1. < Colorectal Cancer
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Stomach like a beer belly after colon cancer surgery

Posted by nannytart @nannytart, Sep 8, 2016

in november i had 12" of my colon removed.my stomach is like a beer belly. is this normal

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starrlight | @starrlight | Feb 18, 2017
In reply to @sallyg "Hi I am a new member to connect and look forward to sharing with others as..." + (show)
Profile picture for sallyg @sallyg

Hi
I am a new member to connect and look forward to sharing with others as well as learning from other members diagnosed with colon cancer. At the age of 63 my life changed forever. Two days before Christmas of 2014. I had rapid onset stomach pains and after a number of scans and scopes a colonoscopy found the cancer in the cecum on jan 8 2015.my doctors thought it was perhaps stage 2 at the most
Surgery followed and a tumor over 3 cm, a foot and a half of my colon along with 45 lymph nodes were removed of which 16 had metastized to my liver lungs and peritoneum. The pathology showed stage IV. It was like a bad dream as I had 4 prior colonoscopies due to a family history only to found out the cancer had most likely been missed. Thank God I was in good health otherwise. After healing from the surgery I started chemotherapy of 5-fu and avastin and completed my treatment plan in June of 2015. Then a pet scan was ordered and was told the cancer was gone and I was NED. It was the best news I could have hoped for. So since July of 2015 to present I take xeloda and avastin , see my oncologist every 3 weeks and have Ct scans every 3 month. Every scan including the pet scan done in december of 2016 have been NED.
It is like a miracle and I thank God every day for helping me.
I just made the 2 year point and all things considered my life is good. I have hand and foot syndrome from the xeloda but it has become manageable. I eat primarily a plant based diet, exercise, take supplements, do acupuncture and yoga and try my best to stay positive . I have also worked hard as after the surgery my weight dropped to a very scary 106 lbs and today weigh in at 118-119 lbs which gives me reserves and strength to fight the cancer. It also helps tremendously that I have a wonderful support system of family and friends and always have something to look forward to to keep me going. It has not been an easy time for sure but the bottom line is that I am still here and enjoying every day. And I believe that they are so so close to finding a cure for this dreaded disease and we need to stay strong and positive and help each other and never give up the fight

Aloha

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What a great and wonderful outcome for you, i am not sure what cecum canc. is i have heard it used a few times, i have a tumor in my rectum is that the same thing, and have brst canc. and other which feel it would be to negative to say on this positive site. Will say one thing however i am receiving Avastin in a retina eye injection, just started last week and looked that drug up and it is for rectal and or colon canc tumors, it is suppose to shrink them and seems to really have helped you which is encouraging, not sure why they are putting that in my eye. I still have not contacted Mayo as have been so busy with other medical issues however hopefully next week. I emailed by Spiritual teacher asking why my body has so many maladies in it as i to was healthy never got sick, went to the gym tried to eat right, '{he said that some of the latest thinking is that cancer comes from bacteria in the cells and works it way around being disclosed,
when one has cancer it changes perceptions and provides an opportunity to make advancements.')

He is a survivor of Canc brain tumor and is canc free now and is a Vegan now plus he has a Holistic healing perspective, which i followed several yrs. ago when the brst tumor was a spot, followed that plus exercising however in 08 it had tripled, so i finally went to a canc. clinic where i live and they have been treating me for the brst canc. with Anastrozole which did nothing and mon suppose to start Ibrance, the rectal tumor for found as a mass 2 yrs. ago as a result of a colonoscopy and there has been no treatment as you can read my discussion if you choose to which explains why.

Sallyg and all on this page keep on keeping on you to are survivors, have a Wonderful day as that is all we are given, my prayers are with and for all that have this or any other disease, Canc and other is not unique as all through history there has been dreaded diseases that a cure was found for, so that is enlightening in itself.

Starrlight

REPLY
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sallyg | @sallyg | Feb 24, 2017
In reply to @colleenyoung "Welcome Sally! I'm sure you've read the messages in this discussion from @travelgirl @bush and @nannytart,..." + (show)
Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung

Welcome Sally!
I'm sure you've read the messages in this discussion from @travelgirl @bush and @nannytart, and they will welcome you. I'd also like to bring a few more people into this discussion to meet you. Please meet @starrlight @joannem @jww1 @azlinda @retairforceman @ilene1 @user_cha5e73f6 @brucey1 and @soul.

@starrlight also just recently joined. She is weighing her surgical options for cecum surgery. Perhaps you have thoughts to share with her in the discussion called:
- Help to reconstruct my life and body due to 2 types of cancer http://mayocl.in/2kG6imV

Here are a couple of other discussions you may wish to take part in:
- Digestive problems two years after successful colon cancer surgery....http://mayocl.in/2ibWJyr
- Reoccurrence of colon cancer http://mayocl.in/2lr4fXW
- Xeloda http://mayocl.in/2lSV5o9

Glad to have you with us Sally.

