Hi, I don't have bowel cancer, however my dad does. And as my mum is having memory problems, it comes to me to attend all doctor and hospital appts.
He was diagnosed last sept., with a t3.5 tumor, and received radiotherapy for five doses only just before Christmas 18. I'm concerned now because he is complaining of pain in his right shoulder, and his stomach is very distended. He presumed it was angina, he also had a heart attack last Feb 18, and needed a third stent fitting. We saw the cardiologist Friday last, and he confirmed what I was thinking, that the pain is not heart related, and could very well be being caused by the cancer.
I guess what I really need to know, can bowel cancer spread to the stomach, or would spreading to other organs cause the symptoms I've mentioned
Thankyou for listening shas58
Hi and welcome to the Online Community, although I am so sorry to see you having to find us.
I am so sorry to hear about your dad being diagnosed with Bowel Cancer and sorry your mum is suffering from memory problems. A cancer diagnosis can bring a lot of stress on a family but talking with people who are on the same journey can help a lot and will reduce the whirlwind wind that is rushing in your head.
As my cancer journey was rather different you may like to follow this link to our Bowel (colon and rectum) cancer forum where you will connect with people who understand the journey your dad is on. You can ask the folks questions about treatments, what to expect and how to help him during this time.
Follow the link and join the group by hitting the ‘Join the Group’ tab just under the main group name. At this point go to the right on the group home page and select how you want to receive email notifications when someone answers your posts.
The best way to get support is to go to the 'Start a Discussion' tab just under the main group name. Set up your own Discussion and Introduce yourself to the group - you could just copy an paste what you have in this first post.
We also have these forums where you can connect with others supporting family and friends through their cancer journey: Carers Forum and Friends and Family Forum
You may find our various Macmillan Support Line Services to be helpful - call them on 0808 808 00 00 This free service covers Emotional Support, Practical Information. Clinical Information, Financial Support and Work Guidance mostly open 8.00 to 8.00 but check the link.
We also have our ‘Ask an Expert’ section where you can post questions to our mostly Volunteer Experts but please allow 2 working days to get a reply.
Our Online Information and Support Section is a good place to find some great pages covering the cancer diagnosis, treatment and information pages covering most types of cancers.
Talking to people face to face can help a lot so check to see if you have any Local Macmillan Support Groups in your area or a Maggie’s Centre as these folks are amazing.
When you feel up to it think about putting some information in your profile. This really helps others when answering. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself.
To do this click on YOUR username, look to the left and select 'Edit Profile'. Put as much or as little in your profile and you can amend it at any time - you can see members profiles by hitting our forum names.
All the best.
