Newly diagnosed - saying hello!

Hi - it sounds promising for you so hang on in there if you can.Things seemed to have moved quickly for you...I've been waiting 2 months, various tests, diagnosis, seeing the surgeon etc, and finally having surgery tomorrow followed by the same process of assessment of the removed mass from my caecum...waiting is challenging to say the least, and I have mental health issues too.....I wish you all the best, take care and bless you x

Hi there.

I was diagnosed in November and like you have children, mine range from 18 to 3 and we didn't tell them initially. I had the meeting with my surgeon yesterday who has confirmed my surgery to remove the tumour is booked for next week. We therefore, with advice from the cancer nurse spoke to the children and explained. They took it better than expected and have been nothing but supportive. 

Hope you are feeling well and hope if you do tell them they take it okay.

Hey there.  I am in the same boat.  I have surgery booked for next Thursday.  I have an 11 year old and I’m a bit of an over sharer so my daughter has known what’s going on from the beginning.   Obviously we didn’t discuss scary words like cancer.  I get why you would hold back from telling them. You know your kids best.  You must do what’s right for your family. 

How was the surgery?   

xxx

Hello and thanks for replying : ) 

The surgery was ok... although I can't lie, the first 4 or 5 days afterwards in hospital were pretty tough. I had a left hemicolectomy (keyhole surgery thank goodness) - how about you? It's been exactly a month now and I only have a little discomfort at this point. My energy is zero though and the new pooping schedule takes some getting used to (much more frequent I'm afraid - hoping it will settle down a bit..).

Tomorrow I have my first appointment with the oncologist and then will tell the kids. I wish I had told them from the start but my other half was totally against worrying them unnecessarily. It's heartening to hear that your daughter has taken it all in her stride!  

Anyway, good luck with the surgery. The prep is nasty and the first few days after are rough, but the worst part passes pretty quickly. Just get all the painkillers you can in hospital and get moving as soon as you're allowed out of bed. I was told I would only be checked out of hospital once I had been to the loo, and that the only way to get my bowels moving again was to get on my feet and get moving! Sure enough it worked and I was home in 5 days.  

Good luck! 

This gives me hope that it'll go well with my own kids! My instinct is to share everything with them and it's been hard "excluding" them from this. Good luck with your surgery! 

I'm sorry that you're having to wait .. waiting is the worst. I feel like I've been waiting for my first oncologist appointment forever (it's actually only been a month since I had the op and it took 3 weeks to have the biopsy results anyway). 

I suffer from anxiety myself and so know a little about the struggles of keeping mentally ok during something like this. It's very hard. 

Let me know how you get on with the surgery and know that you're not alone! I'm starting to realise that there are so many of us going through this terrible, weird, surreal experience. Take care xx

Your other half is probably just trying to protect you all.  I’m keeping everything crossed that you need no more treatment and there’s nothing to tell the kids.  

I’m pretty relaxed (like I’ve had a bash to the head) about the surgery.  I had a c section with my daughter and I remember moving around made me actually feel better so that’s all I can compare it to.  I’m so grateful that I can have the surgery so I’ll have not choice but to get through it.  Yep not looking forward to the prep but I’ll dig deep.  

oh jeez frequent loo stops is going to be exhausting!!  

Please let me know how you get on.  Xxx

Many thanks My anxiety relates to sleep, to not really helpful for healing recovery, but I'm taking sleeping tablets for now until I can get of them once recovery progresses....much love, keep going ️ 

Excuse my previous poor spelling rambling reply before - I'm currently sitting in a waiting area for the surgery,  trying deep breathing to get through it xx

Oh wow.  Deep breathing.  For some off reason I do it really loud so everyone knows I’m still breathing.  It does work but hard when you’re anxious.  I’ll be where you are this time next week and you’ll hopefully be home in your own bed.  I’m assuming you’re going in for the afternoon?   You’ll be fine.  Before you know it the surgery will be over.  thinking of you.  Xxxx