"The diagnosis of bowel cancer"

I was on holiday when I first noticed a change in my bowel habit. (May). On my return I took myself to the doctors but the dr couldn’t find anything on examination so he gave me a bowel screening kit to do. A few days later this came back that they had found some blood so he sent me for a colonoscopy where I was informed when I went for the colonoscopy what they found was a cancer and were 99% sure it was cancer. I didn’t know what to think on being told, lots of thoughts going through my mind - has it affected anything else etc. would I have to have chemo.? I received a letter from the hospital confirming that was the diagnosis.

This made me feel scared and anxious that I couldn’t sleep, so I asked the dr for sleeping tablets as I thought that I would make myself worse if I didn’t get enough sleep.

Anyway I had lots of contact from the cancer nurses informing me what would happen. They put me in touch with FORCE so they could help with anything that was worrying me.

So the next stage I was having the CT scan and the MRA scan. Once the surgeons could see what they were dealing with the nurses rang to say that I would have keyhole surgery. There was a health and well being meeting to help me understand all about what would happen before and after the operation. I had an appointment then to meet face to face with the surgeon. He said that it had been caught early and they should be able to cure it with a resection of the bowel. He said they would probably be able to do this in September. I still couldn’t stop worrying about the whole thing. The operation went to plan, although I still felt worried that the biopsy they took would come back with it going to the lymph nodes. Two weeks after the op I was told the cancer had not gone to the lymph nodes so I was cancer free.

Since the op I have recovered well and feel able to do everything I did before.

It was arranged the I have some physio for my pelvic floor. I have had my last session now and feel as though I have nearly gained control of this now.

I have to have a blood test every six months and a CT scan and colonoscopy test every year for the next five years. Obviously this is a good thing but I know I will worry every time I have to be checked. Overall I feel that the service has been excellent and exceptionally quick.

I do feel worried at times that this could reoccur in the future so it’s reassuring that I will be checked for the next five years. The cancer nurses are always on the phone if I do feel anxious and worried.