5 weeks post surgery.

If you click on peoples names next to the coffee cup symbols at the top of their posts you can read short bios of how they got on.might give you some ideas

Kath

Hi  and a warm welcome to the board. Congratulations on now being cancer free and I hope you’re recovering well from the op. Chemo is pretty unpredictable and affects each person differently but, although there can be a lot of side effects, there are also a lot of remedies and actions that can be taken to minimise them.

Yes the chemo is a precaution but personally I wanted to know that I’d done everything in my power to minimise the chance of a reoccurrence. If you decide not to have the chemo and were to have a reoccurrence, would you be able to live with your decision without wondering what if? There was a trial done a few years ago called the SCOT trial which showed that 3 months chemo was just as effective as 6 but with much less side effects.

Ive attached a link below to a post that we have about chemo side effects - hopefully it’s not too scary but just covers some of the main ones

https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer-forum/f/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer-forum/221768/chemo-care-top-tips--

Hope this helps and feel free to ask if there’s anything specific that you’re worried about

Take care

Karen x

Hi, , my chemo was a precaution for rectal cancer. Click my name. I agree with Karen, I needed to know I'd done everything. Take care

Thanks for the advice

This has been really helpful. Thank you. I most definitely will take every precaution I can to stop this curse.

Thanks for the advice. I'm glad I've reached out, 

Thank you

Hi Ephm211,

I also had 1 lymph node affected and was offered adjuvant chemotherapy.  I was very nervous about having the chemo and was particularly worried about peripheral neuropathy. However, I wanted to do everything I could to give myself the best chance so I agree with both Karen & Gemmary.  Although not pleasant, it turned out to be easier than I'd expected.

Let us know which chemo regime you're offered.  there are lots of pills and options to help with any side effects and there's lots of advice on here from people who've been there.

Best wishes,

Net77

Hi there 

I thought I’d share my thoughts with you. I was told that I may have chemo. Two weeks after the op I was phoned and told it was all out and no chemo needed.
I was delighted that they’d got it all out but then I worried that I didn’t have chemo. My heads all over the place. so go for it. 
I hope all goes well. 

After my panproctocolectomy they said none of the 60 nodes tested were affected but gave me the choice of chemo as "belt and braces" I took it as I wanted to throw everything possible at it.

It is a personal choice obviously but one I thought worthwhile.

All the best

Kath