Newbie - A bit lost

Hi Andyrich and a warm welcome to the board. The first few weeks after diagnosis are a whirlwind of scans and meetings but once you have a treatment plan in place then things will honestly feel a bit better.

Bowel cancer is notoriously slow growing but very treatable. I was 53 when diagnosed and I’m approaching my 6 year anniversary. Stay away from google - it is out of date and downright scary in places - you can ask anything you like on here and if you click on peoples names then it may show their treatment to date on their profile page.

The next few months may be tough but we’ll be happy to help and support you through this

Take care

Karen x

Thank you so much Kareno62, things were looking a bit bleak today but your words have really helped.  I was going to stray onto Google, I will stay well away!

Congratulations of your upcoming anniversary :-).

Andy x

Hi Andy,

Welcome to the group - I was diagnosed on Monday so am feeling like like you. I'm surprised at how much pain I have in my tummy but think it must be from medications and biopsies. I hope it eases soon - I had little to no pain with womb cancer two years ago. Linda 

Hi Andy

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I can empathize with how you are feeling, I was diagnosed in June and felt utterly shell shocked. I felt lonely and isolated, despite my very supportive family and friends. I had surgery in August and have just started my first chemotherapy cycle. Those feelings do get better and I have found that joining this lovely online community has helped me enormously - I wish I had found it sooner.

I really hope that you can find the support you need. Take care!

A xxx

Hi Linda

I have quite a bit of discomfort as well. I agree it is probably the biopsies, it is in the same place. It might also be to do with the huge camera that went up there .

I hope the pain gets better soon.

Andy

Thanks Andy, and hope your pain eases soon. The colonoscopy experience including  Moviprep is not something I'm looking forward to ever repeating, especially given the diagnosis afterwards.

Hi

Thank you for your supportive comments. It is good to hear from someone who has already experienced these feelings and come out the other side.

I think I will be on here a lot so I will be in touch . Wishing you the best with the chemotherapy.

Andy

Hi Andy

I was 57 when diagnosed and it is a complete shock. I decided to adopt a positive attitude as negativity achieves nothing. I got myself as physically fit as possible before the op, with loads of core, and cardiovascular work. This helped with the op and the recovery. I also knew immediately that i would have a permanemt stoma and so I named him Eddie Stomart to humanise, and humourise the whole scary situation.

I have posted poetry on here to help myself and others with their journeys and wish you well with yours.

Hi Andyrich

Welcome! There are quite afew of us newbies with recent diagnoses but also heaps of amazingly experienced longer serving members too - so you will be spoilt for choice on support when you want it.

If you click on people's names, many have populated the "About (us)" profile to help others get an idea of others' backgrounds.

You can also "friend" people if there are some discussions you'd prefer to do in a more private messaging forum.

All up to you to choose what works best for you. But you definitely don't have to do it alone.

Thank you for the wise words. I needed a push to get myself back into a fitness regime, and this is it.

I have just read your, or should I say Eddie’s story. Great to see how well you are progressing. I am not sure I could ever write poetry, but I think I can be defiant.

CT scan tomorrow and MDT meeting next week, so I guess I will know more about my journey very soon. Fingers crossed