Living with colorectal cancer - Meet others & come say hi

Thanks for continuing your story here, Mouselife and introducing yourself to the other members of the Colorectal Cancer group. @travelgirl @starrlight @diannechildress @sallyg @bush, will you join me in welcoming, @mouselife?

The waiting is tough. In your earlier message you said that you had surgery just over 3 weeks ago, and you'll be starting radiation and chemo on Monday. I assume that the time was needed to heal after surgery. It sounds like things moved pretty quickly after the colonoscopy. Typically colon cancer is very slow growing. I'm not sure about squamous cell carcinoma of the colon however. As you know squamous cells are the skin cells that make up the bowel lining, together with the gland cells. This is a rarer type of colon cancer.

I'm confident that other members will share their treatment experiences with you and offer tips for managing potential side effects. Did your cancer care team tell you the more common side effects to expect and how you can manage them?

Colleen,
i have gone nowhere with the colon canc. and become very frustrated especially when the brst canc. dr. asks  "what are you doing for your rectal tumor"  i tell him i  am doing the best i can trying to get into Mary Clinic as i cannot have the bag.  My nurse practitioner is doing the best she can do trying to get me in there.  the orig. request was sent at the first of this yr. by my Dr. who has since left, there is something going on with my ins. and the Dr's office about some kind of form, so the woman that does the forms is going to try again.  So therefore have not had anything constructive to add to the group other then i pray all will survive their ordeal.
regards,  Starrlight

The first surgery was to get a better biopsy because they wanted to make sure what kind of cancer it was since what I have is more rare. That was in the first week. Which it is categorized as anal cancer. The second surgery was to put in the double port. That was this past Friday. Does anyone else have a port? Mine is getting better but this is way more painful than I expected! The tube that goes in my neck is what's bothering me the most. It feels so tight and pulling all the time. Makes my throat and ear hurt. The doctors have told me this wouldn't be an easy road with the radiation. They said I was going to be in everyday m-f for the next six weeks and if I had any problems they would help. I read that it will feel like third degree burns on the inside of your rectum by the fourth week. That makes me nervous. But I'm more scared of the chemo right now. Everyone keeps saying to me "be strong" "you can do this". Well I want to smack them sometimes. I'm scared to death and I have no choice but to go through this! I have kids that still need me and that is what I'm fighting for. But of course I'm still thinking about the what if treatment doesn't work.

@mouselife.

So sorry to hear that you are having pain however believe that it will subside as you heal. I have not gone that far in my search for the rectal canc. that is in my body, they wanted me to get the bag and i said no, and was also told by two dr's i would not be able to survive that so i am trying to get in Mayo Climic.

i had radiation treatment two yrs. ago on the rect tumor two yrs. ago and received a third degree burn, which finally healed and left a scar inside. I guess our body can take a lot and hopefully will bring us through, i know that prayer is so essential in all of this and anything else we come across. i will pray for you and know that it will be heard.

May you find peace and healing in your body and mind.

Starrlight

@mouselife Sorry about your situation.. I had surgery for a stage 1 Adenocarcinoma cecum cancer. It took about 6 months before I was somewhat back to normal. I now need yearly colonoscopies that are done by the Polyp Patrol team.. I wish you the best with your treatments.. I know this isn't fun.. For me with my 2 cancer diagnosis the hardest thing, is the trying to stay focused with life. I find myself wanting to do nothing all day. Working as a little as I have too, and feeling sorry myself. I just found a cancer exercise group at the hospital by me. I joined that , hoping it gives me what I need to get back into the gym and take back my life.

@mouselife,
i understand your feelings above of not wanting to do anything, i cannot seem to get going with life any longer, every time i try to do something positive something else comes along, i have no energy and no life so i stay home and watch tv. or go on this computer hoping to become inspired of course do pray alot. i joined a canc group here last year it lasted a couple of months then is no more so i found this online group however do not stay focused here either as i should, i do not think i feel sorry for myself i just have no interests anymore, every time i turn around some new disease has entered my body.

stay focused on what you are doing with the exercise group at the hosp, i used to go to the gym all my life last two times i hurt my shoulder and then my foot so qhit, tried to go to Silver Sneakers few months ago and went once that was it.

all will turn out for you because you are making the effort to go forward and good luck to you and all others that struggle with this and especially the no energy issue. You will get your life back.

starrlight

Hi starlight

We all need to make choices in this journey that are best for us
And be at peace with our decisions
I hope you have a good support system in place to help you through this difficult time
You will be in my prayers
Sally

Hi @mouselife, I've been thinking about you and wondering how you are recovering from radiation treatment. Are you still receiving chemo?

I'm done with radiation and chemo. I've been done six weeks today. I am just starting to feel okay. I have a lot of small issues but at least I can eat sleep and do daily functions. Haven't been able to go back to work yet. I'm still very weak and tired all the time. I've been still crying about things. It's hard to wait to find out if the treatment worked or not. I won't find out that until December!

I get that, mouselife! There's a German saying that when we feel vulnerable and cry easily, we're "close to water." You've been through a lot and there are still lots of unknowns. I'm sure you're asking "Did the treatment work?" "Will it come back?" Waiting for the scans in December may feel like a long time. I hope as you gain a bit more energy each day that you're able to turn your thoughts more and more to things non-related cancer. Easier said than done, I'm sure.

I wonder if it might help to read this discussion on Connect.
- Happiness a One Week Journey https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/happiness-a-one-week-journey/
In this discussion, @hopeful33250 and other members talk about following a week long program with Dr. Sood from Mayo Clinic. It's a free email program.

Just know that we're here and we're listening. Happy to chat any time on Connect.