Diagnosed at 39 - total shock

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Hi all, well this is a message I never thought I'd write. I went in for a Colonoscopy Monday after doing a stool test myself privately and it coming back abnormal. Straight away I was told they had seen what they thought was Cancer and it was confirmed on Thursday. So very quick turn around time. I am booked for a bowel resection 9th August, pending some more scans etc to check a few things. They also saw a mass on my left ovary but hoping that is just a benign cyst. At the moment I don't know if it's just an operation or if I'll also need chemotherapy- I guess they can see the full extent when they actually cut it out.

Wondering if anyone else here has been on a similar journey, and what recovery is like after a bowel resection. 

I'm not sure if it's because I had the diagnosis or the actual colonoscopy and horrible laxatives but feeling quite bad- going to the loo a lot and feeling a constant grinding kind of pain in lower abdomen. How long did you take to recover after a Colonoscopy- feels like quite bruised on the inside - it was quite painful they had to give me a lot of sedatives! 

I have a 4 year old boy and husband, and obviously husband is devastated and in some ways finding it harder than me. My son knows something is up but doesn't understand- he is just annoyed I don't have the energy to play with him as I normally do. 

This might sound a bit crazy to some, but I'm looking on it as a gift- an opportunity- a chance to completely re-start my health after the operation- building a new body and focusing on my own power of positive thinking. I am quite spiritual and I believe everything happens for a reason. I am currently reading Anita Morjani's book. 

Love to connect with others out there who resonate with my story and approach. 

  • Hi 

    Just want to pop on and welcome you to the forum .

    I will tag  in  as she has relevant experiences she could share with you .

    A lot of people report a spike in symptoms straight after diagnosis that seems to settle once they know their plan . But if you are at all concerned you should contact the colonoscopy team and give them an opportunity to assess your symptoms just in case there are issue around infections etc .

    Good on you for thinking objectively through this diagnosis. Some research on exercise is coming through and benefits of even moderate exercise through treatments . I will try and link in some information.

    Take care ,

    Court 

    Helpline Number 0808 808 0000

  • Hi  and welcome to the board. I had a Low Anterior Resection back in 2016 as I had rectal cancer. I’ve attached a link to a booklet about the op and hospital stay. I was in for 5 days and they like to get you up and mobile as soon as possible.

    bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/.../YourOperation_BowelCancerUK.pdf

    Recovery at home is about 5 weeks and you’re advised not to drive or lift anything heavier than a kettle with enough water in for 1 cup. I found it handy to have a cushion in the car either to sit on or put between my scar and the seat belt - you may be at risk of a hernia in the early days so it’s good to hold a cushion or towel or your hand over the scar when you cough or sneeze.

    The Bowel does not like being handled during the op so you may find it better to eat small amounts of plain food to begin with or the hospital may even start you on a restricted diet. Once home try to take short walks each day and build up a little but rest if you need to - everyone’s recovery is different so listen to your own body.

    As you say you won’t know if you will need chemo until the tumour and surrounding tissue has been tested in the lab but we’ll cross that bridge with you when and if we get to it.

    Love your thoughts on treating it as an opportunity. My initial thoughts were ‘why me’ but then I thought ‘why not me?’. If 1 in 2 people suffer from cancer at some point in their lives then I thought ‘better me than my parents!’ I must admit I haven’t changed my life since diagnosis but should really - I’ve viewed it more as a chance to over indulge rather than act more healthy so I might take a look at the book that you’ve mentioned.

    Hope all goes well on the 9th and please keep us posted

    Take care

    Karen x

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
  • Thank you karen- did you feel quite ill after the op? One of my biggest dreads is if I have to have a tube put down my throat if the small intestine goes funny after the op. Doesn't sound like recovery is much fun!

    Seems to be a total minefield of information out there!

  • Thank you- interesting about exercise- I did see that large periods of inactivity each day increases the risk of getting it Thanks for linking in Karen. Appreciate it.

  • Hi . I did have a bit of a hiccup after the op if I’m honest - if you click on my name then you can read my timeline however that is not the norm! The tube down the throat is called an ng tube I think and it’s apparently not very nice. It’s used to treat ileus after the op which is when the bowel goes to sleep and can result in vomiting. I had ileus after my op and my stoma reversal but they treat it by nil by mouth for a day or 2, then water only, then fluids only then plain light meals. 
    Like I say though that is not the norm and most people are up and about next day and walking the wards. Your bowels will take a while to settle down but they’ll probably advise you to follow a low residue diet leading up to surgery and then a couple of weeks after.

    Stay away from google and you can ask anything you like on here

    Karen x

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm