Has anyone chosen NOT to have surgery for rectal and vaginal cancers?

mstwit
mstwit Member Posts: 8
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I have completed radiation and chemo pill Xeloda for rectal and vaginal cancers. Surgery is pending. I understand it is my choice as to whether I want to have surgery or not. I'm 75 years old, live alone, have osteoarthritis and other aged-related issues. Truthfully, I'm scared of having surgery. I know I will have difficulty getting around after surgery and I fear that my quality of life, such as it is, will be greatly depleted. Has anyone, you or someone you know every decided against surgery?

Comments

  • polarprincess
    polarprincess Member Posts: 202 Member
    #2
    hi
    i can certainly see why you would be hesitant with your other issues, and the choice is certainly up to you but i guess the question is what is your hope for the future? Are you hoping for many more years of life or are you ok with the possibility of the cancer coming back and the possibility of dying from it? i would imagine if you went through the hell of radiation that you must have chose life, and i cannot imagine going through all of that and not doing the surgery afterward if the doctors are recommending it. Are they talking hysterectomy and bowel resection, or just a bowel resection? I am not 75 so I am not sure how after surgery recovery would go for someone your age, but i do know at the hospital i work at we had a 100 year old woman go through it, and she actually did really good! is there any possibility of getting home health to help you out, or i know many facilities have a short term stay unit which is not s nursing home but a recovery place for hospital or surgical patients etc,,that need xtra care or rehab etc for up to 3 months. The cost is really reasonable too. Good luck with whatever you decide. What are your doctors telling you? Is there any chance of having a laparoscopic procedure done?
  • PamPam2
    PamPam2 Member Posts: 370 Member
    #3
    help after surgery
    Hi
    It sounds like you have a serious and scary decision to make. You haven't said whether the surgery is going to improve your chances of stopping the cancer, or how extensive the surgery will be. I would suggest talking with the social services department at your hospital, see if you will be set up with some home health care when you go home if you have surgery. There is also a program called passport,through the dept of human services (they are to help with home care to give an alternative to nursing home or rehabilitation incare) they will come to your house, help with getting meals, cleaning, help you with bathing or personal grooming and other things you may need help with around the house. You couold look into as much help as you can get when you get home after surgery. I am not as old as you, but I do live alone and I did have to have help come in a couple times a day after going home from surgery, they may even be able to let you stay in the hospital a little longer till your up a walking good enough to go home. Try not to give up on the surgery, you could beat this cancer and have many more years to enjoy your home and your life.
    Best wishes
    \Pam
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #4
    Surgery?
    Re:
    "I'm scared of having surgery. I know I will have difficulty
    getting around after surgery and I fear that my quality of life,
    such as it is, will be greatly depleted. "

    There isn't any one of us, that can predict how long we will
    remain alive.

    You alone, will have to decide if a "quality of life" issue is more
    important than "life" itself; death is really, really, really long.

    My brother-in-law is over 75. He lost a leg recently in a head-on
    collision. He was thrown from the vehicle in spite of the seat belt
    he was wearing. Every bone in his face was broken, since he
    landed face-down i the dirt. His ribs were broken, his arms,
    shoulders... etc....

    He's now healed (sans a leg), had his entire face reconstructed,
    new teeth, all his bones in arms, legs, etc. have mended, and he's
    out and about daily.

    Age is not a predictor; it is not a requisite for failure.

    If the colorectal surgeon and/or oncologist (and the other opinions
    I've hope you have had), all conclude that surgery is absolutely
    necessary if you expect to continue living, then you will have to
    decide if you wish to continue on living.

    I had colon cancer that totally obstructed my colon. I would have
    preferred not having surgery, but I wanted to live, and the tumor
    would have killed be if it wasn't taken out.

    If the choice is being given to you only due to your age, then find
    different doctors; ones that do not assume themselves to be prophets.

    If the choice is there, because it is only an option; a choice that
    would be given anyone regardless of age, ask about the prognosis
    of either choice, and get other outside opinions.

    Take your time, and do it right. You've come this far in life by being
    sensible, don't quit too soon.

    And for cryin' out loud, be happy!
  • tiny one
    tiny one Member Posts: 465 Member
    #5
    a choice
    It is your decision whether to have the surgery. Please don't assume that you will have difficulty after surgery or that your quality of life will be less. Just because you're 75 doesn't mean you can't start feeling better. Do you do treatment for your osteoarthritis and other issues?
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #6
    My mom...at 74...hysterectomy for endometrial cancer...
    Then, 3 years later, mastectomy for breast cancer. She is now a happy cancer-free 86 year old woman who still drives (although, I stay off the road when she does...lol....).

    As others have shared, this is a VERY personal choice, and, having had surgery that removed my rectum, sigmoid colon, and made a 'new' rectum from descending colon, at age 49, well, yeah, it WAS some work recovering...but I DID recover....

    Are the doctors STRONGLY recommending, or just saying it would cut down on the chance of reoccurance? My rectal cancer was completely gone by the time I had my surgery, but my doctors said, based on many factors, that they would recommend it 'if I was their wife or mother'.

    It's very personal, and, yeah, you are the final say...search your feelings...and, DO NOT think that life ends at 75.....goodness, my mom is talking 'maybe in 10 years, when I get old.....'....

    Hugs, Kathi
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #7
    how did the radiation work?
    Hi,

    I didn't read that you said how well the radiation worked. Did your rectal tumor completely go away from the radiation, or is it still there? I did not have the surgery because radiation completely shrank away my rectal tumor and a follow up sigmoidoscopy (with ultrasound & including biopsies) showed I had no sign of cancer left in my rectum. I did have cancer in my liver and lungs, so I was doing chemo, but it was gone in my rectum. Two years later, I just had another colonoscopy and was told there was no sign of cancer or any problem at all in my rectum.

    If you still have a rectal tumor, then that would be a decision to be made. Is there a blockage? Are you in pain or discomfort from it? Those are all things to consider. From what I read, many colorectal surgeons are looking at surgery or not on a case by case basis- not just a blanket for sure surgery for everyone. Even when my tumor disappeared from the radiation, I knew most surgeons would still want to do the surgery. I questioned that and did some online research to try to find surgeons who chose not to do the surgery after a complete response from the radiation. It wasn't easy, but I did find a few.

    Now, you also had vaginal cancer in addition to the rectal, so that obviously complicates the matter that I wrote above- how did the radiation work for that?

    I would definitely seek out another opinion or even two to help you decide matters. What one doctor says is not neccesarily going to be the same as what another doctor thinks, says, or recommends.

    Best wishes to you-
    Lisa

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