I've been diagnosed with Rectal Cancer.

[Evoman]

I just wanted you guys to know, because most of my friends on DU are in this group. I've wrote a little more about this on my blog (the URL) is below.

Man, what a couple of shitty years I've had. Sufficed to say, this brother needs a dog damn break.

Basically, I went for a colonoscopy yesterday and they found a mass in my rectum. I had been having some "shitty" symptoms...bloody stools and the like. I'm not sure how bad it is yet or whether it's spread, but considering I'm only 32, I hope it gives me a better chance. I'll be doing some tests next week to see what stage I'm dealing with. Then it's just a matter of dealing with it.

I'm really bummed about this (pardon my pun), but I'm trying to be optimistic.

[Lost-in-FL]

1. ...

:hug:

[laconicsax]

2. Hope it all turns out ok.

:scared:

[ZombieHorde]

3. ...

:hug:

I had been having some "shitty" symptoms

Ha! Your sense of humor will hopefully serve you well during your recovery. I wish you peace and health.

[Warpy]

4. Youth is on your side.

Surgery sucks, a colostomy sucks, chemotherapy sucks really, really hard, but you've got a better chance of surviving it than some poor slob in his 80s.

Just take every feel good drug you can get your hands on. First, you'll need most of them. Second, it makes the time go by faster.

If it makes you feel any better, I got told yesterday that I'm going to need the second corneal transplant sooner rather than later. I get evaluated for surgery the end of next month. It's a big deal, too, much bigger than I thought it was for the first one, recovery time is about a year.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Thinking of you, and wishing you all the best!

[yellerpup]

6. You should be optimistic.

Your age definitely gives you an edge and so does your attitude. Hope your break is right around the corner. :hug:

[trotsky]

7. Sorry to hear this, Evo.

But if anyone has the attitude to beat cancer, you do. Please keep us posted.

[onager]

8. I'll pray for you.

Just kidding! :evilgrin:

Good luck with this. What a...er...lousy break. Please let us know how you're doing.

Some Geezer Music with a message...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Hvavz3ESus&feature=related

[Evoman]

9. Thanks guys

Been a rough couple of days, and I'm still feeling a bit run down, but I'm doing better.

[darkstar3]

10. That really sucks, and I'm sorry. I can, however, offer some good news.

I've had several members of my family and my circle of friends diagnosed with colon cancer, ranging in age from their early 20's to their late 70's. Every single solitary one of them beat it, and went back to their old lives afterward.

I do not envy the next short span of your life, but I think you will kick this cancer's ass. ;)

[Evoman]

14. This made me cry....thank you. I sometimes falter in my hope and this gives me a lot.

Thank you.

[darkstar3]

18. .

:pals:

[Warpy]

23. The cure rate is extremely good

but if I tried to tell you it's easy, I'd have to cut my own switch.

You really are going to beat this.

[immoderate]

11. Evo, I wish you the best.

I hope they "nip it in the bud." :)


--imm

[Deep13]

12. Good luck and I hope everything comes out okay.

:pals:

[Rozlee]

13. Keep us posted.

As a retired RN, I can tell you that staging is everything. And nothing is ever written in stone. I suffered blast injuries in Iraq and my family was told I'd never have more than semi-vegetative mental and motor capabilities. Yet, here I am, although some may argue. And no invisible being did it. Your emotional state of being affects your immune system and that's no woo. Imagine yourself beating this and stay optimistic. Your DU family is here for you as a sounding board and a cheering section.

[Odin2005]

15. !!!!!!!

:hug:

[pink-o]

16. Aw, Evo, that sux! I'm sorry you're going through this shit.

Pun intended, of course. And listen, my mother who was an atheist was also an RN and mostly worked in psychiatry. She swore by mind over matter, figured what most people called "prayer" was really visualizing a possibly reality. And the human brain is intricate and able enough to change one physically. It's science: think of stress giving one ulcers and heart disease. So the anti-stress factors can actually heal.

Good luck, and we all wish a speedy recovery to ya!:grouphug:

[amyrose2712]

17. Sorry you have to go through this. Hoping for thes best.

:grouphug:

[WillParkinson]

19. Sending you good thoughts...

I'll pray for you. (Kidding.)

:)

[Arugula Latte]

20. We've been dealing w/ the exact same thing in our family.

This might make you feel better:

- Rectal cancer is a slow-growing cancer.
- Even if you have blood and so forth, it could still be in stage one or stage two. The family member had been told he had hemorrhoids, so months went by before he got a cancer diagnosis (colonoscopy caught it). He had stage two (hadn't spread to lymph nodes or organs, but the mass was big).
- The doctor said after his treatment, which is almost 7 weeks of radiation (daily M - F) and two doses of chemo (lasting M-F on the portable pump system), he'll have an 85 percent chance of beating this thing once and for all. He is almost done w/ treatment. Radiation has improved markedly in recent years, and they are able to zap masses with more powerful radiation but to pinpoint it more so it doesn't get as much surrounding tissue.
- Another family member had the same thing, but stage three (had spread to lymph). She got similar treatment as above, and is now cancer free.

