New! Diagnosis of Adenacarcinoma--in Rectum

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #22
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    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • tiny one
    tiny one Member Posts: 465 Member
    #23
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    surgery
    It's a very scary feeling when you find out after a colonoscopy that they've found something. They found a polyp during a colonoscopy that they could not remove. I had a resection and had to have a temporary ileostomy due to the polyp being lower than they thought. The Dr recommended I go thru chemo and radiation. Chemo wasn't near as bad for me as I thought it would be. I was in pretty good shape physically before my surgery, this enabled me to heal pretty fast and go thru treatment very easy. Key is to try and stay as active as you can. Your body can recover from all of this. I am cancer free now for two years. My ileostomy reversal was done 10 months after my surgery. I'm doing good, I am still having some issues from the reversal, but cancer free. Let us know how your surgery goes.
  • tiny one
    tiny one Member Posts: 465 Member
    #24
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    maryjane said:

    Chemo/Radiation after surgery...
    Hi Greg...
    Really appreciated hearing from you. How are you dong with chemo treatments??..
    I'm assuming that I will need some of that treatment as well but...I'm trying to put it off as long as possible. My surgery is tomorrow morning and...I've take the CLEAN OUT YOUR BOD product. Of course I'm thinking all about steaks and baked potatos and french fries etc now that I can't have it. I was diagnosed 4 weeks ago (day before Thanksgiving) and had to do the same prep for the colonoscopy I had in the hospital. These are not my favorite drinks and my stomach HOWLS as the Liquid Plummer moves thru my body. My motto is JUST FOR TODAY and Today I'm still walking and a'talkin so that's a good thing. Tomorrow at this time I'll be facing the pre-surgery anxiety. Thanks for your support.
    maryjane

    prep
    The prep before surgery isn't very fun. I'm one of those who tolerated folfox very well and also tolerated oxiplatin very well. This was due to a mediport and chemo pump with slow release chemo for 24/7. My course was chemo and radiation for 5 1/2 weeks.Chemo was folfox. Second course was oxiplatin done twice a month. I would get oxiplatin for about 2 hours and then the pump would be on for 2 days. This slow release is probably why my side effects were not to bad. I had mild nausea, fatique,and neuropathy in my hands and feet, sensitivity to cold, from the oxi, but I was always able to get up and get things done. Even working out in the yard alot.
  • tiny one
    tiny one Member Posts: 465 Member
    #25
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    maryjane said:

    Colostomy...
    Hi Vicki...
    Thanks for your message. Sounds like in the end the colostomy was your answer. First surgeon I saw talked about Colostomy and I couldn't even listen to the words. Now I've accepted that it may be my fate as well. I'm dealing with the unknown at this point. My surgery is tomorrow morning--30th--and I'm sooo anxious to just GET IT OUT! (TUMOR) Drinking all that product last nite to get cleaned out...spending the night in my bathroom was not my favorite experience. So...I continue to fantasize about Hamburgers and Fries as my stomach cries out for food. And then I drink down some clear liquid and imagine it to be ice cream. Good I have an imagination at this time.
    And..thanks to all of you strong beings who continue to support me thru this Holiday Crisis. And thanks for sharing your feelings. MaryJane

    the bag
    As I mentioned I woke up from surgery with my ileostomy, that was a shock my surgeon didn't think I would need this before. I adapted very easily to the bag, didn't like it, but if this is what it took for me to do the things I wanted to do, I was going to do it. The bag compared to my reversal was easy. I could eat anything I wanted nad had no problems with leakage. My reversal however has been hard due to the number of times of being in the bathroom and alot of pain. Finally after 2 years and with lomotil I'm seeing an improvement. I was just determined that I was going to sail thru chemo, and I did.
  • theresa8
    theresa8 Member Posts: 61
    #26
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    Fight for my love said:

    You will be
    You will be fine,relax.Please try not to let the whole thing overwhelm you,but I do understand it is easier to say than do.My husband was diagnosed with rectal cancer stage 2A in this May,it was a big big shock to both of us.He did the radiation and chemo before surgery,he had great response to the preoperative treatment,his tumor got shrank by 90% from a like pingpong ball size to a size much smaller than a dime,only very little leftover.The surgery went quite well,the surgeon got all of it.The pathology report showed the cancer was downstaged from stage 2 to stage 1.After 8 weeks recovery from the surgery,my husband started more chemo(Folfox) to make sure there is no potential cancer cells left in the body.Both oncologist and surgeon recommemed more chemo,because they say they want to make sure my husband will be cured completely.My husband just finished 5 of 12 rounds chemo,he is going to complete the whole treatments in the spring time.Chemo is tough,but we take one day at a time,take one treatment at a time like many people do in this forum.Please really get involved in the treatment and understand the disease,the more you know about it,the better you cope with it.It sounded like your tumor is not big and you found it early,so you do have great chance to beat the cancer up and you will be cancer free soon.Good luck with everything.Take care.

