Father with very low rectal cancer about to embark on treatment.

FormerMember over 5 years ago

3 replies
125 subscribers
1478 views

Good morning,

This is my first post and I am grateful to have discovered this forum. I've spent the past few days reading through.

My father has very low rectal cancer, the tumour is T2N2, with bilateral pelvic side wall lymph nodes. It is ulcerated and the cancer is low enough to be felt. He is about to embark on 28 days of chemo-radiotherapy and will then have an ELAPE procedure and permanent colostomy.

He is 69 and has a number of other health issues including coronary artery and peripeheral vascular diseases. He had a triple heart bypass 6 years ago, and his lower left leg amputated last year as part of these conditions. He recovered well from both of these events, but this diagnosis and what feels like so much treatment and surgery ahead has been a blow for him and for all of us.

I would be really interested to hear the experiences of anyone who has been through the ELAPE surgery and the chemo-radiotherapy. He starts the chemo-radiotherapy this week - we are really anxious about how it will affect him. In some ways we are more worried about this than the surgery as this is a few weeks away.

If anyone would be happy to share their experiences I'd be really grateful, plus any way in which I could support him. He is a very private man and doesn't really want to talk about what's ahead.

Thanks so much

Penny

Kareno62 over 5 years ago

Hi and a warm welcome to the board from me. Your poor dad sounds to have been through a lot and now this. First of all I’m going to tag in Ewok and as they’ve both had ELAPE surgery and will hopefully be along to advise you.

If I’m honest I found the chemoradiotherapy probably the ‘easiest’ part but I know others have struggled with it so it may depend on the position of the tumour? Basically your dad will be tattooed with 3 tiny dots and these are used by the radiographers to line up the machine each time. You then lie on a hard table, they move you into position, the machine whirls round a few times and you’re done. It takes about 10 minutes if they’re running on time but machine breakdowns etc. can cause delays. I also had to have a full bladder so had to drink 3 cups of water before each session. The chemo part will be in tablet form which you take twice a day - I pretended they were vitamins. The treatment can cause sore skin so it’s important to mention any sign of this to the radiographers and they will provide him with a cream to use - it is important to use only the cream that they give you as others, such as sudocream, can contain tiny zinc particles which is not good. Any problems with diarrhoea, for example, should be mentioned too as they can prescribe immodium - the radiographers were lovely and there were young and old there, people in wheelchairs etc.

You may also like to join the Colostomy support board where Ian aka will be happy to advise you on all thing stoma related.

How to best support your dad? You sound to be doing a great job already. Like you I read as much as I could on these boards then I knew what the consultants were talking about and what to expect. It’s going to be a tough few months but focus on each bit at a time - get the chemoradio out of the way, then focus on the operation, etc. It’s also very important to look after yourself too. The focus of everything will be on your dad but the support and comfort you provide is immeasurable so please make sure you still make time for your own family and friends and look after yourself as well.

Please keep posting and let us know how you’re both getting on

Take care

Karen x

Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

Ewok over 5 years ago

Hi , sorry to hear the news about your Father. Probably best to send me a private message/friend request. I didn’t have radio chemo but did have an Elape. Take care for now.

Ewok

FormerMember over 5 years ago in reply to Kareno62

Thank you so much for your reply and for so kindly sharing your experience. It is encouraging that you found the chemoradiotherapy to be manageable, I hope my Dad has the same experience. I am grateful for your insight on the process of receiving the chemoradiotherapy - Dad is getting his tattoo today.

Thanks again,

Penny