Hi Jo,

Like you I've had recently had a tumour removed from my sigmoid colon and am waiting to start chemo next week. Also came as a shock to me- no major symptoms, no family history and mainly the fact that I'm only 23...doctors can't believe it. Trying to remain positive! Best of wishes for you in your journey :)

x

Hi rmstyles04, 

23 is very young to be diagnosed. Thank goodness it was detected rather than you being told you are too young. Have you seen the campaign #nevertooyoung? 

I hope you made a good recovery from the surgery and I wish you all the best with the chemo. What are you going to receive? 

Jo

I've just been diagnosed with a tumour in my large bowel. CT scan and MRI show no spread. Surgery this week and I will have a temporary bag. Histology of tumour and lymph nodes after 10 days will determine if Chemo is required. Like you it came as a total shock. Was expecting IBS.

Hi spc 

yes I was shocked to receive the diagnosis! I thought I just had piles! 

My surgery was really successful and although I  was marked up for a bag prior to the surgery I didn't need one as my surgeon managed to resect my bowel I spent 6 days in hospital and 6 weeks on I now feel great. 

I hope your op and recovery go as well as mine did. 

Hi Seasider Hope it goes as well as mine did. I am now waiting for an appointment with an oncologist to discuss the need( or not) for chemo. Jo

Hi Jo, thank you for the good wishes.  Once I am back home I will let you know how I've got on.

good luck with the Oncologist

Cath

Hello all, my little story is I was being treated for piles - blood in stool often, no other symptoms, but as a fitness fanatic I was running in 2016 and needed the loo after a mile jog. Went back to gp and got referred for check for piles, found a tumour in bowel. Usual scans etc staged t3 n2 m0. Five weeks chemoradio then surgery in October. Informed no signs of cancer and didn't need further chemo etc. Have a temporary stoma and today told after dye test that bowel is healed so hope for reversal soon.

upshot if all of this is that folk shouldn't be fobbed off if you feel something is not right, that treatment these days is amazing and we can survive this. For further information I'm doing video blogs about my experience - it's on YouTube titles Beating Bowel Cancef with Fitness. Hope it's useful. Love to all.

Hi all best wishes to all of you, I'd like to try to give something positive to you, and share some things that I believe helped me.

My story, I am now 4 years 9 months since having a diagnosis of Bowel cancer with mets on my lungs, I was 49 and it was a horrible shock when I found out. I had operations on my bowel & both lungs & 2 courses of chemo with Bevacizumab, my last operation was in December 2013. Currently I have no detectable signs of cancer and hoping it stays that way.

I tried to look at all the ways I could influence the outcome.

I tried to find the best place to get treated (NHS), having confidence in the medical team looking after you is really important & you have a right to choose.

I had low Vitamin D before my diagnosis (like Robunknownuser above) I have been taking vitamin D ever since. I'd advise asking your medical team if it is ok for you to take as there are studies that show that Vitamin D is helpful both in treatment of & prevention of bowel cancer you can google them.

I think trying to be positive really helped, I read a book called "How the mind can heal the body" it was a bit ying & yang in places but it had lots of helpful ways to try and focus your thoughts & ways to deal with how you maybe feeling.

I made time to try to do things I enjoyed with family & friends

I changed my diet, I now eat many more vegetables, much less red meat & less processed food, reduced the amount of alchohol I drink.

I increased the amount of excercise I take & used excercise to help with recovery after operations.

I really feel these things helped me so I hope some of this is useful to you

take care

Hi hope have recoverd well .do you mind saying how long you had a bag for or do you still have it .how long was you in hospital .are you off work .sorry all questions .im in limbo waiting results of ct scan 

Hi 

Sorry to jump on your post - i was just wondering if anyone had been diagnosed whilst having normal blood tests? 

My Dr is reluctant to refer me due to my CRP and CA125 levels being low - at 9 & 5 which is great but ive been so poorly with Blood, bloating, stomach upsets ( 7-10 x a day) abdominal pain and a dodgy left hip. Im 35 and being told its likely just to be IBS but im worried.

Thanks

Sally x

Hi

i have only seen this thread cause my sister has the same cancer as you, how are you doing now? And what can my sister expect, I am devastated as she has 2 small children xxxx

Hi

i have only seen this thread cause my sister has the same cancer as you, how are you doing now? And what can my sister expect, I am devastated as she has 2 small children xxxx

HI

Am going through treatment for colon cancer which spread to the liver. Only found it at the same time I was diagnosed with coeliac disease. I'm 45 and it all started maybe April or may 2020. Coeliac symptoms which I ignored and thought would go away but didn't so test in doctors in sept confirmed coeliac but doc was concerned and sent off a blood to be tested for bowel cancer. Gluten free diet stopped all the wind and diarrhoea symptoms fairly quickly but stools never went back to normal.

  Scopes and ct and MRI scans confirmed bowel and metastases in both sides of the liver. Confirmed on December 4th. Bowel bypass on dec 19th . 

 Now here is where I hope i can help. I had a ileostomy and from day ĺ1 its being fine. It's hopefully temporary but I could live with it being permanent. Took about a month to heal from op . I've lost 3 stone between op, going gluten free , no alcohol and starting chemo.

Chemo started on 4 th jan on 3 session now , 1 day in hospital and pump for 2 days at home . No real side effects I can't manage. Take the anti nausea and drink loads of water. They are giving me steroids which are causing withdrawal symptoms I had to ask for a dose to wean me off. 

I get out for a walk every day even day after operation in the hospital. I can manage 6k easily but only a day my body tells me I can. Went for 10 k cycle with the kids and 2 k walk after with the wife on Sunday so every day I seem to get stronger

Day in the hospital can be tough on the head I haven't met anyone yet that has more the 2 years to live , but that's normal I'm told the survivors are out living.

Tough on the family but I try to not have too much over talking about it and my son said all the phone calls from well wishers had me talking about it all the time which wrecked his head

Sorry if I went on a bit. I'm saying positive they've said its operable but have warned me this could change so I'm not in denial of how serious it is. Oh I'm from a large Irish family 14 in total I'm 6th from the end .No cancer in my 7 brothers and 6 sisters so huge shock to me.

Thanks for sharing your story, Micko. Really hope you come out the other side with a new lease of life.

I had my CT Colonography this morning and was actually surprised how smooth it all went. The only real discomfort was the bloating in the first 10 minutes after the scan. The effects of the gastrografin seem to be lingering on a while though (nuff detail).

'D Day' is booked for 15th Feb, and I'm hoping I don't get a call from the Gastroenterologist before then!