Recent diagnoses

Hi 

Welcome to the forum . It is very difficult to hear such a diagnosis and it takes time to find your feet with it . Like you my mum and I often hear different parts of the conversation so it’s great to have another set of ears with you during a consultation.

I would say that the stage you are at just now where they pull all the information together is one of the hardest but it eases slightly when the treatment plan comes together. Bowel cancer  in a stage 4 setting actually has a sub group of patients who do well with treatment and it also has quite a few treatments available to push things further down the road . If you click on my user name it will take you to my mum’s story . She has been managing a stage 4 diagnosis since 2009 and will show you how hers has been handled . Others require to stay  on continuous chemo but again some do very well on that and you will see people on their fifth and sixth years on forums , sadly not all but this is not a situation without hope . 
Going straight to chemo is actually a good plan as it allows the current spread to be potentially shrink and any stray cells to be tackled . After a set number of cycles has been completed they rescan and assess to see if other potential options can be added . You will see my mum has had two liver resections and one lung . There are people on the forum who have added in treatments like Radio frequency ablation . Again it comes with criteria but they guide you through out .

Treatment for bowel cancer has developed since my mum was diagnosed so there is room for Hope . It is very individual and really depends on how you respond to treatment . Whilst that is frightening it also gave us some hope .

I have just looked up Nordic walking . I passed some ladies using poles the other day and thought they maybe did not need them on level ground , I now realise what they are for ! Sounds a great way to keep fit ! Some people are able to maintain a lot of walking and if not during chemo it’s great to reestablish in recovery .

Anyway I hope we can offer you support and are always hear to listen .Getting informed really does reduce some of the fears . I would say I burst out crying the first few weeks even as a daughter . It was such a shock and I would not describe myself as a person that cries very often at all . Thankfully at the time my kids were small enough to still sit on my knee and I buried my head a few times in their backs when out ! Now they are grown men ! 
Ask anything you like and pop onto any thread . We have a “ catch up thread “ if you just feel like a chat when it’s all getting too much or just to show us what you have achieved that day !

Take care ,

Court 

Hi Court

Thank you for your lovely reply. Good to know I'm not alone.  I read your mum's journey and she's inspirational. How old is she? I'm 72 and widowed having lost my husband to cancer.

Hi ,

She was 67 at diagnosis and had her biggest liver resection around 69 . She had her lung resection at 73 .

She is now 78 ! So treatment has been doing it job . 
I as so sorry to hear about your husband . That must have been so difficult for you . Do you have family support nearby ?

Court 

I have a daughter here in Bristol and another in Rugby. Both are really caring. Real angels x