topic Re: Colorectal Cancer in Diagnosis and treatment

Colorectal Cancer

Jem80 — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 01:31:57 GMT

Is there anyone else here supporting someone through colorectal cancer? My brother has just been diagnosed and I would like any advice. Cheers.

Re: Colorectal Cancer

sch — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 02:24:26 GMT

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about your brother.

I've had colorectal cancer in the past.

How is your brother?

Have they given any diagnosis and any information about treatment?

Re: Colorectal Cancer

Jem80 — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 02:34:16 GMT

Hi,

Thanks. He is stage 4 and is going to be having chemotherapy and radiation therapy. He finds out more next week. What treatment did you have?

Re: Colorectal Cancer

sch — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 12:36:39 GMT

Hi Jem80.

I had a colectomy and 12 rounds of chemo (FOLFOX).

No radiation for me, so I'm afraid I can't help you there.

Is he going to be having surgery?

and how are you feeling? Are you coping OK?

Is there someone you can talk to?

-s

Re: Colorectal Cancer

Jem80 — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 10:05:54 GMT

Hi sch,

Thanks for your message.

I'm not sure if he is going to be having surgery. He has to have another scan first before they can start treatment. I feel devastated for him, especially since he has a diagnosis of stage 4 as the starting point. I am coping, and I have some counselling lined up tomorrow. I also have my partner to talk to about this, but it still feels awful. How did you cope with chemo?

Re: Colorectal Cancer

sch — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 07:07:46 GMT

Chemo is good and bad, like anything really.

It will depend on the persons cirumstances and treatment.

For the first 2/3rd's of the treatment I sailed through (apart from fatigue).

The last 1/3 of the treatment was marked with infections and neuropathy. It was a bit unpleasent, but what can you do? I didn't feel that I had too much to complain about. (stage 2a bowel cancer)

My recovery from surgery (I had surgery before I did chemo) was a bit full on. I was very sore post surgery (I had a total colectomy) and I had to wait a few months for my body to recover before I started chemo.

But your brother might have surgery or he might have chemo first. That's something that I think will be decided by his treatment team.

I'd recommend that someone attend the appointments with him. The information can be a bit over overwhelming. I'd recommend note taking or recording the meeting so that your brother can go back and refer to it later.

Best of luck and let me know if you have any other questions or queries.

-s

Re: Colorectal Cancer

Sideshow63 — Mon, 10 May 2021 07:51:54 GMT

Hi Jem80,

I hope you are doing ok?

I may be on a very similar journey to you but with my husband. We are waiting on the results after all the blood tests, scans and procedures. We get his results on Thursday.

I cant give you any advice but wishing your brother all the best.

Re: Colorectal Cancer

Jem80 — Tue, 11 May 2021 01:52:28 GMT

Hi Sideshow63,

I am doing ok thanks. It is hard with my brother as he is not really engaging anyone other than his partner much about his diagnosis. He is due to start 3 months of intravenous chemo after having had initial what I think was oral chemo. It's very confronting isn't it? I was in shock when he first told me about it as he is only 46. I had to put my studies on hold for a while as I was struggling to focus when we initially found out. I have been continuing to work though and that has helped. I have also now been referred for a colonoscopy particularly because your risk goes up when you have a first degree relative with bowel cancer. I am not as worried about this as I am about my brother, because he has a confirmed diagnosis. Wishing you all the best with your results on Thursday.

Re: Colorectal Cancer

Sideshow63 — Tue, 11 May 2021 06:42:06 GMT

Thanks Jem80.

Gosh your poor brother, he is lucky to have such a supportive sister . His partner is probably coping as best she can, its such a shock like you said, I am sure they will open up more soon to the rest of the family.

I am glad you are getting the test done- I will never throw my yearly over 50's testing kit out ever again after this.

I am lucky to work from home mostly, and can control my workload right now, but if my husband has to have chemo prior to surgery as well as the surgery and the recovery from that- I can see myself having to stop working for a while to give him enough support.

Thanks for the luck for Thursday, I am crossing my fingers and toes that it has not spread to his liver and lungs.

Re: Colorectal Cancer

27spoons — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 06:59:49 GMT

Hi jem80 and sideshow,

Just wanted to say hi and I'm joining you on this journey as well. My husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer last week. We're still waiting for test results and more information.

I hope you're going as well as can be.

Rebecca

Re: Colorectal Cancer

Jem80 — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 10:40:16 GMT

Hi 27spoons,

Sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis. I remember in the early days I was in shock-especially because it was stage 4 for my brother too. The early scans and results can be so hard going so I send you my best wishes. My brother is well into his chemo now but it is hard because he doesn’t want to engage anybody other than his partner much. I guess everyone deals with it in their own way though. Hang in there and keep us updated.

Re: Colorectal Cancer

27spoons — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 10:45:23 GMT

Thank you!

I hope the chemo is going as well as can be with your brother and he gets some improvement soon.

Take care.

Re: Colorectal Cancer

Sideshow63 — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 21:43:46 GMT

Hi Rebecca,

So sorry to hear of your husbands diagnosis, but g ad we can chat freely here to find some kind of support.

The process can seem like it will never end with so many tests and procedures, I hope your hubby is bearing up through it all, and that soon you will have the info you need and some kind of road map of the way forward.

My husband had his surgery last Tuesday- 6 hours of it!. He had an lower anterior resection- I believe they removed 30cam of colon and surrounding tissue. We wont know for 2-3 weeks what the staging is and if he will need chemo. So for now I am just focused on the present and getting him strong enough to undergo chemo should that be our fate. We do know that it has not spread to his lungs or liver- but the abdomen may not have been so lucky, as he had the tumour for a long time and was 8cm long.

I am finding the hardest part is being supportive enough but not too supportive. He hates me asking how he is, so its like walking a tightrope everyday. I also work from home mostly, so us both being home 24/7 has its challenges.😬

Luckily he seems to be recovering very fast from the surgery, fingers crossed, and had 8 weeks sick leave up his sleeve thank goodness.

Changing our meals around his low fibre diet is a new experience, but am finding this website so helpful. The Bowel Cancer Nurse and nutritionist rang me the Friday after his surgery which was amazing. The were very helpful with what to expect with recovery, and what he can and cant eat etc.

We were shocked at how quickly the hospital released him- and what little information they provided about what to expect . But the public hospital system is so over stretched I should not be surprised.

Please take care over the coming weeks, I know the waiting is agony, try and stay busy and know that we are all going through this together. Don't hesitate to stay in touch via this forum.

best wishes

Gayle

Re: Colorectal Cancer

27spoons — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 03:48:49 GMT

Hi Gayle,

Glad to hear your husband is going well post surgery and that it hasn't spread to his liver or lungs. Those are all great signs!

My husband went in for another biopsy today and then we should have the meeting with the oncologists in another week or so to find out the plan. The waiting is still really hard.

All the best to you all,

Rebecca