A friend of mine from high school contacted me not long after I disclosed my diagnosis. Her mother has a permanent ileostomy after having her colon removed due to ulcerative colitis. She is very active with UOAA, and has offered to speak with me. I am also looking into the ostomy support group that ...

I have an hour-long appointment scheduled at the wound center with an ostomy nurse about 2 weeks before my surgery. I was just looking for some personal insight in the meantime.

I've been wondering about this since my first consult with my colorectal surgeon. All of the literature I have read talks about picking the flattest surface of the abdomen for the ostomy. Well, I am not a small girl by any means, which means that there really isn't a flat surface on my abdomen. I'm ...

I knew there was something I forgot to add to my signature! I am T3N1M0. My surgeon said there were a couple of tiny spots on my lungs, but most likely that is from a past infection. We will be watching them closely.

Welcome, I am a little bit ahead of you in this journey. Tuesday will be my last day of chemoradiation. Then on June 14th my colorectal surgeon will be performing a robotic low anterior resection. Two weeks after my surgery I go in to see my medical oncologist about chemotherapy. She said most likel...

I used Suprep when prepping for my colonoscopy. From what my parents have told me, they wish they had used it for theirs. It tastes like salty Dimetapp, but it is a lot less to drink than some other preps. I chugged the mixed dose, then another 16 ounces from the same cup and finished with a bottle ...

I'm still in the early stages of treatment, so can't really help with the bathroom part of your post, but you asked for suggestions for funny gifts for your surgeon and I had to post. Two years ago for Christmas, I gave my husband a plush rectum. I ordered it from Amazon. The company makes a variety...

He said he will be doing it robotically.

I got a call from my surgeon's office today. I am scheduled for my LAR on June 14th. I am nervous about the whole process, of course, but excited that we are moving ahead. He originally told me it would be near the end of June. I'm glad he decided to schedule it earlier. Anybody have advice on how b...

I am two weeks in to my treatment today. I'm still so new to all of this. I went to my medical oncologist this morning after my radiation treatment. My blood test showed my WBC to be a little low, but she is keeping me on the same dose of Xeloda for now. I'll be rechecked in a week. What are your ex...

They did genetic testing on the biopsy sample they took at my colonoscopy. I have also been to the genetics clinic at my cancer center and spoke with a genetic counselor. Due to my family history with cancer, we decided it was best to test me for a wide range of genetic mutations. She sent my blood ...

Hello all, I am new here and just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Anne, I am 39 years old and was diagnosed with rectal cancer on February 21 this year. It came as a huge shock to me and my husband. I had been experiencing diarrhea for several months and saw a little bit of blood, but I thoug...

I'm new to all of this, but I can already sympathize with what you are saying. I like to be accurate when speaking with people. I very often have to explain what the rectum is. I also can't count the number of times that I have seen a visible reaction when I say the word "rectum" or "...