new to the colon Cancer/Colectomy

ajereeb

My husband has been in the hospial since May 1st. We thought it was a bad case of food posioning. Surprise as the doctors recommended an extended Colectomy. Adenocarcinoma and awaiting comfermation on Lynch syndrome 2. We are awaiting pathology results. A Colectomy seems pretty radical. I was told about a J pouch. any advice is appreciated. What questions should I ask? I'm on information overload and getting lost in research andall I read.

JanJan63

Hello and welcome! I had to

Hello and welcome! I had to look up colectomy. It sounds like it's a resection? They will remove the area of the colon where the tumour is located and they also take out what they call margins, so a couple of inches beyond where the tumour was. It's to be in the safe side and make sure they get it all. The J pouch could be necessary as well. They usually don't know exactly what's going to happen until they get in there. They also likely won't stage it until the surgery.

Jan  

Joan M

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis

He can always ask to see a oncologist or surgeon at a different cancer center for a second opinion if you are unsure of what to do.  It would be really hard to go from an emergency room visit to learning you have cancer and then getting such a drastic surgery. Unless of course, emergency surgery is necessary.

It's a lot to process.  I was in a fog for weeks not really believing I had cancer based on scans.  Didn't believe it until I got the biopsy results back.   So many people on the site were diagnosed with metastasized colon cancer.  I didn't have any of the colorectal cancer symptom and was diagnosed at Stage 4 after an urgent care doctor ordered an abdominal ultrasound and saw tumors in my liver.    My first oncologist said I had 6 to 18 months.  I have survived over 3 years and many on this site have survived 10 years and more.  Some Stage 4 survivors have even been NED for so long they are considered "cured". 

Be strong and take what measures you can to fight this disease.  There is hope.  

Annabelle41415

J-Pouch

I've got a J-pouch instead of having an ostomy.  It's something how they can take the existing colon and make it into a rectum.  It's not always easy for me but I'm happy with my reversal and there are a lot of people that have had it and can live a fairly normal life.  Wishing your husband well.

Kim