Postby mozart13 » Fri Sep 01, 2017 12:46 pm
Kathy,
I was in about in the same shoes as you now, was told same thing as you are, polyp/cancer was 4.5 cm, they marked the area with ink, had CT, MRI, couple of more colonoscopies, some blood work, they checked my CEA, cancer blood marker.
Initial plan was chemo/rad, operation, chemo, than reversal of operation.
After chemo/rad I went for scope, surgeon couldnt find that polyp, passed that area, than eventually found ink marker, I was awake, that was pleaseant surprise.
Was I initially stressed, o yes, was walking through the park and crying,and thats normal, we go through stages.
Than it came to me, this is not death sententce, there are a lots of good stories out there, cancer is becoming like chronic disease, treatable.
There are some people that are completlly cured, met somone who had rectal cancer 14 years ago, curred, never looked back.
When I went for my radiation there was one patient about my age, had rectal cancer 7 years ago, they did only radiation on him at that time, cancer was gonne,this time they added chemo.
There are a lots of good stories on this board.
You rembeber what HIV used to be, but now people live normal life with that disease.
There is say "worrying is like rocking chair, keeps you busy, but gets you nowhere".
Try to focus on whats important at this time, like when you start chemo/rad, avoid antioxidants, eat high proetein diet, try to be active.
If you have any specific question, feel free to ask, good luck to you!
55 year at the time of diagnosis, male
Diagnosed with T1,T2 N0 M0 rectal cancer
Total neoadjuvant therapy or TNT (chemoradiation followed by systemic chemotherapy)
Negative since Feb. '17
No surgery
Watch&Wait approach
I don’t come much to the forum , so if this is not updated it means I remain negative!
Wish good luck to all!