just diagnosed

kennyt
kennyt Member Posts: 110

 Hello eveyone, My name is Kenny Thompson I am married to a wonderful person and we have to children together 6and 9. last week I recieved the awful news that I had rectal cancer by way of a colonoscopy and biopsie.  I had been having some off and on bleeding but had experienced some of that 20 years ago and wrote it off as hemerhoids I'm very active at work and play so how could I be sick and not know it? Wed. I met with the surgeon last fri. and she gave me the run down on wht will most likely be happening 6 weeks of chemo and radiation followed by surgery. I go to Stanford for a ct scan and what I think is a ultrasound of the tumor on wed the 26th I guess that will tell the whole story, I'm freaking out about that right now having a hard time sleeping I feel fatigued and hopeless.  

Comments

  • YoVita
    YoVita Member Posts: 590 Member
    Welcome to a very supportive group

    I too was diagnosed with rectal cancer (stage IIIc) in 2010 and I'm still here enjoying life.  It's a very scary time for you right now.  Good luck with your scans, ultrasounds and doctor visits.  Getting that information will help.  It does get better!  This group can be very helpful with the practical questions.  Once you get more information and have some questions, ask away.      

  • kennyt
    kennyt Member Posts: 110
    YoVita said:

    Welcome to a very supportive group

    I too was diagnosed with rectal cancer (stage IIIc) in 2010 and I'm still here enjoying life.  It's a very scary time for you right now.  Good luck with your scans, ultrasounds and doctor visits.  Getting that information will help.  It does get better!  This group can be very helpful with the practical questions.  Once you get more information and have some questions, ask away.      

    thanks

     It's so nice to hear that you can enjoy life through all of this. Myself I think I still fel like mine is over as it has only been About a week and at this point I have an incomplete diagnosis. I hope this gets better, I want to enjoy my family and I'm kinda cranky right now, Kenny

  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    Hi Kenny

    I can assure you that we all understand the "initial" feelings of this diagnosis.

    I myself got the diagnosis of a cancerous rectal tumor the week before Christmas 2009.  I had major surgery March 2010 with the removal of the anus, rectum and total hysterectomy.  I also got a colostomy.

    Life is good....changed but good. 

    Don't hesitate to ask any question or express your feelings here.  We all understand.

    Wishing you the best with your treatments.

    Marie who loves kitties

  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    Just One Step....

    ....followed by the next one.

    Anything we've never experienced leaves us feeling vulnerable and apprehensive.  There are many components to the battle, but right now, being so new to the fight, just listen to your doctor's and make yourself aware of what is being done. 

    Experience comes with alot of time....

    Good luck! 

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    Welcome to the group, Kenny.

    You are really in one of the hardest parts of the whole process...the first weeks after diagnosis, when the uncertainty and fear can be just overwhelming.  That's pretty normal.  I think we all felt that way.  But once you get an official dx, and a treatment plan in place, you will feel a lot better, at least emotionally (as hard as that is to believe at the moment).  And we'll be here to help you out as you go along.  There's a great deal of experience and compassion on this board, and hopefully we'll be able to offer you some information and support.

    Hugs~Ann Alexandria

  • Semira
    Semira Member Posts: 381 Member
    Welcome...

    ... to this great and supportive board! Not much to add to the wise comments of the others, only a warm welcome and a hug from Germany.

    Don't forget to breathe and take one step after the other.

    All the best

    Petra

  • barbebarb
    barbebarb Member Posts: 464
    Treatment plan will ease the fear

    Hi Kenny:

    It is so normal to feel what you have shared. The whole journey is challenging and once

    you have the facts and a treatment plan in place, your feelings of hopelessness will subuside!

    The initial shock and "what-if's" and "what will happen" are exhausting.

    Please know there are many, many kind and helpful folks on this board who can answer

    questions and guide you. We all understand!

    I have been in treatment for 20 months and have had many ups and downs......and quality of life

    has been decent. Symptoms of this disease are very insidious..........

    Getting the best Dr.'s and surgeons is very important and your comfort level with them.

    Ask questions and be pro-active as possible.

    Wishing the best for you  - Barb

  • lp1964
    lp1964 Member Posts: 1,239 Member
    Dear Kenny,

    The chemo and the radiation is almost the same for everybody. You are gonna get radiation during the weekdays for 5-6 weeks. Get the earliest appointments possible so you can go to work. I go 8am every day and it takes 10 minutes. Try to get chemo in tablets so you don't have to sit in the hospital for IV. 

    Now with the surgeon these are the questions you wanna get answered:

    what kind of cancer do you have?

    where is it?

    how big is it?

    WHAT STAGE IS IT?

    what is the treatment gonna be, time frame, what to expect, prognosis?

    let us know, ok?

    best of luck, 

    laz

  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    Hi Kenny

    I've been to Stanford a few times myself, great surgeons and oncologists there.  I was just there the 23rd of June through the 31st getting my second liver resection.  Shame my appt is the 28th otherwise we could have a cuppa of Joe together. What is your surgeon's name, might be the same one I had for a colon resection over two years ago.

    When you are first diagnosed you go through a lot of thoughts and sleepless nights, it gets better, well after a bit of anger and why me, I think it took about three months before I got into the "Okay, I have cancer, let's deal with it" mode.  The cancer had spread to numerous parts of my body, but here I am, over three years later still going strong. I got a lot of help along the way by the people on this board, I hope we can be useful to you as well.

