so was lucky that Mr Maw would see me in his office rather than having to wait for an appointment. To say it was a long weekend would be an understatement.
Monday, 22nd June 2009 - today I was going to get my results from the biopsies and scans. The morning went so slowly. I was at work, but my colleague Bev and I locked our door and spent the morning crying and hugging one another, with my boss coming in every now and then to see how we were and whether I had heard anything yet. Eventually at about 2pm I got the call to see Mr Maw. He was straight to the point and told me that the biopsy result confirmed cancer.......OMG are you talking about me? Not only that, but the CT scan showed something on my ovary. I would need bowel resection, radical hysterectomy and stents put in my urethers. This was turning into a nightmare, yet I felt so calm......no tears, no tantrums, just complete calm. I asked how soon I would have surgery and was told that it would be probably 4 weeks as 3 surgeons would be involved.
Friday, 26th June 2009 - Spookily, I was shopping in B&Q when I phoned my husband to check what oil it was he wanted me to buy for the lawnmower. 'Get back home' he said, 'the hospital are trying to get hold of you. They want you to go in on Monday'. So just 1 week after my full diagnosis, I was going in for surgery. Never had an operation in my life, and now I was going for a biggy.
Monday, 29th June 2009 - Admission Day - My mum had come up from Cardiff to be here for my surgery. She was fighting back the tears as best she could when I left for the hospital and I said a cheery goodbye, followed by 'I'll be okay mum'. Got to the hospital at 10am but there wasn't going to be a bed available until the afternoon, so I went for all my blood tests and returned home for lunch. Went back at 2pm and yes, a bed was now free. I had my own room with ensuite facilities. Just as well, as yet again the nuclear explosive bowel cleaner had to be taken. Lets just say I didn't get too much sleep that night. Not because of nerves but because I spent the whole night in and out of the loo!! I had already been told that a bed was reserved for me in Intensive Care for after surgery.
Tuesaday, 30th June 2009 - Surgery Day - I was expecting to go to theatre at midday, but at 10.30am, a man and his trolley came for me. Still feeling calm, but I had had a pre-med. Down to theatre we go and I was put iin the holding bay. Shortly afterwards, I was wheeled down to a room where the anaesthesist was waiting. 'Here's your gin and tonic' she said, and that was all I remember until opening my eyes, looking up at the ceiling in the recovery room. 'It's all over' I thought to myself. Can't remember anything after that until sensing that someone was lurking beside my bed and I opened my eyes to see my mum and husband. We didn't say a great deal that evenng and I had tubes going in and out from all sort of places. I needed a blood transfusion as I had lost alot of blood during the hysterectomy. I was feeling reasonably comfortable although I would have loved a long cool drink. Unfortunately it was just the foam lollipops that were allowed which just helped to moisten my lips.I didn't need to go to Intensive Care and was in High Dependancy. That must be a good sign I thought.
Recovery was surprisingly quick. There were a few hiccups along the way. I managed to lie on my catheter one night which resulted in a painful urinary infection. the pain from that was considerably more than after my surgery. A course of antibiotics sorted that. As I mentioned on Debs blog yesterday, the drain from my stomach coming out was an experience. 'It's in deep' the nurse said as I grabbed her for the 2nd and 3rd pull. Now with all the tubes taken out, I was free to shower. Oh bliss, that 1st shower after surgery is the best. Hair and body clean, I felt my old self again. I was discharged 1 week after admission, and although walking like an OAP, I was home and able to get a good nights sleep and eat all the things I wanted and fancied.
I will continue tomorrow. This blog has gone on too long.
Love Angela
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