My dad has been diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer

Hi Katieb242. This is the right forum. I was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer last July, had surgery in July, started chemo in September with treatment finished in December. I have had post treatment CT scans and am cancer free. I was advised that my cancer was curable following the initial CT/MRI scans. It was a lot for me and my loved ones to take in but once I had a treatment plan, I felt calmer. I was fortunate to be diagnosed following completing a bowel cancer screening kit sent on my 60th birthday. This diagnosis is not something you can get your head around quickly, give yourself time . Don't be afraid to ask any questions on this forum, we have all been where you are now. Take care and sending hugs to you all xx

Hi Katieb242 and welcome. We’re all at different stages of treatment and recovery so happy to support you (and your dad) through this. If you click on my name then you can see my treatment to date. I was diagnosed as stage 3 in 2016 and I was signed off from the hospital last year with ‘no evidence of disease’. Has your dad started treatment yet or still going through the scans and meetings stage?

Take care

Karen x

Hi Karen,

Lovely to hear from you. So he started treatment this Monday just gone 6th. 
He has got 5 weeks of chemo tablets and radio therapy 5 days out of 7. He will then have 6 week break, they will re scan, then he will have his op to have his rectum removed and replaced with a stoma bag end of June/July. He will then require IV chemo after that. It is a long year ahead, but I think it is just getting my emotions under control, I seem to be bottling everything in as I feel guilty for getting upset as I feel dramatic compared to what he’s going through, and it is treatable so why do I feel so upset and anxious and scared. 

I am firstly sorry to hear you have been on a horrific journey, however I am very pleased to hear that you have been signed off with no evidence of the disease. That really is great news 

Katie x

Thank you for reaching out Mel. I am very pleased to hear your cancer free. That is great news. My dad was told early on it was treatable, he will have to have non reversible stoma bag end of June/July after he’s finished current treatment. 
It just proves the kits work and it saved your life so that is a strong message to get out there for sure.

Was your operation having a stoma bag? Was this reversible?

I do feel calmer knowing the treatment plan, but my emotional problem is knowing I’m going to have to watch him become vulnerable, and weak and in pain. My dad is my hero we have an extremely close bond and he has always been the strong dad to go to, so knowing I’m going to see his weak and vulnerable side is what I’m finding hard to process.

Thank you for your support it means a lot x

Hi Katieb242. I was measured for a stoma but did not end up needing one .in all honesty,  After surgery, I had 7 weeks off from work to recover but managed to work through chemo. I had a 5 week break from walking the dog and felt exhausted for a week on my last round of chemo but apart from that I was my normal self. Just be guided by how your dad feels, he will probably be stronger and cope better than expected . I am 60 and quite fit which I know helped. Get him to eat well and be kind to himself. We all support each other as we all need help and guidance on some days. Good luck to you all but you will get all the support you need from this group. Also try Bowel Cancer UK, great advise galore on there xx

Hi Katie, 

my mom was diagnosed with stage 3 Bowel cancer around the same time as your dad. She is 4 months into her chemo and radiation therapy. Please let me know if you ever want to talk, I am still having bad days where I feel devastated. 

Hi Katie, my husband has been through the same thing. Everyone reacts differently to the treatment.  I gave my husband porridge for breakfast to line his stomach before the chemo tablets.  Thin it down if it gets too much.  If the tumour disappears he will be offered 'Watch and Wait' instead of an operation.  I found cooking something in the morning and heating it up in the evening for dinner helped as it was sometimes a bit of a rush for radiotherapy, blood test (weekly for chemo tablets) and getting home in time for the evening chemo tablets sometimes a bit challenging.

I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in October 2018 operated on in November, started chemo two months into this my CEA level went through the roof was told that the cancer had appeared in another part of my colon, operated on in April 2019. Was told at my first meeting with my consultant that not only colon cut away but they had found lymphoma in my small intestines. Was cancer free until until September 2022 when a routine scan revealed that my lymph nodes around my stomach were enlarged and cancerous so my wife and I are on another journey. My strength has come from my family, being positive at all times, getting my head around why me. Being positive, never thinking the worst and getting all they family to support your dad

Hi Honeysuckle + Katieb242

I was recommended to avoid reheating food where poss during chemo treatment.

A slow cooker mitigates this perfectly and supports Honeysuckle's great advice at getting a meal prep'ed at start of day.