Recently diagnosed with Bowel Cancer, having surgery on Monday the 18th of November.

Cragster2025 17 days ago

3 replies
178 subscribers
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Hi all, new here.

i was recently (early October) diagnosed with Bowel Cancer after loosing weight over the past six months, fighting bouts of fatigue though other than that- was generally feeling well. A chat with my GP lead to a blood test finding I was anaemic, that led to a FIT 54 test result- (whilst it’s detected blood, there were no other obvious signs. That led to a referral for an Endoscopy procedure which found a tumour in my Sigmoid Intestine. Thats where everything kind of snow balled. Within six weeks I’m in for surgery Monday morning (the 18th of November) but I’m still all over the place mentally with my diagnosis and with the urgency of removing it I’ve been offered very few choices regarding my surgery. So, I trust my team, and their decisions regarding my surgery and follow up chemo but the scariest thing is I’ve literally just had a week to see a myriad of departments, specialists, consultants, nurses and I’ve just not had one second to take things in and process it all.

I take onboard it’s got to go, but having had a CT Scan, MRI I’m really apprehensive about what they’re about to find next week.

Obviously I’m not alone here, but the speed this things hit us is really overwhelming. Keeping positive, but I’m really not in a good place at present with all of this.

regards all.

GRANNY59 17 days ago

Hi Cragster2025 welcome to the forum. I am sorry to hear your news but good that it has been found and can be treated..I always describe that part of the Journey like stepping onto a rollercoaster bit you don't step back off for a while. Everything seems full steam ahead and whilst that is highly overwhelming it's also what's needed to stop that blighter in its tracks. All those tests help them to know what they are going to find so hopefully there will be no surprises for you all. It's scarey thinking about the whole journey as well and a tip I got from someone helped and that was to take one bit of the journey at a time, tick that part off and move onto the next.. We are here for you as you need us to be and my very best wishes for your op we will be thinking of you..

gail

Kareno62 17 days ago

Hi Cragster2025 Treatment often depends on the position of the tumour - rectal tumours are usually treated with chemoradiotherapy before surgery whereas tumours higher up in the bowel tend to go straight to surgery.
The point of the scans is so that the surgeons know exactly what they’re dealing with and once there is a date for surgery then there does tend to be a flurry of tests, bloods, meetings etc.

The main thing is to get the tumour in the bin and, as the winter pressure approaches, the sooner the better.
It is a lot to take in so please give the support desk a ring and have a chat with them?

Take care

Karen x

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

P00hsticks 17 days ago

Hi Cragster2025

It's a real whirlwind, isn;t it ?

I do know how you feel ,as I was in exactly the same position as you a few months ago. In fact, it was even more of a shock for me because I'd had no symptoms at all - I was diagnosed after a routine bowel cancer screening FIT showed up positive. Like you a colonoscopy in July revealed a tumour in my sigmoid colon, and by the end of August I'd had surgery to take the affected bit of my colon out (a left hemicolonoctomy). If you click on my name there's more detail in my profile. As others have said it does seem to be an never ending battery of tests and examinations, with some nerve wracking waiting in between, but it's essential to for the medics to get as clear a picture as they can so that they can determine the very best course of action for each individual.

It's not even six months since I took that first FIT test and now fingers crossed I'm cancer free and it all seems just a bad dream.

Hang on in there and we'll all be with you - this forum has been invaluable to me.