Does anyone have any first hand experience of bowel cancer ? a close family member has been diagnosed with it and is awaiting scan and op.... believed early stages. I have googled and read some but looking for real experiences rather than text book stuff.

ta

Well pretty much, sadly both my parents died from it and I had several relatives who had it! I'm checked for it every two years cos I'm a prime candidate!! What do you want to know?? I can tell you that its probable that the cancer will be removed during the op, they will also check that it hasnt spread to other close organs or to the lymph glands. All being well your relative will probably have a temporary colostomy bag while he/she is healing and then that will be reversed and all will be fine!! They may want to do a touch of chemo/radio therapy to make sure!!

Jo xxx

My Aunt (now 76) was diagnosed some 9 years ago, early stages and was sorted had an op, does not need a bag as it was well situated, she had chemo which she said was not good, but is very well and incidentally just moved house, you wouldnt know she had been ill, also a friend in UK , must have been when he was 49 yr old now over 65, does have to use a bag but again is doing very well.

In fact his birthday next week.

Those are two close family/friend and both very well

My father suffered from it in his 80's, caught in the early stages. They removed part of his bowel, reconnected it, and he was fine after a few months. No bag, even though it was said before the operation that it might be a possibility

Most important that it is diagnosed early and operated on as soon as possible.
I had a close relative who delayed the op.for too long, by which time it was too late and had spread to vital organs.

Damn straight. That's how my father in law went. Silly sod (I loved him dearly) suffered from symptoms for years and years without doing anything. Mind you after his wife died he was never the same.

My mother when 80 odd had it and the op was pretty straightforward.

The biggest problem with a colostomy is finding shoes to match the bag.....

Now that is the best of humour

Why thankew.

I had to go with my mother to the consultant's office where there were a couple of nurses behind us. I cracked that joke there, - he didn't know what to say, and I could hear the nurses trying to stop laughing.

As I said to him. "It's our disease, we are entitled to laugh at it."