I received my diagnosis a couple of weeks back after I'd had my scans. I have a tumour 10cm up my bum and luckily it's operable, the tumour is far enough away from my anus that I can have a resection in my colon after they remove the tumour. The date for my op is in 3 weeks. The Lymph nodes were questionable so it's not clear if I will need chemo or radiotherapy afterwards. I will require a temporary stoma for a loop ileostomy to allow the resection to heal afterwards. I am 55 yrs old and reasonably fit.
I am asking anyone in a similar position what the recovery period was like. I have never had an operation before so I'm looking for some idea of how much it will knock me out and what I may or may not be capable of in the weeks and months after the op. I am most worried about the effect of the ileostomy/stoma on my diet and the risk of hernia. Due to the covid backlog, the ileostomy reversal could be delayed for 1-2 years so I will have to learn to live with it for quite a while.
Can anyone give me some idea of what life will be like post-op?
Thanks
Hi and a warm welcome to the Macmillan Online Community but sorry that you needed to find us and I am especially sorry to hear about your diagnosis.
A cancer diagnosis brings many questions, lots of confusion and stress but talking with other people who are on the same type of journey will help you navigate this rollercoaster.
The Community is organised into dedicated support groups and I see you have joined our supportive Anal cancer group and can I also highlight our Bowel (colon and rectum) cancer group, these are good places to connect with others navigating the same type of cancer journey.
To join a groups just click on the link above then choose 'click to join' or 'join' (depending on the device you're using) on the page that opens. Then you can introduce yourself by putting up a ‘New Thread’ or hit the box with the X on the top right (phones) you could just copy and paste the text from this your first post. You can also join in with existing ‘Discussions’ by clicking on 'reply'.
It’s always good to talk and the Macmillan Support Services provides lots of information, support, financial guidance or just a listening ear.
Most services are open 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week and it's free to call on 0808 808 00 00 have a look by Clicking here to see what is available and we also have our Ask an Expert section, but do allow two working days for replies from our expert team.
All the very best
