1st results meeting with consultant

Hi AllyL, thanks for your input and good wishes. As you say this group has given me some great advice and everyone is so friendly, I'm so glad I found it.  You said you had treatment last year, are you now cancer free? Have you recovered from the treatment now? My son is getting married at the beginning of June and wondering if I'll be fit enough to attend if my treatment doesn't start till mid March.  

Hi Nikki65, thanks for sharing your experience and tips. I will send for a waterpipe as a few people have mentioned them and found them helpful.  I have now started moisturiserising as well. I've been told I will have one session of chemotherapy via an IV then just tablets to take after each radiotherapy session. Hopefully I won't get any side affects from the chemo. I will post an update when I know more.  Thanks for your well wishes and I'm glad you seem to be doing well now. 

Hi Irene, thanks for sharing your experience about your PET scan. I am being hopeful that the inflammation showing is just down to the gallstones.  Hopefully I hear from my consultant soon so I can get a treatment start date. 

If it helps, I went to a Boomtown Rats gig two days after finishing my treatment, including a 90 minute drive, a meal in a restaurant and standing all night at the gig. Walking back to the hotel after was a bit uncomfortable but doable. Focussing on that during treatment was a help! x

Hi Izzy59 

I got the all clear for the main tumour at the end of last year.

It wasn't expected as my tumour was very large anal/rectal and locally widespread. The chemoradiation is very effective and full response is very possible.

My recent PET scan/operation showed a spread to pelvic lymph nodes, but more treatment is planned and I am very optimistic it will be managed.

I had few symptoms of the chemoradiation and I recovered in a matter of weeks. I did all my usual stuff, just slower.

Lots of fresh air, keeping mobile, high protein diet and lots of moisturising really worked for me.

Your son's wedding will give you something really lovely to look forward to and I am sure you will have a lovely day.

Ally xx

Hi Crystaltipps, yes that's really good to know that you are able to get out soon after treatment.  I'm glad you had a good time and hope you continue to heal well. X 

1. Hi Ally, thank you for sharing your journey so far. It really gives me hope that things may not be as bad as I'm imagining and I will be fine to attend my sons wedding in June. I'm sorry to hear it's spread to your lymph nodes. I wish you good luck with your upcoming treatment. Sending you a big hug! X 

At the beginning of this journey it's really daunting, unknown territory and that is quite frightening.

Once all the scans are done, plan in place and treatment starts it will become routine. The pain will pass and your body will heal, new aches and pains, but it will get easier.

During the dark moments you have a wedding to look forward to.

Keep us updated and thank you for the well wishes Izzy xx

Thank you. I healed really quickly and was pretty much back to normal after 2 weeks. Got the all clear on my anal tumour at my 3 month scan but unfortunately it’s decided to take up camp in my liver, so I’m now stage 4 and about to start some chemo. Not the news I wanted, but the standard treatment did a perfect job on the original tumour. x

Hi Crystaltipps, I'm currently stage 4 with my AC but hoping treatment will start soon to eradicate it.  I'm so sorry to hear you now have stage 4 liver cancer.  You seem to have responded well to the AC treatment so I'm sending love and best wishes that your next course of treatment will be just as successful.  X