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No my appendix was intact at the time of the surgery for colon cancer located in the cecum next to the appendix. However my surgeon was very aggressive and told me post op that he took everything he saw including my appendix
However I think that my surgeon's actions may be the reason why I am still here today
Sally

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Jackie, Alumna Mentor | @travelgirl | Feb 24, 2017

@sallyg. It sure is. Wow. You are really lucky. God bless..
That is really close to where mine was. My was at the appendix opening. what symtons did you have? I didnt have any but H-Pylori.. which i caught somewhere in a 3rd world country. I travel alot.
Curious if you had any syrange symptons . My right side ached too. But they tbink that was the h-pylori causing that. Also i has an Ulcer at the site of the cancer too.

REPLY
Profile picture for sallyg
sallyg | @sallyg | Feb 25, 2017
In reply to @sallyg "Hi I am a new member to connect and look forward to sharing with others as..." + (show)
Profile picture for sallyg @sallyg

Hi
I am a new member to connect and look forward to sharing with others as well as learning from other members diagnosed with colon cancer. At the age of 63 my life changed forever. Two days before Christmas of 2014. I had rapid onset stomach pains and after a number of scans and scopes a colonoscopy found the cancer in the cecum on jan 8 2015.my doctors thought it was perhaps stage 2 at the most
Surgery followed and a tumor over 3 cm, a foot and a half of my colon along with 45 lymph nodes were removed of which 16 had metastized to my liver lungs and peritoneum. The pathology showed stage IV. It was like a bad dream as I had 4 prior colonoscopies due to a family history only to found out the cancer had most likely been missed. Thank God I was in good health otherwise. After healing from the surgery I started chemotherapy of 5-fu and avastin and completed my treatment plan in June of 2015. Then a pet scan was ordered and was told the cancer was gone and I was NED. It was the best news I could have hoped for. So since July of 2015 to present I take xeloda and avastin , see my oncologist every 3 weeks and have Ct scans every 3 month. Every scan including the pet scan done in december of 2016 have been NED.
It is like a miracle and I thank God every day for helping me.
I just made the 2 year point and all things considered my life is good. I have hand and foot syndrome from the xeloda but it has become manageable. I eat primarily a plant based diet, exercise, take supplements, do acupuncture and yoga and try my best to stay positive . I have also worked hard as after the surgery my weight dropped to a very scary 106 lbs and today weigh in at 118-119 lbs which gives me reserves and strength to fight the cancer. It also helps tremendously that I have a wonderful support system of family and friends and always have something to look forward to to keep me going. It has not been an easy time for sure but the bottom line is that I am still here and enjoying every day. And I believe that they are so so close to finding a cure for this dreaded disease and we need to stay strong and positive and help each other and never give up the fight

Aloha

Jump to this post

Hi
I had bad stomach pains which came on pretty quickly
They did an endoscopy and told me I had some acid reflux and sent me home with some meds
Two days later still had the stomach pain so they did 4 scans in one day 2 ultrasound and 2 Ct
Both showed nothing
The only thing left was a colonoscopy so 2 days later it was done and the cancer found

We all just need to get through this time
Things are improving quickly in the fight against cancer and I believe they are close to unlocking the key to your immune system attacking the cancer
May the good lord help us all to stay strong and determined and never give up the fight

REPLY
Profile picture for starrlight
starrlight | @starrlight | Feb 25, 2017
In reply to @sallyg "Hi I am a new member to connect and look forward to sharing with others as..." + (show)
Profile picture for sallyg @sallyg

Hi
I am a new member to connect and look forward to sharing with others as well as learning from other members diagnosed with colon cancer. At the age of 63 my life changed forever. Two days before Christmas of 2014. I had rapid onset stomach pains and after a number of scans and scopes a colonoscopy found the cancer in the cecum on jan 8 2015.my doctors thought it was perhaps stage 2 at the most
Surgery followed and a tumor over 3 cm, a foot and a half of my colon along with 45 lymph nodes were removed of which 16 had metastized to my liver lungs and peritoneum. The pathology showed stage IV. It was like a bad dream as I had 4 prior colonoscopies due to a family history only to found out the cancer had most likely been missed. Thank God I was in good health otherwise. After healing from the surgery I started chemotherapy of 5-fu and avastin and completed my treatment plan in June of 2015. Then a pet scan was ordered and was told the cancer was gone and I was NED. It was the best news I could have hoped for. So since July of 2015 to present I take xeloda and avastin , see my oncologist every 3 weeks and have Ct scans every 3 month. Every scan including the pet scan done in december of 2016 have been NED.
It is like a miracle and I thank God every day for helping me.
I just made the 2 year point and all things considered my life is good. I have hand and foot syndrome from the xeloda but it has become manageable. I eat primarily a plant based diet, exercise, take supplements, do acupuncture and yoga and try my best to stay positive . I have also worked hard as after the surgery my weight dropped to a very scary 106 lbs and today weigh in at 118-119 lbs which gives me reserves and strength to fight the cancer. It also helps tremendously that I have a wonderful support system of family and friends and always have something to look forward to to keep me going. It has not been an easy time for sure but the bottom line is that I am still here and enjoying every day. And I believe that they are so so close to finding a cure for this dreaded disease and we need to stay strong and positive and help each other and never give up the fight

