My dad has just had a colonoscopy and it looks like he has bowel cancer

[pinkchampagne1]

He has had symptoms for a while (mucus and rectal bleeding) but has put off getting checked out until recently. His FIT test was very high so he was fact tracked for a colonoscopy which he had today. Just phoned my mum and it looks like they have found a large growth which looks to be cancer. My dad is 83 and I adore him so I am so upset. 😢

The waiting and not knowing is excruciating, isn't it ?
Just have faith that behind the scenes people are busy getting all the ducks in a row as quickly as they can in order to give your father the most suitable and best treatment they can.

I hope you have a lovely lunch together - 55 years married is some achievement and deserves celebrating

It really is. My dad phoned this morning and they have apparently marked his second MRI as urgent so I hope that will speed it through.

My Dad had the MRI on Saturday and has his upper body MRI next Saturday. It will have been 4 weeks since his colonoscopy and the waiting and wondering are awful. I am
pleased the upper body MRI has come through quickly but also feeling really anxious about his results.

Nothing I can add to previous posts really, but just to say hang on in there - I'm thinking of you.

Sympathies, @pinkchampagne1. This is the hardest part, in a way, the not knowing.
They are getting the full picture before they operate, of whether & how far it’s spread, so they can plan any chemotherapy that might be needed after surgery.
It’s ‘one step at a time’ territory, I’m afraid - a lot to get your head round.

I seem to recall that they think the cancer is near the rectum, in which case they may be offered radiotherapy or chemotherapy to shrink the tumour as a precursor / alterative to surgery.

Hoping so much for some good news and some peace of mind for your dad and for all of you.

Thank you all. It is just so tough waiting so long and thinking through every scenario in your head. My sister wanted him to go private for the MRI but they could only offer him the scan 1 day earlier.

They phoned my dad and asked if he would be ready for surgery on Monday, then phoned back 5 minutes later saying the call was meant for someone else with the same name. My parents started getting all enthusiastic that things were moving really quickly, bless them.

My dad has now got a face to face appointment with the colorectal surgeon next Tuesday, so hopefully we will have more information next week.

Apparently they want my dad to have a special CT scan now. Have no idea what this is or why he needs it but the surgeon has requested it, which makes me nervous.
It won’t be able to be done before his meeting on Tuesday though.

Sounds like a PET scan? It's another thing they can use to check for things that may be cancer around the body. The waiting is the worst, so at least there will be more information on Tuesday. Hope it goes well.

I did wonder if it may be a PET scan but my mum described it as a special CT.
I hope we have more answers on Tuesday as the waiting is awful, but at the same time I feel so anxious about what they are going to say.

Sending lots of love OP. Even if the further tests show the situation is dire, still have hope. My DF was diagnosed with bowel cancer in his 60s, he was an unhealthy man in general and was diagnosed at Stage 4 with spread to multiple areas of the body. We still had a wonderful 6 years after that before he passed away. He responded extremely well to treatment and spent many of those years healthy and able to travel. There is always hope.

That gives me hope so thank you for sharing. ♥️

My Dad’s appointment is tomorrow and I feel so anxious.

Hey good luck. At least you will know what you are dealing with and what the plan of action is. Somehow all the what ifs are the worst part.

I will have my fingers crossed for you that the cancer is treatable x

Waiting is so hard but hopefully tomorrow there will be more of a plan.

Tonight take care - try & find something to watch that is easy but engaging to help distract yourself. Try some meditation apps to help you relax/sleep.

Thinking of you for tomorrow

Thank you both.
I am glad we should finally have answers tomorrow after what seems like such a long time, but I also feel sick with worry.

@pinkchampagne1 Will be thinking of you tomorrow and hope your father come out of the meeting with a clear idea of what needs to be done. Will you be going to the appointment with him ?

If it helps , l am 82 and had this 3 years ago and all clear now , hope he gets it sorted , then he can go on his cruise William

I did offer but my mum is taking him and we weren’t sure how many people they would want there. I will be waiting anxiously at home.

I went with my mum & dad when they were planning treatment but my mum had already heard that it was cancer by then. I went with a view to waiting outside if not allowed, but they were quite happy for me to be there. Is that an option to go along ?

They will be ok with you being there too, it’s perhaps best in case any of the information gets lost in translation.

I went round and offered to go but my mum said she would be fine and they probably wouldn’t let me in the room. I saw your messages after I got back.
Have just been round to wish him luck before they leave then came home and broke down.

So it appears the liver spot is cancer but it is just a spot rather than a mass at the moment so they are hoping it will shrink away with treatment.
Dad is having a bag fitted a week on Friday and then will have chemotherapy or radiotherapy, depending on what the oncologist decides, then he will have the big operation to remove the tumour.

I feel a bit better for knowing what the plan is. I have been very tearful and anxious today.