I had no other options besides more surgery, which I had yesterday. They THINK they got all the cancerous tissue removed. I know I will have a very sore bottom for a long time because it is of course an open wound. But...you do what you have to do. They hope it will heal better this time because there has been a 3-year time lapse since the last radiation versus the 3-week time-lapse last time. I did go into A-Fib right after surgery, but they got it controlled rather quickly with medication. I will be seeing a cardiologist this week.

This is why I continue to be confused about my diagnosis. I met with a different colorectal surgeon. My oncologist sent me to a new one. The original surgeon had opted for a PET scan that the insurance eventually denied. When I went back to my oncologist, he disagreed with the order of the PET scan and said it was not necessary. The new surgeon ordered a sigmoidoscopy immediately (which is this Wednesday) and surgery to remove what is labeled as “malignant tumor” on my paperwork (that surgery is next Wednesday). I will be having a low anterior resection done. I did ask that surgeon about whether it is cancer or not. He said that it was not exactly but that they treat it like cancer. That carcinoid tumors and endocrine. That left me more confused. The surgery he is performing is one is saw listed for stage one of colorectal cancer. His explanation didn’t make sense to me.