Best of luck to you. :hi: :hug:

[trotsky]

24. That is some great news to hear about real world successes.

And to think, evidence-based medicine gets bashed all the time on DU because it doesn't EVER cure anything. Certainly not cancer, since there's obviously no money to be made saving a life so that person will live a long time and consume more drugs later in life! :crazy:

[Arugula Latte]

25. Yes. I'd much rather be living in this day of medical treatment

They've come a long way with cancer treatment even in 10 years. Another doctor told the patient that his chances of being cured once and for all were closer to 90 percent (even better than that 85 percent).

[sudopod]

21. *hug* nt

[TZ]

22. I am very sorry to hear about this

Let me know if you want/need info on clinical trials. I'm not sure thats a cancer my company is working on now, but I sure could find out who does have some if you get interested: FREE treatment is always a plus with these..

[muriel_volestrangler]

26. Stay strong, Evoman

Good luck with it - any I think if anyone can stay optimistic through what you're facing, you can.

You're a vital part of DU. Be proud of what you've done so far, and stay with us to do even more!

:hug:

[awoke_in_2003]

27. Evo, you need anything...

you ask.

[dropkickpa]

28. That really blows!

Take care of yourself now, it's okay to be selfish and do the things that make you happy, it does help!

My uncle had stage 3c colon cancer (he was a chiropractor, believed it cured everything, big time woo) before he got treatment, and he lived another 12 years (died of a heart attack at age 73). He sold his practice when he found out, retired, and spent his days once treatment was complete playing tennis, cards with his friends, etc, enjoying himself to the hilt.

[yellerpup]

29. You can beat it.

Take care of yourself and try to stay strong. We're all pulling for you. :hug:

[lazarus]

30. I"m late coming to this, but

you have my sympathies.

Several members of my family have beaten cancer recently, so it's definitely not the death penalty it used to be.

[Ian David]

31. I hope it all works out for you in the end.

I had surgery for bladder cancer a few years ago, which really pissed me off for a while.

[Kolesar]

32. Best wishes and moral support!

21st century medical care is quite good.

[Evoman]

33. Wow...thank you all. Update.

I came back to DU after a bit of an absence and found that this on top of the board. Thanks for all your kind words.

Update: Did CT scans.....they found a node on liver. But, then the surgeon thought it was just a shadow so they did an MRI. Liver and Lungs are clear.

The rectal ultrasound though showed there was some spreading to my lymph nodes. So it looks like what I'm dealing with is Stage 3 rectal cancer. I start my chemo and radiation on the 22nd of this month (tomorrow).

I'm really quite frightened of it. To top it all of, I've been an emetophobe for all of my life so the thought of getting sick and vomiting leaves me in terror. Oh well...I don't want to die, so I'll do what it takes.

[Arugula Latte]

34. Evoman, your situation is very similar to my SIL's

She had stage three rectal cancer because it had spread to the lymph modes.

She is cancer free today. This is a very effective treatment.

Also, neither family member who had the chemo that goes along with this treatment actually threw up. Yes, there were many days when their stomachs were upset, but it didn't result in actual puking (more likely you will feel it on the other end of the tube, so to speak).

Hang in there. You will get through it and look back on this as a scary time, but one you got through. You will make it out to the other side. :hug:

on edit: Miso soup might be worth a try when your stomach isn't feeling well.

[Evoman]

39. Thanks....I like hearing success stories from people that have had the same thing.

I'm really scared...my tumour is big, and the doctor told me that it hasnt metastized, but it's damn close to getting there.

[PassingFair]

36. Ugh. That sucks.

Some days will probably be worse than others.

I hope you have people looking after you.

:hug:

[Warpy]

37. That's one of the weird things about chemo vomiting

at least when I was on it for my arthritis, that I rarely felt any nausea but if I leaned over the toilet for any reason, up everything came. It wasn't the paroxysmal nonstop vomiting I'd had with intestinal infection, either.

I've taken care of chemo patients who threw up everything but their shoes and chemo patients who never threw up, at all. It's highly variable from person to person and the drugs now do a better job of stopping it in the unlucky ones.

The nausea and vomiting are what most people facing chemo fear, so you're not alone. Just realize that it can often be treated and that you'll be prescribed the whole candy store so you won't care much if it isn't.

[trotsky]

38. Thank you for the update, Evo.

Was hoping you'd check in to let us know how things were going. Great news on your liver and lungs!

[LeftishBrit]

35. Sorry to hear that and wishing you all the best!

From what I know, this form of cancer has quite a good prognosis, and I send you my best wishes for beating it.