In Dilemma of surgery decision. Please Help

Posted by evo @evo, Jan 14 8:58am

Last year April, 2024 I did both chemoradiotherapy for 6wks and 4Rds of preventive chemotherapy to shrink a tumour very close to my anus so surgery was ruled out. Now it has shrink to nearly a complete response but surgeon still wants to give me a permanent stoma because there's a tiny residue left behind even though the biopsy from it confirm No cancer cells but surgeon still wants to do surgery because he thinks cancer might lying deep underneath the scar tissue. Both Mri and CT scans show no cancer so I am worried because I want to follow the Wait and Watch procedure but surgeon thinks cancer will come back so surgery is needed but what if I do surgery and biopsy confirms No cancer again 😢? That means I will have to live a stoma for no reason. And for clarification I am not worried about the stoma. Any Help from people with this experience will be deeply appreciated. TIA.

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@miknur

My cancer was located between the internal and external sphincters and was the size of a walnut. My surgeon told me I would have a colostomy. I told him NO! I did not want one. After the surgery He placed a ileostomy for a while (about a year) to let the surgery heal.
Before the surgery I had about 3 months of chemo and radiation. The surgeon removed all of the internal sphincter and about half of the external. The surgeon and I had several sometimes kind of heated talks about a colostomy. I still choose not to have a bag. Long story short, I do not have a bag today. It has been a challenging at times, but I have learned to have sort of normal life.
If you do decide to have the surgery, get your self a bidet. It has been a life saver for me, you can get a pretty nice one on amazon for about $500. You can get cheaper ones but you get what you pay for, ( I have bought 6 in the last 8 years) I recommend a TOTO brand with the continuous warm water. I get diarrhea at times and get constipated also, and the stream of warm water helps with that a lot. ( I sound like a rep for bidets but Im not) I also have a portable bidet in my go bag (with all my supplies I need) for when Im away from home.
As for surgery, I wanted the cancer OUT! I wanted it cut out, nuked out, I didnt care, I just wanted it out. And I didnt want a bag. But it is your choice, and your choice alone. you have to live with your decision. Know your options and just because the surgeon tells you the way they always do the treatment plan, it doesn't mean you have to do it that way. Tell the surgeon what you want. And ALWAYS remember all these doctors work for you, and you can fire them at anytime if they dont want to do what you want done.

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Excellent!

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@miknur

My cancer was located between the internal and external sphincters and was the size of a walnut. My surgeon told me I would have a colostomy. I told him NO! I did not want one. After the surgery He placed a ileostomy for a while (about a year) to let the surgery heal.
Before the surgery I had about 3 months of chemo and radiation. The surgeon removed all of the internal sphincter and about half of the external. The surgeon and I had several sometimes kind of heated talks about a colostomy. I still choose not to have a bag. Long story short, I do not have a bag today. It has been a challenging at times, but I have learned to have sort of normal life.
If you do decide to have the surgery, get your self a bidet. It has been a life saver for me, you can get a pretty nice one on amazon for about $500. You can get cheaper ones but you get what you pay for, ( I have bought 6 in the last 8 years) I recommend a TOTO brand with the continuous warm water. I get diarrhea at times and get constipated also, and the stream of warm water helps with that a lot. ( I sound like a rep for bidets but Im not) I also have a portable bidet in my go bag (with all my supplies I need) for when Im away from home.
As for surgery, I wanted the cancer OUT! I wanted it cut out, nuked out, I didnt care, I just wanted it out. And I didnt want a bag. But it is your choice, and your choice alone. you have to live with your decision. Know your options and just because the surgeon tells you the way they always do the treatment plan, it doesn't mean you have to do it that way. Tell the surgeon what you want. And ALWAYS remember all these doctors work for you, and you can fire them at anytime if they dont want to do what you want done.

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The concluding advice you offer is perfect. Wishing you the very best.

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Ask to have CTDNA testing which will give you a negative or positive result if there are traces of cancer in your blood. It can detect the return of cancer or cancer 9 months prior to a MRI and Pet Scan.

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@james1091

That's a difficult decision! Potentially damed if you do and if you don’t do. Can’they do an exploratory surgery or procedure to see if cancer is in the tissues?

If you have or develop a good relationship with God he can guide you by revelation what to do? Many Christians attend churches or fellowships but few know of, learn to operate or operate efficiently 9 manifestations of holy spirit. I have seen and been involved in amazing signs, wonders and miracles and healing and I am a surviving rectal cancer patient.
It was a combination of faith (trust and prayer) and good medical treatment.

I still have some symptoms though as far as bathroom issues but I am alive!

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Hi @james1091, welcome. Did you have surgery for colorectal cancer? How are you doing now?

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