Hi All - Newbie here.

Hi Rivs and welcome to the board - nice to meet you too. I was stage 2/3 at diagnosis but staged at 3 after scans showed that there were potentially a couple of lymph nodes involved. I had 5 weeks of chemoradiotherapy - 5 days getting the tumour zapped with chemo in tablet form and weekends off - then a break to allow it to finish working then surgery. Are you having radiotherapy first then chemo after you’ve finished? -I know things have changed a bit since I had my treatment. I’ve attached a link to a booklet which talks about staging and treatment etc.

https://bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/Publications/YourPathway_BowelCancerUK.pdf

Now the good news. Bowel cancer is very treatable especially if caught early. I was diagnosed in 2016 and I’m still cancer free as are the 2 ladies who were the same stage at the same time as me who became my soul mates. I’m not going to pretend it’s easy - there will be tough days ahead both mentally and physically but it is doable and everyone on here will support you through this. You can ask anything you want - there is nothing too daft or embarrassing - and we’ll try and help. If you click on people’s names then their profile page may show their treatment so far - I made a ‘bit of a meal of it’ but it’s a lot more straight forward for most people!

So who do you support? I’m from Halifax so used to disappointing football results (come on you Shaymen) but my husband is a lifelong Leeds fan who’ve not had the best start to the season! We’ll done on knocking the booze on the head and the fitter you are the better. If there’s anything specific that you’re worried about then please ask away

Take care

Karen x

Hi Karen,

Thanks for that - I'll check out that link as soon as the boss is out of the office!

I'm still finding my way around here but I think ill be on here a lot asking questions and to be honest all embarrassment went out of the window the day I had my colonoscopy...

Football wise I'm a Newcastle lad - I live on the Yorkshire coast though so am surrounded by Leeds which is my only saving grace at the moment. 

Thanks again

Rivs

Dear Rivs

Sorry you find yourself on here, great as the people are (and they really are) this is one club we'd prefer not to be a member.  Firstly, the staging of a tumour cannot be done until after surgery, so all assessments at this stage will be tentative.  I was diagnosed in late Dec' 17 and had surgery in January '18, that's now nearly 4 years ago which is an eon in terms of cancer treatment, approaches & improvements occur so quickly.

So you're a Magpies supporter!  You could do alot worse, you could be a Mackem.  I live in Liverpool, a city where many measure everything in terms of football and my family are most certainly amongst them.  My wife, daughter, twin sons and me are firm reds, only one girlfriend of the boys is a ‘blue nose’ but she is a season ticket holder so knows her stuff.  Football is a massive part of our lives, when the boys were born we entered their names on the season ticket waiting list, they are now twenty-five and are still waiting, the ticket situation is that bad.  My last match before surgery was a 4 -3 victory over Man City, I missed the next home match against Spurs but persuaded my wife, a hardworking doctor, to go.  Mo Salah scored what looked like a wonderful injury time winner, a dubious pen robbed us and gave Spurs the draw (points that would have secured us the title in May ’19 – but I’m not bitter.  Jon Moss, the ref, was miked up and said to his assistant, ‘Oh I didn’t see what happened, so I’ll just give a pen,’ but I’m really not bitter.) When Mo scored I forgot all about stitches etc and leapt ecstatically into the air, BIG mistake – that hurt.  Two weeks later I drove to our usual parking space, walked the 1.5 klm to the ground and watched Liverpool destroy Wets Ham, recovery is that quick!  It was a month to the day since the surgery.

My wife and I have season tickets and are in the autocup scheme, but that isn’t enough to get tickets for finals.  We failed in the ballot to get C/L tickets, so the boys embarked on a ‘get dad to Kiev’ mission.  They used every contact they had acquired in their endless ‘away day’ experiences and somehow got hold of one.  Unfortunately my surgeon was not having any of it and said it was simply too much of a risk to go on two 7hr+ flights in less than 24 hrs and wouldn’t sign the insurance form.  She was right even though I didn’t want to admit it.  The fact I was contemplating such a journey speaks volumes for the quality of her work and her team’s medical care, nothing for my bravery – I’m firmly at the wimp and of any pain scale.  A year later I boiled alive in the Estadio Metropolitano with one of my sons watching the reds secure number 6. A year after that Jurgen finally led us into the promised land and we lifted the Prem; that night, and the night in Madrid, I was so grateful for the work of the Liverpool Royal.  In 2017 I could think of nothing but the diagnosis, now all thoughts are about the forthcoming match; you'll walk the same path.

Those who are not fans underestimate the importance of football to supporters, especially in cities like Liverpool & Newcastle, a place we know and love through university fans.  If we have an unofficial second team it’s Newcastle.  There are many links between our two teams, KK, Terry Mac etc down to more recently Rafa.  The first cup final I went to was 1974.  We were there for the epic 4 – 3 matches and love the encounters between the two teams.  You deserve much better than your current owner, we know what poor ownership can do and were on the brink of going bankrupt in 2010 thanks to Gillet & Hicks.  Keep the faith.

You are at the worst part of your cancer experience, in my opinion.  The one thing you will want is definite information and there really isn’t any.  DO NOT GOOGLE ANYTHING.  There’s a lot of weird and certainly not wonderful stuff out there.  I looked after.  My favourite was a an American woman in Arizona who advised giving up food entirely and sitting out in the garden facing the sun for several hours each day ‘taking in the food of nature.’  Clearly she’d never wintered in Liverpool.  I admire your determination to give up alcohol, I never managed, in truth I never tried.  If, however, you feel it does you good – go for it.  Write down any questions you would like to ask your consultant, no matter how stupid they may seem, you can always edit it down.  Also make sure you have someone with you when you finally meet them, or listening in if it’s a telephone consultation, to note down any letters or numbers discussed.  You will be allocated a colorectal nurse, get their name, number and email address, they’re incredibly useful people.

Lastly, YouTube two things

• Highlights of the wonderful, wonderful Barca night at Anfield when Liverpool proved miracles can sometimes happen and Mo wore the iconic ‘Never give up’ Tshirt
• Film of Jordan & Brian Henderson in Madrid (sorry they both support THAT team.) Brian had survived throat cancer and had had a really hard time but that night it was all forgotten and all he knew was the joy of seeing his lad lift the C/L trophy

YNWA (and if you have any questions ask away except ‘can you get me tickets for…’)

Mike

Hi Mike, sorry for the delayed reply mate. Thanks for that - I just laughed out loud at work reading it (you're deffo not biitter like! ) 

Some good advice there as well - I did Google stuff at first and realised quickly it was a bad idea...

I was marked up for radiotherapy yesterday and am due to start in two weeks with Chemo to follow and then, assuming the interloper has shrunk enough, surgery. I'll be on here a lot I think so be ready for loads more questions...and possibly a bit of celebrating if Ashley ever departs back to his tat shops. Fingers crossed 

Cheers again,

Rivs 

Evening Rivs

No alcohol holding fast with the NUFC news?  Pleased for you all.

YNWA

Mike

I'm having one tonight! 

Cheers Mate,

Rivs