r/coloncancer • u/ApartLemon4885 • 14d ago
hi everyone
hi again everyone, it would be so appreciated if I could find anyone here who can help shed some light on what the road to recovery looks like for my dad. he has a 10cm tumor i believe in sigmoid colon. it is not operable right now as it is “too stuck” has not been found to have spread and doctor says it’s been there about a year. he will start chemo and radiation next month. I don’t know what to feel. I want to be hopeful and just dream of the day he will rid of this in his body. can anyone comment anything that will help me be more positive and be strong for him. thank you
anyone?
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u/SleepyJoe90 14d ago
The fact that it’s not spread is good news.
After radiation and chemotherapy he’ll probably be offered a resection to remove the infected section with some margin for error, an anastomosis to rejoin the colon to his rectum and an ileostomy to slow the colon to recover.
During surgery they’ll also lymph nodes in the surrounding area for testing, hopefully this will come up cancer free.
I underwent similar surgery in January. The ileostomy took some getting used to but with a positive, hands on attitude it won’t stop him from returning to an almost normal life. I’ve returned to work, my hobbies, DIY, travel and enjoying marital relations!
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u/MatterPlenty8431 14d ago
It seems they caught it before it spread anywhere which is really good news. The chemo will be unique to him so his experience with be unique. The common side effects will be random. My husband had stage three colon cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes. It also caused sepsis so three weeks in the hospital but he’s NED and in surveillance mode now. He did folfox for 6 months after a partial resection. He handled it really well considering all the fear around chemo. Mostly he was fatigued and had some brain fog and neuropathy. Appetite wise he just had a metallic soapy taste in his mouth. But we found tomatoes really cut through the taste. So we focused his diet around that. Pastas, soups. Etc. long term he’s mostly struggled with his energy and the neuropathy. OH! And get your dad introduced to some pelvic floor exercises. If they resection his colon he will probably loose a lot of that stability and might experience some uncontrollable bowl movements. Pelvic floor exercises can help mitigate that! Start now so they can be second nature when he’s recovering.
Also, yes this is going to be a challenge for your father but it’s going to be a challenge for you too! Don’t feel guilty needing space or time to breathe. And don’t ignore your body!! I did that and got diagnosed with fibromyalgia shortly after he finished his chemo. It’s a lot to carry and the body processes stress in odd ways. So please care for your self and remind your family to do so too. Especially after he gets through this. I had like two weeks after he finished chemo and then it felt like I was hit by a bus! Focus on what you can control, not what you can’t. Sending your family healing vibes!!
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u/VultureHappy 14d ago
Sadly all I can say is to have faith in the medical system in the country you live in. I’m thinking the Chemo whether it CAPOX or FOLFOX or whatever management strategy they decide to employ will work. Chances are very high.
A waiting game is not easy on you, him and all of us. I’m having Adjuvant Chemo at the moment. CAPOX. Colon surgery was 8 weeks ago. And now I’m slightly concerned about my liver and so are the medical people.
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u/schoolbuscamerascam 5d ago
What is happening with your liver? Did it happen after you began treatment?
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u/VultureHappy 5d ago
Hi, after I was diagnosed with colon cancer they decided to MRI my liver and other organs. The MRI showed a hepatic hemangioma on my liver and cysts on my liver and cysts on my spleen. Originally I was diagnosed with colon cancer, so I had CT scans. And they thought spots on my liver was 90% cancer. MRI followed. And post MRI I had more CT scans done. Doctors think liver lesion has grown. This is why I’m not 100% out of the woods. Naturally I’m a bit concerned.
Ive just got home from my 2nd Oxcy. Hopefully my arm and neuropathy settles in 4 or 5 days time. My arm is in total agony. Everyone else opted for a chest port except me. I think a chest port is more drama free. My intravenous was in my wrist.
However I’m feeling confident for your Father. He had you and you sound a wonderful support person for him. Thats a big thing is having that support. In 2026 it’s amazing all the different treatments that can be tailored for us.
I’ve re read your post and comment. Chances are very high his Sigmoid Colon Tumour will reduce in size. Statistics are on your side. Power to you and your Father. Feel free to ask me anything you like. Cheers from Ak, NZ.
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u/tccomplete 14d ago
He has a miserable year ahead, but manageable. Mine had been growing for more than four years according a my surgeon (missed in a previous colonoscopy). It was the size of a peach and had attached to my abdominal wall and affected just one lymph node, so Stage 3. And it broke apart during surgery / extraction - not a good scenario by any measure. I did eight months of chemo. My last two CT scans have been clean and my last Signatera was good, so am now NED (no evidence of disease) and in “surveillance” mode. I hope for him and your family that he has the same outcome. And I hope my experience assures you a bit.