Hello everyone.

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Hi everyone and thankyou for your honesty. I have been tentatively reading your posts whilst navigating, what's been an eventful few weeks.

I had a colonoscopy 03/06/23 and was told at the time they found a 1cm polyp. They took 3xbiopsies and booked me in for a flexi sigmoidoscopy and a polypectomy. The colonoscopy itself was really painful and they had to switch from gas and air to sedation as they couldn't proceed. So apart from a traumatic, medieval torturesque experience I wasnt overly concerned. Fast forward a few days and I get a call out of the blue from the CT dept asking me to come in for an emergency scan. I'm worried now and my anxiety levels are going through the roof! 10 mins later I get a call from the MRI dept and they need me to come in for an emergency MRI. So scary. I ask why, as I have no clue and they give me the cosultants secretaries number who asked for the scans. I'm told the biopsies have some potentially concerning changes. Fast forward 3 weeks and I get a call from said consultant who was lovely and reassured me, it was still inconclusive re the big C but theres no spread and it's very small, and he will look after me.....but! They found a 2.9cm lesion on my kidney. My relief was short lived and I swapped cancer forums!

I got a call from collorectal and I have an outpatients appointment tomorrow. I have also received a call from a urology nurse specialist who advised the lesion is potentially cancer and I will now receive an appointment for more scans to get some better images.

That is where I am now, It was my 52nd birthday yesterday and if I'm honest I'm very scared. Any advice, moral support would be greatly welcomed.

Kerry

Maninbath over 1 year ago

Hi Kerry. You will find lots of support here but it’s likely be a roller-coaster ride emotionally. Many users tell their story through their profile page and you may find it helpful to read some of those stories. When I was diagnosed with bowel cancer my sister-in-law sent me a card with the message ‘Stay Positive’ . It sits in a place where I see it every day and has been my mantra ever since. I have always tried to find something positive in even the worst news (my cancer has returned after a year and is now incurable but the positive is that it has yet to reach any organs). I personally also set out to learn as much as I could about my cancer, perhaps helped by the fact I am a scientist by training so inquisitive by nature. As a result, a lot of what my oncologist has subsequently told me was not completely unexpected.

Of course you’re scared, that’s natural. It can be easier said than done but try and deal with the situation a piece at a time by mentally boxing up the pieces that are not relevant to now - just take them out when you need to deal with them. This is how I have dealt scans and tests. Have the scan then put that piece away until results day. If you find yourself dwelling on too many negatives download some brain games - I play a lot of Scrabble - or even some ‘mindless’ games, I also play Royal Match a lot!

Hope some of this is useful to you.

Kind regards.

Maninbath

Gosh over 1 year ago in reply to Maninbath

Dear Maninbath, thank you so much for replying and for your kind words. I have just had a chat with the collorectal consultant. The polyp could be cancer its borderline high grade plasty something! So they are going to try to remove it with an endoscopic mucosal Resection. They are hoping this will be successful but if not then it will have to be removed surgically, but it is very early and can be cured. The shadow on my kidney is very early too and there is no spread so he reassured me that this can be cured too. So all in all it was a good outcome and I feel so much better to have a plan in place. I will take your advice and focus on the polyp and then tackle what ever is in store a bit at a time. I'm sorry your cancer is back and incurable, I will carry your positive mantra with me now. Take care. Kerry

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