Based on your last post, pretty darn definite (if you are sure about the location) that you don't have rectal cancer....so the extra testing/appointments/wait shouldn't be an issue for you at all. I might suggest that you take a step back and unless a medical professional has told you that this is an emergency, you may want to think about a second opinion. No, no other medical professional is going to tell you that you don't have cancer....pathology said otherwise....but make sure that you like and trust the surgeon and oncologist. You can always switch your oncologist but not necessarily your surgeon. Early on in my journey, I had no idea that there were general surgeons who would do the surgery and then there were board certified colorectal surgeons. I firmly believe that patients with rectal cancer should see a board certified colorectal surgeon....the surgery is performed in a tighter space and has more probability of complications and implications for future problems. Not sure the same thing is applicable to colon cancer that is further removed from the pelvic area. At any rate though, it is something you may want to think about. Check out the surgeon that you have been referred to. Is he/she a general surgeon or a specialist? Does that matter to you?
http://www.abcrs.org/verify-a-physician-2/ This is the link to the American Board of Colon and Rectal Cancer Surgeons.....the organization that surgeons who want board certification must apply to and whose requirements they must fulfill.
If you can, find an oncologist before you have surgery.....one that you like, trust and have confidence in. You will see the surgeon a few times and then you're done with him/her but the oncologist is the medical professional that you will be seeing for years to come. He/she will be the one that will take care of you...will be the doctor you see in the early days if you are sick, will be the one that you have to contact regarding medications, etc. You want someone that you really feel comfortable with and whose office has the support that you need. Don't rush into just 'going with' the first onc you meet....unless things just seem right with him/her.
As for staging, you won't know until the surgeon goes in and does the surgery. Although the CT scan showed no spread, we all know that nothing is certain with cancer. It's very likely that another organ (lung, liver, etc.) isn't involved.....as the CT is pretty reliable at picking up spread in those organs...IF the spread is large enough to be seen on the scan. The pathology report will indicate if any local nodes are affected. Regardless, you won't know your stage until after surgery....when the pathology report from that procedure is done and the report is sent. That pathology report will tell you whether or not any local nodes are affected, how many local nodes were taken out in the excised specimen and whether or not the tumor has any negative prognostic factors (mucinous, signet cell, poorly differentiated, etc.). Make sure you GET A COPY OF THAT REPORT so that YOU know, with 100% certainty what is says....not what the surgeon/oncologist tells you.
Right now...remember to breath, relax and get as much rest as possible. You're going to be entering a new chapter in your life....one that will come with peaks and valleys...you'll have some good times and honestly some crappy ones. Listen to what the oncs say but expect the unexpected. For example, unless you are a stage I, you will likely have some chemo or at least be recommended to have chemo. The oncologist may say, "6 months of chemo"....if so, be prepared that 6 months may turn into 6,5-7 months.....simply because you may get sick and can't have chemo one time, your blood counts may be too low, etc. Things come up and IF your plans are super rigid, you'll have a more difficult time.
I know that this sounds scary...the BIG C for crying out loud BUT....it is not a death sentence. It's not a walk in the park either but treating and living through the treatments is doable and manageable. One thing for sure.....be prepared for the long haul. Even if the onc says....total, with surgery/rest/chemo is only (example) 8 months.....realize that there are followups, there are protocols to follow and you'll be seeing that doctor for a good 5 years (at least) before he/she is ready to say BYE BYE! This is a journey so get yourself mentally prepared for that.....it's not a sprint....as I heard over 10 years ago on this board....cancer is a MARATHON! You'll realize that you have an untapped reservoir of strength and tenacity that you didn't know you had and honestly, you'll be pretty darn amazed at what YOU can do and how well YOU can do it!
This is about YOU now....don't let anyone else tell you how you should act or feel. No one can tell you that because everyone is different and if someone hasn't walked the road you're about to embark on, they honestly can't know how you are feeling. They can tell you how they THINK they would act but once you hear those words, 'you have cancer' all preconceived notions go out the window. You must decide if you are going to be a part of your health care decision making team or a patient who would rather the doctor and all medical professionals make that call without your questions/input. Don't let anyone tell you that you should be questioning if you don't want to....don't let any friend/relative tell you that you MUST question every detail. YOU are the patient...it's YOUR life and YOU have to be comfortable in YOUR approach to your care.
My point is....everyone is different....everyone reacts to their diagnosis differently....there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to act. It doesn't show weakness if you need help with the what is happening in your body (medication/therapy)...so don't let anyone guilt you into thinking otherwise.
Just take a deep breath, actually a FEW deep breaths, get your resolve set that you are going to do what is necessary to fight this disease and be prepared for a new journey that you will be going on in the very near future. You know, I can honestly say that 11 years out now, I AM a different person...all because of my cancer diagnosis. I have a different perspective on life.....I appreciate the 'little things' a whole lot more and I realize (for me) what is and isn't the most important things in my life. I'm not saying that I am glad that I was diagnosed with cancer....just that, even through the 'bad' and unexpected times, I became a different person and honestly, I think most cancer patients do find that their diagnosis has some positive impact on them.
Good luck.....be comfortable with your decisions...try to stay away from playing 'Dr. Google' (heck we all did and still do it!!) and do what is best for YOU! This is all about YOU now. Tell your kids (assuming that they aren't little munchkins) because the older they are, the more perceptive they are. Don't hide your diagnosis from them. Above all, until you know the staging, DON'T ASSUME THE WORST!