The Colon Club

Today marks the 5 year anniversary of my surgery for rectal cancer that forever changed my anatomy. With presurgery chemo and radiation my body had a lot to adjust to. The process has taken 5 years. After 3 years I could walk without pain. Rehabbing myself - working specific muscle groups when running - changing my dominant foot - throwing a ball against the concrete basement floor and wall - using both hands to balance my body - you never know!

"Learn to be ambidextrous - your body will thank you later."

My later was June 3, 2017.

June 2, 2017 - Best day ever in almost five years. Worked from 6:30 to 10:30 am at church helping host a prayer breakfast that Jesse Jackson attended. I hadn't been able to work that much, without pain, since my diagnosis in April 2012. I was riding high. Volunteering is what I love to do and not being able to do it had weighed heavily on me and I just got a piece of me back.

Still riding my high the next day I prepared to go running but fall down the basement stairs to that concrete floor before I can get out the door.

Broken wrist, broken spirit but I can function because I'm ambidextrous - but bone pain sucks - it really hurts.

Grunt through the summer - pain and more pain. My mental health taking a hit. I ALMOST made it. I didn't even have 24 hours of gloating. "Pride goeth before the fall." I felt like Job/Sisyphus - ongoing theme.

Can't do much of anything. It's a slow process. Something I'm good at by now whether I like it or not. Still having pelvic pain and I'm not doing anything so why am I in pain? I've had plenty of experience of preventing myself from having pain and I can't seem to check off any box that would explain the pain. I'm cranky.

And then the pain is gone. Apparently my body needed to be balanced. I had an adhesion on my left side that did not go away til last October and I had been bracing with my left arm, when getting up, to protect my left side. When I broke my left wrist I could no longer brace with my left hand and had to switch to my right hand. I unwittingly strengthened the muscles on my left side thereby creating a balance but also new pain before homeostasis was achieved.

God is good!

You never know where your silver lining will be...

Peace

Congratulations on 5 years NED!
Big step!

sorry to hear about the broken wrist, I hope it's healing up nicely.
Sounds like you are making good progress on a return to near pre event normalcy and
onto the new normal. Keep it up

best wishes

Agree , congratulations on 5 years. I know you have endured a lot as a result of cancer, chemo, etc. Sorry for your recent accident, butt it also sounds like overall, your body is recovering. Keep it up. And may you always reside in NEDville,

Lee

Congratulations on 5 years NED!*hugs* I'm sorry about your broken wrist and hope it heals quickly!*hugs*

I really need to read posts like this. I was just diagnosed and I don't know much. I see it as a death sentence and I can not stop thinking that I will not see my children grow up. At colonoscopy dr found a mass. Said it's cancer. Had ctscan and it has not spread anywhere. It's just in the left upper side. I could use some positivity. I am meeting with a surgeon and have no idea what to ask. This is a nightmare. I don't know how all of you do it.

5 years, that's awesome. Everyone says the worry becomes less and less the further away you are from treatment and continue to be NED. My oncologist told me the most but not all recurrences occur within two years after diagnosis. Hopefully, that means I will continue to be ned. Congrats again, that is something to brag about.

teacher2017 wrote:I really need to read posts like this. I was just diagnosed and I don't know much. I see it as a death sentence and I can not stop thinking that I will not see my children grow up. At colonoscopy dr found a mass. Said it's cancer. Had ctscan and it has not spread anywhere. It's just in the left upper side. I could use some positivity. I am meeting with a surgeon and have no idea what to ask. This is a nightmare. I don't know how all of you do it.

We take it one step at a time. Reading stories of survival really helps. Also, knowing that others have gone through this and sometimes worse yet still have excellent outcomes really gives me hope.

It helps to get your mindset into battling this cancer and focus on beating it.

I'm sorry you are here but this is a great place to get information and helpful suggestions.