Rectal cancer

Oh Abbi

The absolute worst of the days is when you receive a cancer diagnosis; just about everyone on here has gone through this, and personally I remember it as if it were yesterday and the myriad of feelings that accompany it.  I would say for me the overwhelming feeling was fear, and these first few weeks are like landing in a foreign country and not knowing the language or customs.

The good thing is (if there is a good thing) you have come to the right place for information, tips and coping strategies during treatment.  I would think the next few weeks will be a round of tests and scans, and when all the results are in and collated these are discussed at an MDT (multi-disciplinary team) meeting and a tailor-made course of treatment is drawn up for you.  At the moment, it will seem as if everything takes forever but believe me when I say once treatment starts you will be a a much better place.  

Please come back and let us know when your treatment starts, and in the meantime we are always here to offer support should you need it.

Sending a big hug.

Irene xx

Hi ALJ 

Welcome to the group!

Since you have a rectal cancer diagnosis, I’d also recommend joining the Bowel cancer forum here

Bowel (colon and rectal cancer) Forum

You are of course most welcome to be in both groups and post in both, but posting in the bowel group will connect you with others who have a rectal cancer diagnosis as opposed to an anal cancer diagnosis. 

It’s a big shock getting any cancer diagnosis, but you will find a lot of help and support within the community which I hope you will find really useful. It takes time to get over the initial shock of being told you have cancer, but as Irene says, things will start moving quickly now and you’ll get your treatment plan in place as soon as the mdt has met and looked at all your results. 

Sarah xx

Hi ALJ ,

Firstly welcome to the MacMillan Online Community although I’m so sorry to learn of your recent diagnosis, there are no words to explain the complete & utter turmoil a diagnosis such as this brings into your life. 

Having said this you’ve come to the right place to get the support you need to get through this. As SarahH21 has said the majority of people in this group have had a diagnosis of anal cancer, you’re very welcome here of course but the Bowel (colon and rectal) cancer forum will have other members that have received a similar diagnosis as yourself & will be able to help a little better with advice about treatment etc., as the treatments for anal cancer can vary to those for rectal cancer. 

You'll probably spend the next couple of weeks having scans, tests etc., then it’ll be on to getting a treatment plan together. In those early days post diagnosis strangely  I found all of the appointments kind of soothing as I felt something was being done to rid me of this awful disease. 

As both Irene & Sarah have already said please let us know how things are going with treatment planning etc. 

We’re here to support you however we can. 

Nicola