Just diagnosed with rectal cancer.

@colleenyoung
Thank you so much for sharing.
Congratulations!!!

@clayc84
Peripheral neuropathy, will likely be with me for the duration.

@clayc84. I feel like my doctors sugar coated everything before hand so im gonna tell you exactly what im going through. Im a 46yr old female and In Feb A mass was found during a routine colonoscopy. April 15th I had a Lower Anterior Resection. They removed the top portion of my rectum and my sigmoid colon and stretched my colon and attached it back to my rectum. It was all performed robotically. They also removed 14 lymph nodes. After biopsy it came back as cancer they staged it as T2 cause it made it into the muscle wall but not outside. It also was not in any lymph nodes. The healing from surgery was 6 weeks. I was in severe pain on my right side. I had to have help getting out of bed. I could only lay on my back. My side constantly burned like it was on fire and the pain didnt really subside until week 6 after surger. Oh and get some pull ups cause there will be no hurrying to the bathroom. They decided to blast me with radiation and chemo simultaneously for 5 1/2 weeks to kill off anything microscopic. I started June 2. Mon thru friday I go at 10 am for radiation and i take 3 capecitabine(chemo pill) in the morning and 3 at night. The first 9 days of treatment symptoms were manageable. The last 10 days have been a nightmare. I have internal and external hemorrhoids, diarrhea, severe muscle spasms, sores on my vagina. Everytime I use the restroom it feels like im wiping with glass shards. The muscle spasms can't be controlled. It feels like you are constantly pushing to the point where you are hurting yourself. Sometimes I feel like im pushing my insides out. Im constantly uncomfortable. Ive started wearing pull ups cause I can just be walking through the house and start pushing(you can't control it) and pee or poop myself. I can't sit. I lay all day. Even standing up right puts pressure down there. The chemo pills haven't been terrible. They leave me with a underlying nausea all day, dry mouth, and fatigue. All very manageable. The radiation is what is killing me. No amount of muscle relaxers, pain meds, steroid suppositories, or anything else they have given me has really helped. Ive had 19 days of treatments and they want me to do 15 more and i think I have reached my threshold of what I can handle. I can continue the chemo but not the radiation. They say everyone has different reactions to treatments so maybe your wont be severe. I wish you luck and i will be praying for you.

I have survived Stage III rectal cancer after a full year of treatment in 2008-2009. The radiation, chemo and surgery were tough, but I thought that if I can live at least another 15 years it would be worth it. I have been blessed with a happy and productive life in that time.

Wishing you the best.

@pyrrha33, if I've done the math correctly, you're in the home stretch with radiation. One more week? How are you doing?

After several months of chemo and radiation, my oncologist and surgeon recommended major surgery and the placement of a stoma at the left side of my transverse colon. They freaked-out when I told them that I was thinking about no such surgery. They both said that my colon would become ‘glassy’ and that I had no options. I had the operation and it went reasonably well.

Hello- my husband was also diagnosed with rectal cancer. He has started chemo- 2 rounds so far. He has not had nausea but has virtually no bowel control and is in agony with gas pain or when he passes stool. Does anyone have suggestions on how to manage this?

@ssargent77

Consume only ‘liquids’ such as ice cream, pudding, soups and nutritious drinks. This was a good way for me.

Being treated for cancer is not for sissies. It’s tough. I’ve been here with colorectal cancer since late October 2025. First thing was a temporary ostomy so they could start treating you with the radiation chemo. To have to use your rectum whilst going through radiation is not a good idea. I can’t imagine it. It was bad enough just getting that many many daily doses of radiation and the chemo drugs as well. Get the ostomy first. Then you don’t have that to mess with anyway long story short I went through all the treatments with radiation, chemo and infusion chemo and it’s been months and months of feeling like shit. I just got home from a major surgery removing little was left of the tumor, but along with it, my rectum and permanent colostomy they also placed a mesh inside my abdomen, kind of brace things up. The reason being as they use the abdominal muscle tissue skin and all flipped it down through my pelvis and filled in the gaps as part of the surgery.
I was healthy when I came in. I’ve been really fighting. The negative isn’t though it does creeping sometimes. As of now, I am cancer free! And yeah, I’ve been beat up, but I am doing well. I can walk. I can take care of myself. OK I feel like I have a new lease on life now if you’re gonna get this done get it done with Mayo and listen to the doctors. They know what they’re doing everyone has a different trip. Everyone has different outcomes. But if anyone can take care of you, the Mayo can do it. I was an operating room for 8 1/2 hours. It took a week for my intestines to start working again after the surgery. There’s a ton of suffering with it. It cannot be avoided. But now I’m taking just minimum meds and I can look forward to finally healing. Not just getting bolstered up for the next round of whatever horrible cancer treatment you have to do. So my story at this point in time is very positive, it’s taken less than a year. I should be able to sit again in a few weeks and I don’t have to worry about any more chemo or radiation! It’s a great feeling to think you’re never gonna have to go back in there and get that done anymore! Good luck trust the science. It’s not gonna be a messiah coming out of the sky and saving you get you through this it’s gonna be the scientific studies in the long hours of dedication of the Mayo doctors. Be strong if you can. The may also offer social workers that can counsel you. They have psychiatric doctors that can help you in group sessions online. Don’t give up take advantage of what you can get here.

Good luck on your journey. Everyone’s journey is different. I found that the nurses were wonderful resources I personally had challenges along the way with the radiation and chemo. I found protein drinks especially Fairlife 30 grans of protein drink worked for me. Also vitamin water was a must. Whether it’s Boost or Ensure getting the nutrition you need to help heal you from the treatment is a must. Replacing your vitamins and electrolytes is also critical. Talk to the nurses. They are a huge wealth of information. They will give you great tips on how to get through your journey.