6 Month Scan Issue!

Hi there Holibobs, 

I’m really sorry that your scan results seem to have thrown you into this awful spiral. Firstly I think it’s correct that PET scans are ordered here in the UK if there’s a concern about the cancer having spread as they offer more detailed images regarding certain cancers ours being one of them, also they offer different imaging to CT & MRI scans as the latter are more like  X-rays & I think the PET scans act on radioactive energy. 

I totally sympathise with your response at your appointment, I think our emotions completely take over at that point & if the news is not what we expect then shock sets in & our minds take us straight to worst case scenario! If you’re given an anaesthetic for any investigations your team want to do please don’t worry about waking up with a stoma etc., your Dr’s will discuss any further treatment etc., with you before they go ahead. Also try & keep in mind that the radiotherapy causes a lot of inflammation for some time post treatment. 

I know it’s probably cold comfort right now but it’s good that your Dr’s are being thorough & are completely on the ball at getting further investigations underway. I really hope your appointment comes through quickly & this is found to be just a minor hiccup for you & nothing to worry about. 

Nicola 

Thanks once again Nikki for coming to the rescue. You are a star. I am a planner, an over thinker, always in control and this hiccup plays havoc with my emotions. As usual though you have put my mind at rest and put me back to a place of calm. 

So this afternoon I had a call to say that I have a meeting on 6th May with the colorectal surgeon again to discuss going forward and then camera investigation and possible biopsy. It’s like starting all over again which has panicked me a little, although it doesn’t seem as ‘rushed through’ as they said so that’s some hope. Would the chemo radiation not have zapped everything? Mentally I am preparing for the worst case for me, just in case. I’ll keep you posted. 

thanks again x

Hi again Holibobs, I think a cancer diagnosis turns us all into overthinkers, Concerning my personal life I’m a self-confessed control freak so being placed in a situation where everything is so far out of your control threw me into a spiral completely! So I understand your emotions totally. 

Regarding the radiation zapping everything, any lymph nodes that flagged up as possible spread prior to treatment should have been mapped into your radiotherapy plan & should therefore have been blasted during treatment, also as we’re aware the whole of the pelvic area suffers some radiation fallout. The investigations your team are planning sound thorough & hopefully they’ll be able to put your mind at rest. 

I’ve just posted a link on a new post that I think may resonate with a lot of us, it’s an analogy of receiving a cancer diagnosis & subsequent treatment etc., it did a great job of explaining a lot of the feeling I had. 

Please keep us posted on how you get on.

Nicola 

Thank you nikki65. 

I've ended up on another post regarding the outcome of my consultation. Hopefully you’ll see that. 

Thanks for the info about the link. What’s it called? How can I find it?

You’re a star

xx

Hi Holibobs, the post it titled ‘Great Analogy’ if you scroll back a page it’s about halfway down. I read it a couple of times before I felt the full force of what was written & although I’ve been fortunate enough, so far, not to have suffered any recurrence of my anal cancer I have had 2 BCC’s removed since my chemoradiotherapy & could completely relate to the heightened emotions the author was describing. I thought it was a brilliant piece. 

Nicola 

Thank you, I’ve found it. 
It’s a great read. Emotional actually but sums it up to a tee.

I’ll keep you posted. X

1. Hey, this is what happened to me.  It was just scar tissue. It’s very common for there still to be something there. I read a peer reviewed study that said it can take up to 26 weeks for the tumour to disappear. It’s horrible waiting but they are very good when they do the procedure. Keep us posted xx 

What is a BCC?

Hi Neilsbum,

BCC is Basal Cell Carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, it’s a non-melanoma skin cancer & is rarely fatal but needs dealing with non the less. I was referred to dermatology on the 2 week pathway by my GP after I asked her to take a look at an area on my back that she suspected was Squamous Cell Carcinoma (my anal cancer diagnosis), when the dermatologist took a look she said it was a BCC, she checked me over head to foot & found another on my shoulder that I didn’t even realise was there, she told me these arise typically from sun damage & I was a sun worshipper in years gone by! They were easily dealt with (cut out & cauterised) at the same appointment as the clinic was quiet & no follow-up required. Hope that helps. 

Nicola