Partner diagnosis with Bowel Cancer that’s spread

Hi Foffcancer - love your name! Welcome to the board and I’m glad that you’ve found us. Yes things move pretty quickly under the Gold Standard treatment and it’s good to hear that your partner now has a plan in place. Chemo can be very effective at shrinking tumours and I’m sure court will be along shortly to share her mums experience. Please don’t focus too much on the life expectancy. People are individuals and there are lots of people on permanent chemo who are living with cancer and have defied previous expectancy estimates especially on the bowel cancer uk board.

Glad to hear that he’s coping well with the chemo. Yes the side effects can build up over time but there are lots of pills and potions that the chemo nurses can give you to help with this. It’s worth keeping a diary as a reminder and also you may find that a routine develops whereby he feels a bit better on days 11-14 for example and you can plan something nice for those days?

Please look after yourself too? We’re always here to listen and support but it’s easy to let the cancer take over your lives so try and get out for a walk, meet friends for a coffee?

Take care

Karen x

Thank you for replying x

Hi Foffcancer, I can emphasise with how hard it is to see a family member go through cancer. It's also awe inspiring how brave they are in fighting this horrific disease. 

What chemo regime is your partner on? Folfox? Curious to know why they think there's only a slim chance of it shrinking the tumours? 

Hi

thank you for responding 

I agree I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and went through treatment  I think you just have to take each day at a time and while it’s you being treated you feel as if your docking something but watching and careering for someone who is going through it is a different ball game  

he is on 5FU and Irinotecan. The oncologist said said it was a very slim chance I’m not sure if it’s due to the spread and size. Although the two in his lungs a small we are told. 

Sorry  for my brief reply earlier it’s been one of those days. 

We have been listening to Podcast where people have fought the odds and are doing everything to help him stay strong and health  it’s just so scary when they tell you the life expectancy we have so much more life to live  

Thank you for the advice of a diary I will definitely try to do that  we seem to spend a lot of time with appointments at the moment too  

I’m trying to look after myself ( I had breast cancer myself last year ) but I’m not me anymore My time is taken up with carering. If emotional or physical.  

Well done on getting through breast cancer last year. I bet that was incredibly tough. To then have to deal with your partner going through this is incredibly cruel. Life can be so tough. I do, however, feel things like this make you appreciate life a lot more and what is really important. 

I really struggle seeing them go through all of this and absolutely dread every scan and appointment. It almost feels like you're just waiting until the next bit of bad news arrives. 

Cancer treatment is evolving at a rapid pace. Immunotherapy, in particular, is going to be the next big breakthrough. That could be a gamechanger for a lot of people. Lots of people are being kept alive today with treatment that wasn't around 2-3 years ago. 

Hi Foffcancer

Welcome to the forum .

The oncology department do remain very guarded in the beginning. They are very evidenced based so until they see the shrinkage or stability on the scans it can be very difficult to hear their prognosis. However that can change and bowel cancer is very fortunate in the regard that it has a lot of different treatment options . 

However some people do gain good shrinkage . My mum’s 5cm tumour disappeared right off the scan . It took a second year of chemo to gain the upper hand and get her to a more extensive procedure and I always had my eye on the next move or the next expert to consult with . It took a fair bit of treatment and quite a few bumps along the way . A lot of picking ourselves back up again , and mum doing the very hard end of treatment. But she got there .

She had a spread to both her liver and her lung , with the liver being substantial.

If you click on my user name you can read her full account .

I will link in a good leaflet later that shows the different options to treat bowel cancer once it has spread .

Take care ,

Court 

Hi IJP

How are you getting on ?

Take care ,

Court 

Thank you x

Hi court,

I'm not too bad thanks. My Mum had bowel surgery on Monday which didn't quite go to plan. Frustratingly, some of the cancer was attached to the bowel wall and deemed too risky to try and take out. Very disappointing and feels like a huge blow. 

She's recovering well though which is good. 

How are you?