My journey with rectal cancer: What's your experience?

When was last colonscopy? It may be just another poly

Hello Everyone. My name is Mary and I having a Colonoscopy done on April 16, 2023. I have been experiencing bleeding from my rectum for a month now whether I have a bowel movement or not. Very tired, pain in my lower stomach area, diarrhea for all most a month along with serious constipation at times, bright blood in stool along with a good size bump on the outside. Looking at you all testimonies is making me feel better about my outcome which I know will be Colon Cancer due to the fact I have had GI issues all my life. My last Colonoscopy showed eighteen polyps which were noncancerous. I also have Breast Cancer so the radiation don't bother me but the fact of having to do Chemo does. So, keep your positive testimonies coming so people like myself can feel better about their journey. Thank you for being so brave.

Yes, it's not much fun. Do you have a similar pattern for each treatment of a tough start, an easier middle and an almost normal final stage before starting the next round? I found that helped both my physical and mental state. Best of luck with your future treatment - once it's all over I hope you'll feel great!

im going for my fifth chemo they do make you feel bad mentally and physically

Well done, Brian. Keep going and you'll soon be back on your mountain bike. I've just done 6.5 hilly miles on an e-bike loaned to me, the first ride since my op, and the thrill of getting going again is brilliant.

Congratulations. I have done my 8 chemo treatments for which I had a port inserted in my chest. I was wiped out for a few days after each session which I had every 2 weeks. Certainly not for sissys, but managable. I am now on my 7th radiation session which I have every day along with chemo tablets. At least no more needles being stuck in my chest. Making good progress, I think, as my blood test cancer indicator is down from 6 to 2 and the tumor has shrunk by 2.5cm. I am so looking forward to getting back onto my mountain bike! Staying positive and looking forward to living a normal life again in the not too distant future.

Day 126 since operation on 4 November and 84 days since the start of chemo on 16 December and it's all over- yippee! The last infusion went well, I'm feeling good and looking forward to rebuilding fitness for long bike rides / walks / gardening. Although tough at times I feel sure the chemo was worth the effort. The next stage is a follow up CT scan in a month's time and another colonoscopy in due course.
So this ends my journey for now but I will continue to contribute to this forum, which I have found so supportive during a worrying time. All the best to everyone on your respective journeys.

Day 100 since operation on 4 November. After a nice dose of sea air, the third infusion on 26 January was a huge improvement on the difficult second - a good vein was used plus a pre-infusion injection of Piriton and a steroid and this seemed to make all the difference. Slight nausea towards the end but nothing significant. Since then, a similar pattern emerged - a tough first week whilst the Oxaliplatin gets flushed out at the same time as Xeloda pills are consumed (6 per day) , which caused constipation again, a much easier second week and now a reasonably pleasant third week before my final cycle starts on 16 February, so nearly there! Some constipation remains but Movacol is gentle and works well. After a couple of days of feeling tired and not wanting to do anything (too much Rugby on television perhaps) yesterday I achieved 6,800 steps, worked on my vegetable garden and today feel a lot better! So managing the diet and keeping the oxygen flowing seems to be the key to not letting chemo take charge.

Day 78 since operation on November 4. After the unpleasant experience on January 5 when the second chemo cycle started with an infusion of Oxaliplatin, it took a week to recover enough strength to get out and about. The low point was January 10 when I had no appetite and could only manage 36 steps the whole day! Things improved steadily in the second week, 3,930 steps being recorded on Jan 16, but the left arm remained painful around the cannula site. I'm now 'on holiday' for a week with no Xeloda until the third cycle starts on January 26 and feeling much better - 5,600 steps yesterday and looking forward to three days away on the coast starting tomorrow for bracing walks in the sea air, swimming (hotel pool not the sea!) and maybe exercise biking. I've been losing a bit of weight but this is probably due to less leg muscle, having been a fit cyclist until my operation. A dietician has recommended an increased calorie intake.
My oncologist has advised some adjustments to the next Oxaliplatin infusion - longer duration, a dose of Piriton beforehand and a better looking vein - which will hopefully avoid the difficulties encountered last time.
The good news is that I'm nearly half way through my 4x3 week cycles and still alive! I'm confident the effort will all be worthwhile.
I would be interested to hear from others with experience of this combination of Oxaliplatin and Xeloda. Many thanks and good wishes to all those currently undergoing treatment.

Hello. I had a 4.5cm tumour high up in the rectum and it was removed by surgery on 4 November. I then started a chemo course on 15 December - 4 x 3 week cycles. Please read from the start of my journey for more details. Best wishes.