Surgery

colmm

I was diagnosed with colon cancer in early March. I had surgery on April 24. Recovery is going well. I am still waiting for results to see what stage this is. The waiting is giving me anxiety.

SandiaBuddy

Doubtless. In many ways, your future depends on those results. But despite those issues, maybe you can try to focus on the moment. You are alive and you are recovering. It is Spring. The birds sing, the children play. Trying to live in the moment is a strategy that helps many of us with cancer. Best of luck with these issues.

bdix4573

I sympathize with you. The waiting is the worse part. Have the doctors given you any indication? Be positive. The tumor is out and that’s a great start. Did you have any pre surgery testing or treatments?

colmm

No treatments. Ct scan showed no spreading.

sgold88

If scans showed no spread, that’s the best news you could get as far as staging is concerned right now.

colmm

Update

went for my follow up from surgery. I have stage 3 and will need chemo. I see the oncologist next week. Any advice on what to expect from chemo would be appreciated. From what I’ve read nauseous, diarrhea, vomiting. My question is for how long and how bad?

I’m starting my list of questions for the oncologist now.

Capox Dude

Chemo is a broad term. I do not want to assume what you will take. Some people breeze through it with very little problem. Some people have a lot of difficulty and sometimes unpleasant, permanent side effects. And there’s a bunch of people in between. Give us a shout when you know what your regimen will be, and I’m sure folks will share their personal experience (with the caveat that their experience might be completely different than your experience, even if you take the same chemotherapy drugs.)

Tigerfan92

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1705841#Comment_1705841

I am in the same boat. Resection on April 12th to remove anything left from one polyp. Scans didn’t show anything but the pathology came back with a tumor deposit and lymph node involvement in 2 of the 24 lymph nodes removed. Have a PET scan next week to see if there is any spread the tests didn’t show. I am supposed to start Xeloda and radiation May 30th for 28 sessions. After that, 8 cycles of chemo at 2 week intervals. Early stage 1 to Stage 3 in the blink of an eye! I am planning to work through it all but wonder how I will do with the chemo. Hope you get better news!

BRAVESFAN

What was surgery like? Wondering what to expect? Did you need help at home afterwards?

sgold88

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1706153#Comment_1706153

Different for everyone but I know people who came home 2 days later and were walking around the house and others who took a little more time. I met someone once who had surgery on a Monday and was golfing the following Sunday. Obviously that’s an anomaly.

colmm

Surgery went well. Most of the pain came from the air pocket in my shoulder. The more walking the better. I was in the hospital 2 days. I sent my husband to work the day after I came home. I just had him carry the laundry basket to the laundry room before he left. After being home for a week I planted my garden and flowers. Just can’t pick anything up weighing more then 10 pounds. Now I’m just trying to figure out what foods agree with me.

BRAVESFAN

I was just diagnosed wed.. so scans the end of this week then next week results.. dont know what I'm in for.. the dr after colonoscopy said he tattooed? The spot about 7to 8 inches to remove but I was emotional and missed everything said after he said cancer.. just lost my husband of 33 years to :covid".. and now this

Tigerfan92

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1706153#Comment_1706153

Hi Bravesfan-

I had an LAR and ended up with an ileostomy resulting in a 5-day hospital stay. At home, I was able to get around by myself and you likely could handle it by yourself if you had to. If you do not need an ileostomy, recovery should be pretty easy. Is your surgery going to be laparoscopic or robotic? My LAR was robotic and I feel like I would have recovered quicker if that was the only surgery I had.

You’re not supposed to lift more than 10 pounds for 6-8 weeks after surgery. That’s the hardest part. Do you have someone that can check on you?

i am so very sorry for the loss of your husband.

Tigerfan92

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1706159#Comment_1706159

Also, I have found recording what my my doc said on the phone helped a lot. I was able to go back and listen to the recording and google amything I didn’t understand.

colmm

Sorry for the loss of your husband

I had the laparoscopic surgery. I felt my self after about 2 weeks. The waiting is the hardest part. I will be starting chemotherapy in early July for 12 rounds. I am going to try and work through the chemo, my employer has been great through all of this.

stay positive and try to keep a normal routine, that’s what is helping me get through this.

colmm

It’s been awhile, but I’m back to work now. Which I’m grateful for, it keeps my mind busy. I will be starting chemo at the end of the month, I’m waiting for my signatera test to come back to start. I will need 12 rounds of chemo. Doc says he wants to start aggressively at the beginning because I’m high risk of it returning or spreading.

Trubrit

It is good that you are back to work and healed from your surgery.

While chemo is not a walk in the park, I hope that you are able to continue working throughout.

Let us know if there is anything we can help you with, as you start this part of your journey.

Tru

bangle

I have the full 12inch scar and went back to work in two weeks after surgery. Just finished my 7th treatment out of 12 5 to go. I’ve had no problems with the chemo but my white blood cells and platelets have caused a couple of skipped treatments. Hang in there I just keep thinking positive and not letting the set backs get me down. Stay positive we are all here for you!