Recovering from stage 1 colorectal cancer -48 year old man

Hello

I am a 48 year old otherwise very healthy man. Had my tonsils out at 8 and an operation on a broken foot at 18. Otherwise no other hospital treatments or admissions other than a dodgy mole removed a few years ago which was not cancerous.

I was diagnosed 13 January 2021 at a colonoscopy, had CT scan 2 days later then a week after colonoscopy met with advanced practitioner nurse and consultant who confirmed a very early stage tumour. Had a high anterior resection of bowel on 9 February and discharged on 15 February. Told by advanced practitioner nurse on Friday 26 February that no indications of any spread the tumour was “encapsulated” in the bowel wall and removed entirely and intact. T2N0M0. Told by my consultant on Wednesday 3 March that it is not a hereditary cancer so relieved for my 45 year old brother. Told it was a run of the mill random cancer not aggressive just I was unlucky at 48 but cancer doesn’t discriminate who it affects.

I am doing well physically. My bowel is normalising well and haven’t had many issues since the operation. Just a few days going to the toilet frequently and in general going to the toilet more often but no pain or real discomfort.

It has been a big shock mentally. I have eaten a very careful diet for years. Gave up smoking at 26 and gave up alcohol totally in 2018 ( never been a problematic drinker I just came to the conclusion alcohol did nothing for me). I swim regularly, walk regularly, I had a personal trainer at the gym until covid hit and always been slim. People have always complimented me on my good health and fitness so it’s been a huge bang to be told I had cancer. 

I have had two serious gastrointestinal “incidents”. I had salmonella poisoning in Morocco about 14 years ago which made me very poorly but quickly went with antibiotics and then in October 2018 I went to Tunisia and returned with Shigella Sonnei dysentery. I was very poorly with this. It took 3 weeks to get a diagnosis in which time I’d lost an enormous amount of weight and was very dehydrated and at times delirious. Once diagnosed I had antibiotics which again quickly shifted the main symptoms but I had a good 6 months of waiting for my bowel to normalise - it never fully normalised and I had IBS symptoms on and off. By December 2020 I felt very constipated but put it down to lack of swimming as covid closed the pools down. When I saw blood on my stools I was alarmed and following nhs direct guidelines after 3 weeks I called my GP but wanted a further week as he was on holiday. A week later I saw a trainee GP who possibly saved my life by referring me for a colonoscopy tho he said I think you’re constipated I don’t think it’s anything serious but you don’t have piles and I can’t explain the blood. 

I always thought the shigella sonnei dysentery had been a serious health episode but nobody can really answer if this may have been the precursor to my cancer and I’ll possibly never know but Shigella certainly creates a lot of toxins and causes cell damage in the colon. 

i am still off work, luckily I have a job that gives 6 months full pay 6 months half pay for sickness. I have experienced some waves of extreme fatigue following my discharge from hospital and some kind of mental shocks. For example yesterday I went for a walk for the first time to a place I regularly walk and I keep thinking this is surreal have I know “had cancer” and two months later I’m just doing the normal things I do. Is that actually possible. 

other times I worry at the 90% survival at the 5 year point statistic and try to keep in mind to do the things I want to do and not to waste time. Life is a limited times are for everybody. It has increased my spiritual awareness a lot and in many ways. People have been praying for me all over the place Christians and Muslims (I only seem to know Christians and Muslims and people with no religion for some reason). I actually feel like I have felt the strength of the prayers which is weird and a but hocus pocus for me but there you go that’s what I feel. 

i had a friend who died of breast cancer aged 40 we were students together and the same age but up until now I knew very very little about cancer I didn’t bother to know or learn and if someone got cancer I just thought it was sad but then didn’t think more. Now it seems to be everywhere and affecting everyone. My main health concern before cancer was really anxiety which I had mostly under control. Those concerns seem kind of ridiculous now. 

I am single and never married and have no children. I love to travel and if covid permits I will go to Norway in August, Malta in September and to my beloved Québec in October before the fall weather gets too cold there. I just pray cancer cannot take this from me. I even feel very spoiled being able to make these plans. I’ve had such a spoilt life when I think of it always felt very entitled to travel like it was my right but I know so many never get these opportunities. 

i just remember when the consultant told me for sure it was cancer I was so relieved it had not spread to another site I was worried beyond belief convincing myself it was in my lungs and even in my mouth. He said the bad news is you have a cancer the good news is everything after. In that moment I just said I want to travel to Québec again in this life which seems a ridiculous thing to say. The advanced practitioner nurse said well you can’t right now because there are no flights and we all laughed. 

ive written loads now and don’t want to get boring so will stop by just saying I’m so grateful to the NHS, to my GP surgery and local hospital and to Macmillan. I feel totally bowled over by how well I’ve been treated and all for “free” it really saddens me to read Americans posting on a Facebook group I joined who have to factor in the costs of certain treatments etc.