    Fighting for the love of my life
    Your husband's cancer is very similar to my husband's. He also has a stage 2A rectal cancer. He finished his radiation and chemo on December 21. He feels just great and is anxiously awaiting surgery. When did you find out that he had downstaged ? How long after his treatment was he operated ?
    What kind of surgery did he get? Did he stay in the hospital for a long time ? My husband will also receive chemo 1 month after his surgery. How did yours feel after his operation ?
    The Drs say that his cancer is T3N0M0. We have so many questions... His surgery is scheduled for Feb 1 and we see his Dr on January 19. We have been married for 40 years and I really hope he comes through with this. As I tell him, I'm willing to carry him on my back to fight this war. Take care.
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #27
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    how was surgery?
    Hi Maryjane,

    I'm just reading your post and all the replies here for the first time today (Jan. 3rd). So, you've had your surgery and are still probably in the hospital- hopefully ready to go home in a couple of days. I am anxious to hear how things went for you. Please check in with us as soon as you are able to. I never had the rectal surgery myself, but I did go through a liver resection surgery in May '08. I was in the hospital 6 days for that.

    Thinking of and praying for your physical recovery, along with your mental, emotional, and spiritual recovery and healing too.

    Take care of yourself & on your worst day, know that things WILL get better!

    Lisa
  • mark440
    mark440 Member Posts: 63
    #28
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    Hi Maryjane! I was told two
    Hi Maryjane! I was told two days before x-mas,my tumor is low in the rectum as well... I meet with onco tomorrow to get ct results ... it is very scary now! being on here and seeing that there is alot of wonderful people in the world is a big comfort!!! keep us posted and i will do the same!!!
  • mark440
    mark440 Member Posts: 63
    #29
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    mgrinager said:

    I was diagnosed with rectal
    I was diagnosed with rectal cancer Nov 18th 2009, which was also the day my divorce was final, talk about stress...My care giver is the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Ft. Wayne. I have never been treated with more dignity,kindness, or encouragement. My doctors (who actually practice at other hospitals)have me on chemo and radiation, to be followed by surgery and more chemo. The chemo is Xeloda, it is in pill form,500mg 8 per day, and will be increased to 10 per day Tuesday. 28 sessions of radiation, 8 down 20 to go. I work 3rd shift, done at 8am, get to Radiation Oncology Associates for radiation at 8:30 and I am on my way by 8:45am! Side effects so far, fatgue (I have 10 good hours then it's lights out)loss of apetite, diarhea, and a third eye. Not really, but you need to keep a sence of humor and learn to appreciate EVERYTHING, good and bad, that's life. My doctors feel that the chemo/rad prior to surgery increases your survival rate. What did your reseach tell you?

    Xeloda
    Hi just erding your post... i was diagnsoed two days before x-mas the want to do 6 weeks of chemo and radiation before surgery and 6 weeks of both after.. where are you being treated ??/ and please keep me posted, its all new to me! I hope it goes well for you!!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #30
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    mark440 said:

    Hi Maryjane! I was told two
    Hi Maryjane! I was told two days before x-mas,my tumor is low in the rectum as well... I meet with onco tomorrow to get ct results ... it is very scary now! being on here and seeing that there is alot of wonderful people in the world is a big comfort!!! keep us posted and i will do the same!!!

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • candipa
    candipa Member Posts: 4
    #31
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    Mary Jane
    Hi Mary Jane,
    You are probably still in the hospital recuperating from your surgery. I hope it went well. You asked about anyone with a similar story. I think mine is very similar to yours. I was diagnosed with rectal cancer on December 4th (2009). I am 47 years old. I have never so much as broken a bone. I was in the hospital to deliver my 2 children and that is all. I don't smoke, and drink only socially and live a pretty healthy life. The tumor is .5 cm from the anus and is about 5 cm large. It has only penetrated the first layer of the bowel wall and the CT scan came back clear and my lymphnodes are not enlarged. Pre surgery they have staged it as one. I don't need chemo or radiation before surgery but I haven't had surgery yet because I have been searching for a surgeon who can take out my tumor and lymphnodes yet preserve my anatomy (no colostomy). I have been told that because the tumor is so low in the rectum and so large that they just can't take it out and save the sphincter muscles. I had my 2nd opinion today and was told the same thing that the first surgeon said...I need full excision of the rectum with a colostomy. I went to the University of Michigan Cancer Center. I have my 3rd and final opinion at Cleveland Clinic on Monday. I have been told that if anyone can do it, they can.

    I am anxious to hear how you are doing Mary Jane. I hope you are doing well.
    Take care,
    Cheryl
  • candipa
    candipa Member Posts: 4
    #32
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    mark440 said:

    Hi Maryjane! I was told two
    Hi Maryjane! I was told two days before x-mas,my tumor is low in the rectum as well... I meet with onco tomorrow to get ct results ... it is very scary now! being on here and seeing that there is alot of wonderful people in the world is a big comfort!!! keep us posted and i will do the same!!!

    How did CT come out?
    Hi Mark,
    How did the CT scan come out? What is the next step for you? How low is your tumor. Mine is 1/2cm from the anus. What size is the tumor? I was diagnosed Dec. 4th. You can read more about my story from the reply to Mary Jane.
    Cheryl

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