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       ... View more

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. ... View more

HI Jem80, Thanks so much for your reply, and thanks for the advice re the cancer care nurses on the phone etc. I shall definitely look at doing that once we get through Thursdays appointment. I am sure I will be trying to use every resource available. I am glad I am not alone in finding my concentration sliding, I am hoping this may improve with some counselling and with time to process everything. Take care.🌼   ... View more

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. ... View more