    Winter Marie

  • marbleotis
    marbleotis Member Posts: 720 Member
    Welcome

    Sorry you are here, but this is a great supportive place.

    First, fear is natural, second, your cancer was diagnosed - that's a good thing.

    Now find out what you have and all the specifics.  Be comfortable with all your Drs.

    Research from trusted sources, not just a Dr Google search, which we all did at one time or another.

    I am a colon cancer stage 3b with signet cell, Dx'ed 1/31/12.  Had the surgery and 6 mo of chemo, clear scans, very low cea and only a small pre-c polyp found after 1 year.

    I continue to come to this site to get info to stay well.

    We all went through exactly the panic you describe. 

    Take a second and breath and exhale...............

    Keep a notebook with all your info and details and questions for the Drs

    Keep us posted.

  • lauragb
    lauragb Member Posts: 370 Member
    Hi Kenny, sorry you needed to

    Hi Kenny, sorry you needed to find this forum but there are many helpful folks on here to help you through your journey.  I am coming up on the second anniversary of my rectal cancer diagnosis (July 2011).   I am currently NED (no evidence of disease) and am having a good quality of life.  Like you when first diagnosed, I felt like my life was over, couldn't sleep or eat and felt disconnected.  As others have stated, once I had all my test results and a treatment plan I felt better, not necessarily good, but better.   Getting outside also helped me and still does when I feel anxious.  Goodluck over the next days getting your plan in order.  Just know what you are feeling is normal but it will get better.  Remember to breathe. 

    Laura 

  • thingy45
    thingy45 Member Posts: 632 Member
    lauragb said:

    Hi Kenny, sorry you needed to

    Hi Kenny, sorry you needed to find this forum but there are many helpful folks on here to help you through your journey.  I am coming up on the second anniversary of my rectal cancer diagnosis (July 2011).   I am currently NED (no evidence of disease) and am having a good quality of life.  Like you when first diagnosed, I felt like my life was over, couldn't sleep or eat and felt disconnected.  As others have stated, once I had all my test results and a treatment plan I felt better, not necessarily good, but better.   Getting outside also helped me and still does when I feel anxious.  Goodluck over the next days getting your plan in order.  Just know what you are feeling is normal but it will get better.  Remember to breathe. 

    Laura 

    Hope-----Less

    Hi Kenny, Welcome to to this board. You have it half right, HOPE, is GOOD forget abuut the less. Learning your options, asking questions and making a decission

    is what you are looking for right now. This board will help you with whatever questions you may have, you rest assured you are not in this fight alone.

    Most people here are very kn owledgable and willing to share.

    Keep us posted, Good luck with the scan.

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    Welcome

    I'm very sorry that you had to join this group, but you've found a great supportive place.  You will experience a whirlwind of appointments and tests.  Please make sure that you bring someone with you at all your appointments.  When you are going through all this at the early stages of diagnosis your head is reeling and when you go to an appointment you don't always comprehend what is being said so it is best that you have 4 ears instead of 2.  Mine was rectal also so I've experienced the bleeding too but it was very little and only a short time before going in to doctor but then he said probably hemorrhoids (golly always have to look up the spelling for that).  You can read my story (just click my name) and you can see what I've been through.  I've been through the ultrasound at first scheduling too and that was to find out about lymph node involvement.  Your CT scan will tell much more of if it has spread to other organs.  I'm wishing you the best outcome.  We here can answer a lot of your questions about what will happen next and the treatment involved and side effects, so please don't hesitate to ask questions.  Also, ask your doctor, any of them, to prescribe you an anxiety pill or sleeping pill or both.  Since my diagnosis I've not been able to sleep and wake up in the middle of the night still thinking about it so the better sleep you get the better your recovery.  I'm taking a low dose now and it seems to work.  Let us know how things are going.

    Kim

  • kennyt
    kennyt Member Posts: 110

    Welcome

    I'm very sorry that you had to join this group, but you've found a great supportive place.  You will experience a whirlwind of appointments and tests.  Please make sure that you bring someone with you at all your appointments.  When you are going through all this at the early stages of diagnosis your head is reeling and when you go to an appointment you don't always comprehend what is being said so it is best that you have 4 ears instead of 2.  Mine was rectal also so I've experienced the bleeding too but it was very little and only a short time before going in to doctor but then he said probably hemorrhoids (golly always have to look up the spelling for that).  You can read my story (just click my name) and you can see what I've been through.  I've been through the ultrasound at first scheduling too and that was to find out about lymph node involvement.  Your CT scan will tell much more of if it has spread to other organs.  I'm wishing you the best outcome.  We here can answer a lot of your questions about what will happen next and the treatment involved and side effects, so please don't hesitate to ask questions.  Also, ask your doctor, any of them, to prescribe you an anxiety pill or sleeping pill or both.  Since my diagnosis I've not been able to sleep and wake up in the middle of the night still thinking about it so the better sleep you get the better your recovery.  I'm taking a low dose now and it seems to work.  Let us know how things are going.

    Kim

    hi all

    Hi all and thanks for your replys they are All very helpfull. I just got into palo alto for the appts. I'll post up when I know something thanks again, kenny