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.glad your making good recovery i was diagnosed with bowel cancer 24th august think stage 1 dont know any more had full body scan not had results yet or op date .its hard waiting 

It is hard waiting. Treatment for cancer seems to be characterised by waiting.