Stage IV colon cancer

I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in December 2023. It has metastasized and gone to my liver. I had a huge surgery recently that removed part of my colon and a lot more as it breached the wall and spreaded. I have a genetic mutation that makes the cancer quite agressive. I will be starting chemotherapy soon. Before this shocking diagnosis I was well and enjoying my life. Then abdominal pains started all of a sudden, I could not eat anything solid and all moved very very fast with tests, surgery... It feels like someone pulled the handbrake and stopped my life suddenly. I have no family around. My partner has been extremely supporting, but I can't help feeling like an absolute burden on him, as he stopped everything he was doing to concentrate on supporting me. He supports me emotionally,  does endless research, makes sure I eat as healthy as possible and goes with me to every appointment. I am extremely grateful, but also feel guilty as I feel dependent, and all this is changing my relationship.

I would be grateful for any advice if you went through similar. I feel lost in the middle of all....

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  • Hello Catz,

                     l am sorry to read of your diagnosis and can understand where your emotions are now having gone through stage 4 with spread to the liver myself.. l cannot say much that will make your journey any shorter, indeed it will likely be a long slow climb back to recovery, but it does come even when the daily improvements are barely noticeable.

    The best advice l can offer is that the earlier you can arrive at acceptance of your situation and allow your stress levels to tick down, the sooner you will be able to embrace new positives your situation could provide.

    Yes l know this sounds complete rubbish when you are going through so much pain but a mind freer of anguish is able to appreciate all the things previously took for granted, l heard birdsong but now l hear birdsong, and that heightened sense of my surroundings has stayed with upon my recovery, and encompasses everything in my current life

    Where you currently understandably see your relationship towards your partner as a burden, it could also be a path towards a far deeper relationship than you have experienced before. Your fears will put obstacles along that path but if can tread gentler and navigate around them, then the rewards could be far greater than you can currently see.

    The possibility for you to emerge from the horrendous to the incredible does exist if you are prepared to quietly look into yourself at this time of personal turmoil and allow your mind to find that peaceful plateau of understanding.

    l hope my post makes sense, and that it conveys that it is neither easy or impossible to achieve but very much within yourself. l got there eventually and you can too, just try not to take the hardest route in doing so,

                                            Best wishes,

                                                                  David

Reply
  • Hello Catz,

                     l am sorry to read of your diagnosis and can understand where your emotions are now having gone through stage 4 with spread to the liver myself.. l cannot say much that will make your journey any shorter, indeed it will likely be a long slow climb back to recovery, but it does come even when the daily improvements are barely noticeable.

    The best advice l can offer is that the earlier you can arrive at acceptance of your situation and allow your stress levels to tick down, the sooner you will be able to embrace new positives your situation could provide.

    Yes l know this sounds complete rubbish when you are going through so much pain but a mind freer of anguish is able to appreciate all the things previously took for granted, l heard birdsong but now l hear birdsong, and that heightened sense of my surroundings has stayed with upon my recovery, and encompasses everything in my current life

    Where you currently understandably see your relationship towards your partner as a burden, it could also be a path towards a far deeper relationship than you have experienced before. Your fears will put obstacles along that path but if can tread gentler and navigate around them, then the rewards could be far greater than you can currently see.

    The possibility for you to emerge from the horrendous to the incredible does exist if you are prepared to quietly look into yourself at this time of personal turmoil and allow your mind to find that peaceful plateau of understanding.

    l hope my post makes sense, and that it conveys that it is neither easy or impossible to achieve but very much within yourself. l got there eventually and you can too, just try not to take the hardest route in doing so,

                                            Best wishes,

                                                                  David

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