hi im new here

[joe]

hi new to all of this im scared

[joe]

have been told have bowel cancer not sure on what stage im so scared on the journey ahead of me not knowing what expect and how i will cope

[Ron50]

Sorry to hear that you have been dxed with colon ca. It is not a fun ride but depending on the stage it is quite survivable. I was dxed with stage three c into 6 lymph nodes. Here in Australia they use the Duke system so I was Dukes C. I had part of my transverse and descending colon removed followed by a year of chemotherapy. Don't worry about chemo yet ,in some dukes A and B they don't even use chemo just surgery. I was dxed in Jan 1998 so I am coming up for 15 years ca free and am considered cured. Good luck Joe ,let me know how things develop...Ron.

[mark2709]

Hi Joe, Sorry to hear your diagnosis. My cancer was, well, at the complete other end of the digestive tract, but my mother had it in the bowel (a long time ago) and as a result I now have colonoscopies about every 1 or 2 years. As a general cancer thing, this stage you are at is the pits. You know you've got a problem on your hands, but you don't know the magnitude of it, or what is in store. My advice? 1. Don't google it. 2. Get your info from your doctor, and do so whenever you need it. 3. Ask lots of questions, fully understand, don't consent to what has not been explained. 4. REMEMBER: People survive, lots of them. Especially bowel cancer patients. 5. Don't theorise or let your imagination run away with you, in regard to what has not yet happened. Deal with things as they arise. 6. Get counselling, regularly, from your own psychologist (in addition to Cancer Help Line, etc). You can get at least 6 consults on Medicare, (and probably more), via referral from your GP. Regards, Mark.

[Rubes1984]

Hi Joe, Firstly welcome to the site! I hope it is able to provide a listening ear and support when u most need it. I totally agree with all of Marks points - definitely don't google ur cancer and prognosis. The bad stories are black and white in ur face, it will only increase ur fears! Whenever I had questions I would wrote then down and I'd be sure my gp or specialists/oncologist would answer them in a way I could understand. And people survive cancer all the time! I am 9 mths in from my diagnosis, finished chemo in Nov and have recently gotten cancer free scans (im stage 4 lung cancer). I was an idiot and Google's everything at the start (i was terrified I would die ). I have recently read an article on cancer which covered that cancer is an environmental, emotional and physical disease - it explained having a realistic and positive outlook is over half the battle of fighting cancer and surviving! So I guess I'm saying its ok to be scared, sad, angry, overwhelmed and confused while still remaining realistic and positive. This is an amazing site filled with wonderful supports. Don't be afraid to be vent or ask questions. I've always gotten great advice and support from here. Take care Rubes

[tfox64]

Hello Joe, I too am a newbie when it comes to the nasty c. Very recent diagnosis has completely spun my life around. Hang in there mate. There are some wonderful people around places like this that are more than willing to give you as much emotional support as they can to help you through. Keep positive, take it moment by moment if you have to. But above all mate, keep on fighting! And find a laugh where ever you can! Cheers Tony F

[loupylass]

Hi Joe, everyone has given you great advice and I will just repeat one of those things...DO NOT GOOGLE IT.... We all understand the emotional rollercoaster each day is but trying to live as normally as possible is the best medicine and not worry about things that haven't happened and may never happen is very good advice. It's a waste of a great day! It's sounds as if that is flippant advice but I promise you there is nothing flippant about it. I've got to this stage because I've been through what you're going through, so look after yourself and know that whatever you may be feeling, this is a great place to come and get some support because we can all empathise with how you're feeling. Good luck 🙂