My diagnosis has been a complete whirlwind. We lost my brother in August last year, he was only 64, so I put the change to my bowel habits down to stress and convinced myself the blood was my imagination. However I went to the Dr at the end of November because the adverts for MacMillan and NHS were all over the telly and I thought “what if…”
From the results of the sample kit I had CT, MRI and a colonoscopy. But my biopsies were inconclusive so I has to have a second colonoscopy and MRI. On the 24th December it was confirmed I had cancer at the top of my rectum and was booked in for surgery on the 18th Jan. My recovery physically has gone well and last Friday I was told I had the all clear, it was caught very early.
I feel I should be jumping up and down happy but I just feel bereft. I didn’t feel ill before the operation, in fact I left better than I had in a while and now I have a body that doesn’t work properly. I know it’s only been a few weeks, I feel I didn’t get my head around having cancer before it was gone, guess I just want to know if this is normal.
Hi
Your feelings are normal. To process having cancer is stressful and then the wait to get it removed causes more anxiety.
Then once it’s removed the wait for the results also causes more anxiety
I remember feeling the same as you. Like I should be grateful and I was lucky and everything was amazing. So why did I feel the way I did and a member wrote something like this
You don’t have to jump out of bed every day shouting I’m so lucky to be alive
That makes me smile now.
It helped me so much as I realised I had to process what had happened and adjust to my new normal with a stoma
Is there any advice that would help with settling your bowel after your op? There’s great advice here if you say what op you had and what your symptoms are
Sending you a hug
Ann
Hi there
Yes I know how tricky it is to be honest my stoma was no bother once I joined the group here got some tips I was free to do what I liked. I was reversed September 2nd then blocked November so I had thirteen months no blockage with a stoma and managed to do it reversed probably because I tried to eat what I was eating with my stoma and more so it was me
Diet is key and keeping a food diary adding more slowly so beige low fibre then as the bowel manages to process you can add
The stoma support group have a separate forum for stoma reversal and LARS it’s relevant for members that have had a reversal, it may be relevant to anyone that’s had bowel surgery I’ve added the link you may join the stoma group to read it LARS can effect any bowel surgery
Living well with a stoma reversal or LARS
I hope this helps
You’ve been through a lot and it takes time to process it
Ann
