Why a surgeon ?

Hi Try22,

Have you thought about ringing your oncologists secretary or the team you was under while having treatment and finding out about why your having to see a surgeon?

hope you get it sorted 

Laura x 

Hi Tr22 I agree with Dizzy1968, give your oncologist team a call to clarify why you need a surgeon. It might simply mean to remove a lump which may have been causing the bleeding and discomfort. 

Thankyou to both of you for your advice. I will give the hospital a call next week and see if they can shed some light on it and put my mind at rest a bit .

Thankyou, take care

Tr22

Hi Trv22,

Firstly congratulations on the good news following your scans. Secondly it’s not unusual to feel a sense of emptiness following diagnosis, treatment etc., it’s a really overwhelming time.

Regarding being referred back to a surgeon I asked about this early on in my recovery & was told that once you’ve had chemoradiotherapy should there be a recurrence then you couldn’t have any more radiotherapy & the only option then would be surgery therefore a colorectal surgeon would take over the surveillance for the rest of your recovery. Some oncologists seem to discharge you into surgical care quite early on in your recovery others continue seeing you a little longer. I hope that helps a little. 

Nicola 

Hi 

Thankyou for the reply ... that might be it yeah,  .... my next appointment with my oncologist isn't until January but the appointment with the surgeon is in a couple of months .. I may ask one of the nurses if this is the reason ,  just to get things sorted in my head . 

Many thanks and take care . 

Tr22

Hi Tr22

i had my first scan results in august have been told there’s no sign of cancer and I am also being referred back to surgeon. I was told this is because firstly they will do a scope to make sure it’s all gone and then they will be over seeing the rest of the recovery. Perhaps you are the same? I’m sure the nurse will be able to shed more light on this once you speak to them. 
Becs x

Hi Tr,

No advice about the surgeon thing, except that it may just be that the next step, if one needs to be taken, is surgery. That's what they told me when they said to get the port removed- that even if I have recurrence, it'll be the remove-the-anus surgery, no more chemo so no more need for a port. 

I think the unexpected not-excitement is actually pretty natural. Our psyches get pretty traumatized from diagnosis through treatment, so our expectations that we're going to respond 'normally' to good news or bad are unrealistic. 

I've never had counseling, but when I have puzzling reactions like this I put on my Freud mask and stroke my chin thoughtfully and muse 'Hm, Suz, that's a funny reaction. Why do you think you're taking it thus? How does it make you feel?'

And journal it. Hopefully at some later date I'll be able to see a threat that ties it all together.

Don't bend yourself into a pretzel or feel guilty! Gratitude doesn't always mean smiling and gamboling about. You can be exhausted, suspicious of good news, scared and wary, all while being very grateful for good news. The folks who are truly your tribe won't demand or expect that you put on a fake front. 

Cancer is so freakin' hard.

Hugs

Suz