@nannytart welcome ...

I also had a foot of my colon removed in January due to having stage 1 cecum cancer. I wonder if some of that is scare tissue? I noticed my right ride is tad bigger than my left side. I was always super thin. But since my surgergy I gained about 10 pounds. My stomach is no longer flat .. I think some of that has to do with my body adjusting to the new and improved plumbing systems. It has been 8 months since my surgery, for four of those months I couldn't do a thing. So I gained weight.

Then I started very slowly to exercise again. And I feel a great deal of pulling on my right side. My surgeon says that is scar tissue. Plus I been babying my stomach. Which doesn't help it at all. I noticed I seem to retain extra water too. Exercising seems to help. I started swimming and doing exercises in a pool. That seems to help a great deal. Not sure if you have access to a pool? But try exercising in a pool. It has helped a lot to getting over babying of that area.

Hope this helps? Wish you the best..

I was happy to hear from you. I wonder if the big belly will ever go away.Clothes don`t fit very well around the middle. I guess that is a stupid thing to worry about. I feel good n I~m thankful for that. Did you have any symptoms before you had surgery? I didn~t I had just come out of a resataurant and got deathly sick, I thouight I had food poisining when i went to the hospital they kept me there and I had to get a colonoscopy and found the cancer. Up to that day thought I was in perfect health. You never know what life has in store for you. nannytart<br>

Wow ..

We sound exactly the same with the way they found our cancers.. Both stage 1.. No other treatments needed, Both got sick eating in a restaurant. I thought I was poisoned too. I ate Chinese food and swore they fed me Boric Acid. I had a horrible burning sensation down my throat and stabbing chest pains. I was fine otherwise .. No Signs or Symptoms always healthy. My blood work is Perfect, X-rays and Ultra sounds Perfect. I listened to the ER DR. also, and called right away to get an Endoscopy and the GI DR. recommended I get a Colonoscopy as well..( He gave me the 2 for 1 special.) They found H- Pylori in my tummy, and an Ulcer in the Cecum of my Colon. The ulcer had a flat polyp under it. That twice tested as pre-cancerous. I had a second colonoscopy to try and remove it without surgery. They removed just a little and that showed pre-cancerous on the biopsy. I didn't trust the local DRs near me. The local surgeon asked me what kind of surgery I wanted to have? Seriously he said I can just remove your Cecum or I can take 6 inches and a couple of lymph nodes. Just in case, he goes, it comes back cancerous. That way I wont have to do another surgery on you. I was like are you kidding me? Your asking me what is the best surgery I should have?

I called the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville...

They did a third colonoscopy and a CT scan. they knew right away it was a stage 1 cancer. When they did the CT scan I had swollen lymph nodes near my Aorta. It turns out I am Rare But NOT totally unusual I have 2 primary cancers diagnosed at once. Follicular Lymphoma and Cecum cancer. The cecum cancer is gone totally removed.. The follicular lymphoma is on a watch and wait approach. They said, out of every 3 people who are diagnosed with it, only 1 out of 3 ever need treatments. I have no symptoms other than the swollen glands near the aorta. Which 8 months later have shrunk on their own. The largest swollen gland was 21mm by 21mm in December and is now 12mm by 10mm. It is shrinking on its own. So I am just watched.

Every 3 months they do blood work, every 6 months a CT scan, and once a year a colonoscopy. I am a Polyp Farmer they said. At my 6 month Colonoscopy check-up they found 4 more tiny polyps. Noncancerous thank god. or I would be getting Colonoscopies every 6 months.

And YES I now have a perfect Hour Glass Shape.. We can start a new fashion trend .. LOL.. I think it is better than being really sickly . I can handle hour Glass versus deathly sick.. I am way too young to have both of these cancers they said. Sighing .. Oh Well I can't worry about being sick. Cause I feel fine and I know I am in good hands.

I never had such a big belly until i had my surgery. I have talked to my Dr. about it and he does`nt seem concernerd.There is no discomfort but I would like to know what caused it to get this big.Silly question but were my intestines put back in a bunch? Should they have been arranged in a certain way There has to be a reason. nannytart

I had rt & lt hemicolectomy 6months apart. it's now 4 months after left removal, and my belly is bigger thanbefore. clothes don't fit, fell "full", fell miserable most of time. will it ever go down?? I have trapped gas, can not move it!

I feel the same way! cannot wait for a reply from someone.

Hi @maroney, welcome to Connect. While I'm sure it feels like a long time, four months may not be long time for such major surgery, especially since it is your second surgery. What did you surgeon or symptom nurse manager tell you to expect with regards to swelling and recovery?

Did the swelling eventually go down after your first surgery? Do you have a colostomy?