Rectal cancer stage IV

[Atoq]

I stopped taking anticoagulant injections when I was released from the hospital. Is that standard protocol for you to take them where you received your surgery?

Take Care!

Shana

It is not standard, normally you continue for theee weeks but they said that rectal cancer give an increased risk. Anyway I will ask them next time if they have considered also my age and the fact that I move all the time (12000 steps yesterday, just being inside). The injection doesn’t bother me, but there are risks associated with anticoagulants too.

Claudia

[Aqx99]

Thanks a lot Shana. I am home now and the main problem is to understand how much I can do and I should not do / rest.

The recovery has been really quick and I went home on Monday without any painkiller, just anticoagulant injections, which I have to do till the next surgery in February.

The management of the colostomy has been until now easy and I use the Sensura mio one piece bags from Coloplast.

I still feel some pain when gas or stool come out but I hope it is because the tissue is still healing.

Tomorrow I will go to remove my 30 staples and have a CT scan of the chest.

Claudia

I think you're doing great Claudia! It sounds like you were in excellent shape before surgery which is likely why you are healing so quickly. I am sure you are getting a lot of advice so I will just say listen to your body and take it easy when you feel fatigued.

I did not pick up anything over 10lbs for about 6 weeks as recommended by my surgeon. That area is going to be sore while it's healing which is to be expected.

It's taken me awhile but I've learned a lot about my digestive system and know that a meal stimulates things so I take that into account when traveling for a distance so I don't need to make a stop on the road.

I stopped taking anticoagulant injections when I was released from the hospital. Is that standard protocol for you to take them where you received your surgery?

Take Care!

Shana

I only had the anticoagulant injections while I was in the hospital. They did not have me continue them after I was discharged.

[NHMike]

I had a total of 28 injections, 4 in the hospital and the rest I did myself.

12,000 steps per day is excellent. I’ve been doing about 7,000 per day average but am working full time.

[Shana]

Claudia,

You are a warrior! 12,000 steps is amazing, I am getting in 5-6K in addition to working out with a trainer twice a week at the gym. Always best to follow your dr's advice but they may have no idea how active you are. A lot of people turn into couch potatoes after surgery but I vowed to keep moving as long as I wasn't puking!

Sounds to me like you're on the fast track to recovery but don't overdo it

Shana

[Atoq]

Today I went to the hospital to get my CT scan result and they say the lesion in the lung is still the same, which was supposed to be good.

But it looks suspect and they think it is a metastasis anyway and they want to remove it after the main surgery.

I guess I can celebrate with red wine (any occasion is good) that is not larger (still 0.8 cm) and only one, but I don’t understand why before they told me that if it was still there it was not a metastasis and now they think it is.

Of course the doctor is not the same, but the report says exactly the same size, shape and «malignantsuspect».

Claudia

[Atoq]

Hi again! Today I had the meeting with surgeon, stomy nurse, anestesy nurse and so on and I got the results for the cat scan and mr.

Both show good response to chemoradiation but they did not give me much details. I was scheduled for surgery on Monday, but suddenly they called me and surgery is planned for tomorrow!

So now I am drinking picoprep at the hospital and had to pack my bag in a hurry. I will keep you update

All the best

Claudia

[NHMike]

Hi again! Today I had the meeting with surgeon, stomy nurse, anestesy nurse and so on and I got the results for the cat scan and mr.

Both show good response to chemoradiation but they did not give me much details. I was scheduled for surgery on Monday, but suddenly they called me and surgery is planned for tomorrow!

So now I am drinking picoprep at the hospital and had to pack my bag in a hurry. I will keep you update

All the best

Claudia

Best wishes for great results and we'll see you on the other side!

[Robino1]

Hi again! Today I had the meeting with surgeon, stomy nurse, anestesy nurse and so on and I got the results for the cat scan and mr.

Both show good response to chemoradiation but they did not give me much details. I was scheduled for surgery on Monday, but suddenly they called me and surgery is planned for tomorrow!

So now I am drinking picoprep at the hospital and had to pack my bag in a hurry. I will keep you update

All the best

Claudia

Oh good luck!!!!! We will be looking for your 'after' post!!

Super happy that the response is positive.

[susie0915]

Good Luck. Keep us posted. Prayers coming your way.

[Caat55]

Hi Claudia
My surgeon said they do things different here is us then Europe. I am stage 3, have had excellent response to neoadj. therapy, now restaged to 2, and am scheduled for surgery next week. I am getting more chemo afterwards. Cookbook according to oncologist.
Susan
PS
I love Norway, miss lefsas.

[Lee]

Good luck with your surgery tomorrow. Remember to walk, walk, walk, those hospital halls following your surgery.

Post when you can,

Lee

[Atoq]

Thanks a lot for your wishes! I am now drinking the second glass of prep, much easier with colostomy, and I guess emptying it so often is sort of a training in case I will get an ileo.

I can confirm that here they do not usually give chemo after surgery, but of course it will depend on the histology results.

Best

Claudia

[Shana]

Hi Claudia,

Thinking of you today and hoping all went well and we hear from you when you're feeling up to it.

Hugs and prayers,

Shana

[Atoq]

Hi! Everything went fine and I am now sitting and eating,the surgeon told me that they removed all the tumor and now I have an ileostomy on the left side, where the colostomy was.

Thanks a lot for your support!

Claudia

[NHMike]

Hi! Everything went fine and I am now sitting and eating,the surgeon told me that they removed all the tumor and now I have an ileostomy on the left side, where the colostomy was.

Thanks a lot for your support!

Claudia

Very cool. I didn't know that they did those on the left side as well.