Update on bowel cancer journey

Hi everyone,

I’m posting again in hope that I can help alleviate a few people’s worries & to show that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

i was diagnosed immediately after my colonoscopy on 15th June 2022 colon cancer. after many appointments with nurses, consultants & surgeons, I finally had a lower anterior resection by keyhole on 13th July 2022.

A ccouple of weeks later I learned that it was a stage 3 tumour with 7 lymph nodes that were also cancerous. I then went to see my allocated oncologist who spoke to me about chemotherapy as a belt & braces to surgery. I decided to have my 1st capox infusion on Wednesday 24th August 2022. This caused me severe & rare side effects before my infusion was over. By the Friday I was attending my local A&E with more side effects where doctors spoke with my oncologist over the phone. 
I spent the whole weekend very ill & weighing up my options. 
within the week, I was back to see my oncologist to tell him that I was refusing any more chemotherapy. He wasn’t pleased but accepted my decision. We decided to do a watch & wait with monthly blood work. 

fast forward to November 2022, where my bloods showed a rise in CEA levels. Again, I had a CT & PET scan in January 2023. this showed that the cancer had spread to my liver (19mm tumour). Thankfully it was caught early. I awaited my appointment with the oncologist who suggested I try a different chemotherapy given through a pic line at home. I came home & discussed it with my partner & family who were pushing me to take it. 2 days later, I got a call from my oncologist to say that after speaking with my bowel surgeon & the liver surgeon that I was going straight for surgery instead. I had more keyhole surgery to remove the tumour on 15th March 2023 & came home on the 17th March. I spent 3 weeks recovering from surgery as my wounds were stapled this time round. since then I decided not to have any more chemotherapy & again do a watch n wait with 6 monthly scans.

i am now just over a year later with 2 clear scans under my belt (no evidence of disease) which I am over the moon about. This is amazing news but always in the back of my mind is the fact that I have a 65% chance of it reoccurring. 

What I’m trying to say is that, yes it is extremely worrying but the NHS staff are amazing & will do everything they can to help. If there is any questions or worries, your team are there to help. I will be 40 this June, I do still worry about my health but I try to live each day to the fullest. I have my medical team, partner & family at my side who are always fussing but finally accepted my decision on no chemotherapy. Whatever life may throw at me next I will deal with it. There is always the option of chemo if I have a reoccurrence along with more surgery, but for now my body is a temple & I’ve completely changed as a person. Keep the faith, trust your own instincts but always hear out your medical team & make a proper informed choice regarding your treatment.