Hello again Jaxcats and thanks for updating us, 

I am very sorry to learn about these results and can understand you being taken aback by them. Not knowing what the surgeon will say and recommend is inevitably stressful, so I can well appreciate that the next few weeks waiting to find out will be a challenging time

T1 in staging refers to the size of the tumour and in colorectal (bowel) cancer, T1 means that the cancer is only in the inner layer of the bowel and hasn't gone into muscle in the bowel wall.  The T category ranges from T1-T4. T4 is when the cancer has grown through the bowel wall, so T1 is the smallest of the T sizes. 

I'm afraid I can't be sure exactly what sort of surgery will be recommended. If you want to read up on the options you could look at this link to our website just to get enough of an idea so you can get the most out of your appointment with the surgeon. It can be easy to get overwhelmed reading about treatment options so don't get bogged down. 

For now I think it is a question of trying to hold your nerve and work out how best to get through the coming weeks until you know the score. Bear in mind that treatment for small rectal cancers is usually very successful and do what works for you to cope with the stress. 

Please feel free to give us a ring if you want to talk anything over. Our number is  Freephone 0808 800 4040 and we are around from 9-5, weekdays.

Wishing you the best, 

Julia