Aloha

Jump to this post

it is great news about all the research, clinical trials, technology that is helping us fight this disease, yet i personally am learning from this and have done some research and can see i just am not and did not take care of my body, always exercised, then started a healthy way of eating and still today do not eat meat so i do not know why have contracted it, i do take supplements other holistic, started on Ibrance this week and the week i am off from this chemo will take a sulfur holistic powder to re-build my white blood cells for they are the fighter in this body and we need them. Hopefully by the time my grandchildren and great grandchildren live the life here on this earth they will have a cure for cancer, and all the other dreaded diseases.

Starrlight

REPLY
Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Apr 27, 2017

Hi @sallyg @travelgirl @bush and @nannytart and @starrlight,
I thought I'd check in and see how you are all doing. It would be great to get an update.

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for Jackie, Alumna Mentor
Jackie, Alumna Mentor | @travelgirl | Apr 27, 2017
In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi @sallyg @travelgirl @bush and @nannytart and @starrlight, I thought I'd check in and see how..." + (show)
Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung

Hi @sallyg @travelgirl @bush and @nannytart and @starrlight,
I thought I'd check in and see how you are all doing. It would be great to get an update.

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@colleenyoung Travelgirl checking in. I am doing good Colleen. Thank You for checking on me. As usual I been traveling. I went to checkout a wellness retreat in NC earlier this month.
My next checkup at Mayo is in August. Just having my usual issues when eating out. I don't know what restaurants put in the food, but I always get IBS syndrome. When I eat my own cooking I am fine. I need to talk to the Gi department about these issues when I go in August.
I am going for a skin cancer screening next week. So I hope they don't find anything suspicious. Not sure if I can handle a 3rd cancer diagnosis? I may have to take up basket weaving if they find anything.. ugggg... LOL.
Now if I can just get my mindset to stay focused with going to the gym and loosing this 10 pounds I put on. That would be great. I have been going to yoga classes. However, Yoga only seems to calm the mind, I have yet to see it do anything for the body. I haven't lost a pound.

REPLY
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maroney | @maroney | Aug 10, 2018
In reply to @colleenyoung "Welcome to Connect, @nannytart. There are a number of reasons that someone will experience abdominal swelling..." + (show)
Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung

Welcome to Connect, @nannytart.
There are a number of reasons that someone will experience abdominal swelling after surgery. Here are some explanations http://www.healthguideinfo.com/digestive-disorders/p118708/. But it has been 9 months since your surgery. Has you belly looked like this since surgery? Have you talked to your doctor about it?

I'm bringing a few other members into the conversation who are living with colon cancer or caring for someone who has colon cancer. Perhaps @bbams @brglight @travelgirl @martid @retairforceman @sue_in_delaware and @nananet can shed some light on your situation.

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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!

REPLY
Profile picture for maroney
maroney | @maroney | Aug 10, 2018
In reply to @colleenyoung "Welcome to Connect, @nannytart. There are a number of reasons that someone will experience abdominal swelling..." + (show)
Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung

Welcome to Connect, @nannytart.
There are a number of reasons that someone will experience abdominal swelling after surgery. Here are some explanations http://www.healthguideinfo.com/digestive-disorders/p118708/. But it has been 9 months since your surgery. Has you belly looked like this since surgery? Have you talked to your doctor about it?

I'm bringing a few other members into the conversation who are living with colon cancer or caring for someone who has colon cancer. Perhaps @bbams @brglight @travelgirl @martid @retairforceman @sue_in_delaware and @nananet can shed some light on your situation.

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

REPLY
Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Aug 10, 2018
In reply to @colleenyoung "Welcome to Connect, @nannytart. There are a number of reasons that someone will experience abdominal swelling..." + (show)
Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung

Welcome to Connect, @nannytart.
There are a number of reasons that someone will experience abdominal swelling after surgery. Here are some explanations http://www.healthguideinfo.com/digestive-disorders/p118708/. But it has been 9 months since your surgery. Has you belly looked like this since surgery? Have you talked to your doctor about it?

I'm bringing a few other members into the conversation who are living with colon cancer or caring for someone who has colon cancer. Perhaps @bbams @brglight @travelgirl @martid @retairforceman @sue_in_delaware and @nananet can shed some light on your situation.

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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?

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