Recurrent Bowel Cancer after 9 years

Georgie
Occasional Contributor

Recurrent Bowel Cancer after 9 years

Hi, I recently found out that my bowel cancer has returned. I was first diagnosed 9 yrs ago and now at age 54 it has spread to my left ovary.   Before my laparoscopy to determine the pathology my Dr requested a PET scan and they found thyroid cancer as well apparently unrelated to the bowel cancer.  I am scheduled for hipec surgery early December.

Has anyone else had this surgery? 

The strange thing is that i don't feel that sick other than tiredness.  I found out that the cancer was back in early November following a slight pain on my right side near the belly button and the gp ordered a CT scan.  Since then my life has been turned upside down. 

2 REPLIES 2
Katekat
Valued Contributor

Re: Recurrent Bowel Cancer after 9 years

Hello and welcome to the Online Community @Georgie we hope you'll receive a lot of great advice and support from your fellow community members.

 

How are you doing today?

 

We have a great podcast on managing cancer fatigue that you may like to listen to, they discuss some really great tips for managing your fatigue. 

 

I am going to recommend you give our 13 11 20 team a call and have a chat to them about the Cancer Connect program. You may find talking to one of our volunteers about the surgery or your new diagnosis valuable. Feel free to tell them I (Kate) sent you, they sit right near me Smiley Happy There may also be some other services or support options that you may be interested in exploring.

 

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Milo333
Occasional Visitor

Re: Recurrent Bowel Cancer after 9 years

Hi Georgie, my wife was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer a bit over a year ago now. We both was just 12 months into our marriage (best day of my life) and had been planning to purchase our first home. As the weeks went on, the pains she had looked over herself had gotten a lot worse ending up her and myself right next to her on the bathroom floor both of us just baffled as the doctors weren’t to sure and cancer was not at all expected not mentioned and even thought about.  A colonoscopy had been booked in as the waiting for that felt like forever they was most surrounded that she had Chrohnes disease which is also a terrible thing to live thru. The day they had performed the colonoscopy wasnt the the best of news and had both of us really in shock and I don’t think I was aware about what was happening until the next day I had seen her so upset and scared as she had told me over the phone that they have found a mass of cancer that’s completely blocked the bowel. 

 

Last year in October, she had the HIPEC surgery done at the RPA in Sydney. It was a very nervous time for herself and her loved ones. They also had to do a hystorectomy which we had already been told and we had been told that IVF was to late to be able to do anything with her reproductive organs 😞 

 

It’s now been 5 months since the HIPEC. She has had to have the wounds dressed daily from the community nurses who come out place and they all do a great job. 

 

She has been admitted into hospital about 3 times in the past 2 months with pains in her back and the oncologist had removed fluid from her lungs and sent to the labs to be tested. She had 1 round of chemo before the surgery. Also  about 3 weeks ago she had 1 session of chemo and  had knocked her around and had to stay in there for 2 weeks. 

 

Today we both have had to relive the reality with her biopsy results and have been told the cancer is now in her lung and will be starting chemo as soon as the collapsed lung has healed. I honestly have not been able to get my head around everything she has been through. But positive attitude has help a lot and i also have a very brave wife who would run rings around any big bad blokes I’ve met who try and act all tuff. She is a fighter and she also is doing all she can to raise awareness by sharing her story to get anyone’s attention about her story. 

 

I may have written a lot more than I should have but i have not been able to say or right her story in a short version without any tears. A day has not gone by since that day last year without me having to cry. Thanks for reading 🙂 

 

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