"Bowel cancer"

I was picked up on the bowel screening programme. The results came back within a week to have a colonoscopy. The meeting with the nurse was about two weeks later. I had booked a trip just after not expecting it to be done immediately but I was offered the colonoscopy within a week. We put it back to the 14th December.

The colonoscopy found 2 polyps. One small, the other larger with a suspicious small mass behind it.

The team arranged to have a CT scan in case the biopsy came back positive and the Doctor who did the colonoscopy gave further explanation of what he had found and the likely pathway.

The biopsy came back positive on the 20th December and I was informed the CT scan to check for spread was on the 4th January. They team meets every Friday to discuss and agree action plans for patients.

I was away from the 20th to the 28th and came back to letters informing me the scan would be on the 3rd and the meeting with the surgeon on the 4th.

The scan was very quick and easy. I met with the surgeon on the 4th along with one of the lead nurses. He informed me there was no spread and the operation. It was scheduled for the 8th. The surgeon was terrific. I asked him how many of these operations he had done and his confidence. He told me about 60 and very confident. The procedure is big. Normally 3 to 4 hours but keyhole which helps recovery. I was introduced to the enhanced recovery nurse and given a booklet to read about preparing for the operation and enhanced recovery after.

On the way home the surgeon called to let me know I would need to take the preparation to evacuate the bowels. The tumour was very small and normally you don’t need to but it would be more difficult for him to locate it. Very considerate and professional.

The pre surgery checks were made on the 7th. Again the team were very professional and friendly. I was given the preparation mix and went home to take it.

The 8th I had my operation. I met with the aneasthatist who was very calm and confident and the surgeon again. I walked to surgery, lay on the table and was anaesthetised. I woke up in the recovery room a little woozy but fairly alert chatting with the team. I was taken to high dependency for the night.

The staff there explained what I was hooked up to and the pain relief if I needed it. They told me my wife had been informed. She came to visit me that evening and could see that I was okay. The staff had a difficult patient next to me and dealt with the issues admirably throughout the night. I dozed throughout the night due to the discomfort and the disturbance of the difficult patients the staff had to handle.

The next day I washed with a basin. Had a little cereal for breakfast and had a little walk. A bit of a bambi one with a nurse by my side but soon found my feet. I got disconnected from the various attachments and then took small walks around the bed. The quicker and longer you are moving the quicker you recover. The surgeon and the team dropped by to see how I was doing. I thanked them.

At about midday I was transferred to ward 53. My wife was visiting, I had some soup and jelly and in between a high calorie drink. I was seated or walking about. Moving may be a little painful but it also eases everything off so once you start it becomes less painful and you recover quicker.

My sister in law who works there came to visit and the enhanced recovery nurse dropped by. Both pretty surprised at how well I looked. The surgeon obviously did a great job and I was really following their programme. They look for the first bodily functions to start, breaking wind and urine flow after the catheter. There is some discomfort until this happens. The more you are able to move the quicker it happens. Early afternoon I had passed both steps. The staff on ward 53 were also very good. They had a medical student getting work experience and were very good with her as well.

The night was quite disturbed again because the other guys on the ward had emergency surgery and then the nurse had to check on them throughout the night. The mattresses move regularly to stop you getting bed sores. Occasionally that can wake you.

The next morning I got up and had breakfast. I asked the nurse about showering and he told me it was fine with the dressings. So I had a shower and got dressed. I had a walk up and down the corridor. Trying to keep moving and had a chat with the other guys in the room. The team came round and seemed pretty surprised and happy I was showered and dressed. It was in the handbook that it is better to do this but maybe day 2 is early. They had a discussion about discharging me. The lead nurse suggested I go down to the cafe and have a coffee and they would see how I was doing in the afternoon.

I went down, had a coffee, came back and they told me I was discharged. They went over the steps I should take at home and gave me a list of contact numbers. My wife collected me and took me home. Much to the amazement of my family and friends. The operation had actually taken 5 hours out after 2 days.

On getting home I was trying to balance between keep moving and catching up on sleep. I had a nap in the afternoon and a couple of naps the next day. The enhanced recovery nurse called to see how I was. I got up every day, showered and dressed and kept up until bedtime. Although I was obviously tired. Every day a little stronger.

The next milestone is the pathology which they give you again on a Friday after their meeting. Unfortunately it wasn’t ready on the 18th but they were professional enough to call and let me know. They remove also the blood supply to the part of the colon and check the lymph nodes for cancer cells. If they are there they follow up with chemo to kill off any stray cells in your body.

On the 25th I got the call to let me know everything had been contained in the bowel wall. It was stage 1, caught early. No need for further action other than regular checks.

I cannot praise the staff enough, the surgeon, anaesthetist, the colorectal staff, the enhanced recovery nurse, the ward staff. The professionalism, speed and friendliness was above and beyond. Anyone facing this journey should have confidence and faith in the team. Listen to them and ask if you are not sure about something.