Feeling down about husbands diagnosis

Hi, 

My wonderful husband was diagnosed with bowel cancer 8 weeks ago after having no symptoms at all. He started vomiting and his abdomen distended a week before which is how we got to this devastating diagnosis. He had the tumor removed and is due to start chemo next week. He has a CT scan of his liver and lungs and the told us he had no spread but he had cysts on his liver so they did a MRI scan just to double check. 2 days ago the doctor rang and told us the MRI had shown 2 very small cancer (7mm and 6mm) on his liver. We are beyond devastated as we had just started to feel like we were getting back to normal (well a new normal) after believing it had all gone. He's still having chemo as planned but we have to wait until next week to see the oncologist to see what all this means. My husband is coping so well but I'm (shamefully) falling apart. He's 37 years old and we have 2 small children. I'm terrified that he won't be able to walk our daughter down the ailse, that we won't grow old together and I'm so focused on losing him that i can't think about the here and now. I can't face eating as I constantly feel sick, my heart is racing all the time and all I do is cry and I hate that I'm not being strong. The not knowing is literally tearing me apart. I just can't live without him and I don't know what to do. 

  • Very sorry to hear that, Steffi85. I am not a medic, but know that bowel cancer spreading to liver is still sometimes treatable, with curative intent. So hang in there and hold that thought until you see the oncologist next week. I wish you all the luck in the world. Harry

  • Thankyou for taking the time to respond to my message. I'm hoping so, the wait is just unbearable. I thought we were over this waiting around but it just feels like we're back at day 1 in the land of uncertainty. I just can't lose him. Thankyou for your words of support 

    Stephanie 

     

  • Hi just checking in to see how are you doing its a terrible waiting for results hope the oncologists had the time to talk over the result (hope they were better than you were expecting )and please remember they are making great progress with new treatment my thoughts are with you as you go through this horrible time, my husband started this journey back in May 2019 and is doing ok at the moment  

  • Hi thanks for the message,  I'm glad your husband is doing OK. we had some good and bad news really he has a few mutations (fortunately not BRAF but RAS) and he is also MSI high which iv come to learn is quite rare for stage 4. He has also been confirmed lynch syndrome (which we kind of knew). The oncologist has said to try chemo first and see how we get on so he's having folfox until end of the month and to rescan. Because he is MSI high he would be suitable for immunotherapy which is good news as it can be really effective. Slowly getting used to this new life but desperately crave our old one xx

  • I lost my dad my brother my uncle and my dog all within 3 months of each other last year , and for the last 12 weeks I have watched my husband of 30 years under go high intense chemo he was diagnosed with aggressive myleoid leukemia and he is currently in icu with sepsis after flag ida chemo which is ruthless for bone marrow cancer , 

    I was like you , you need to stop your husband is alive he has not passed away , and if he sees you like this he will think he is dying which will knock his confidence . 

    Stay positive and hopeful your husband is a young man like mine they will blast him with intense chemo but he needs you to be strong for his sake , I'm sorry if I might sound harsh but you have to be strong for him yourself and your children and stay positive like I am for my husband . Who is very very poorly atm but he is a fighter and he will bounce back bigger and stronger . And I pray yours will as well xxx