Colon Cancer
- Thread starter hotcoffee
- Start date
kwillia
n/a
There are a ton of factors involved... is is self-contained and removable by surgery? What stage was it found? What type of cancerous cells? Hubby's father had tow bouts of it about 10 years apart. Both times was treated with surgery. He lived to the age of 90 and did not die of colon cancer.
hotcoffee
New Member
Was he local? If so where did he have his surgery?
I have an appointment with a surgeon in CMH.... and I've contact Washington Hospital Center....
Not colon cancer, but Washington Hospital Cancer Center treated my mom with lung cancer after it was discovered. It had already metastasized & spread to her hip bones when it progressed - she was in stage 4. She was 74. She had a hip stabilization and then radiation. They were very good to her there and at WHC, although she had a lot of medical issues, and this was too far gone.
My dad was discovered to have colon cancer at age 63. He never had a colonoscopy, but went to the Dr. for checkups & BP meds & such. (NAS JAX) He had been complaining about GI problems for a while, but to what extent they were, I'm not sure. He was getting some stomach issue remedies from the Dr. but I guess no one did any tests. (Or he refused them) When cancer was found, it was a serious emergency. He had a major blockage which required emergency surgery & he had a colostomy for a couple of months, until he got healthier. Then he had surgery to repair the colon. He went through chemo and that seemed to take care of it, as far as the cancer was concerned. He didn't die from colon cancer, although he did die at 65.
My dad was discovered to have colon cancer at age 63. He never had a colonoscopy, but went to the Dr. for checkups & BP meds & such. (NAS JAX) He had been complaining about GI problems for a while, but to what extent they were, I'm not sure. He was getting some stomach issue remedies from the Dr. but I guess no one did any tests. (Or he refused them) When cancer was found, it was a serious emergency. He had a major blockage which required emergency surgery & he had a colostomy for a couple of months, until he got healthier. Then he had surgery to repair the colon. He went through chemo and that seemed to take care of it, as far as the cancer was concerned. He didn't die from colon cancer, although he did die at 65.
Roman
Active Member
Depending on the severity, I would go out of County. WHC is great. This May I will be 17 years Cancer Free. Though I believe that Calvert has some top-notch Doctors, IMO, it's best to go to a place that deals with Cancer on a daily basis, like Johns Hopkins, WHC, University of Maryland. I know Calvert Memorial deals with it every day, but Teaching Hopsitals may be the way to go.
mamatutu
mama to two
I have two relatives that have survived colon cancer. They live in Tennessee, so I can't give advice where to go locally. I do know it can be overcome. My thoughts are with you. You have had some big scares with your daughter's accidents, and such, recently. You are in my prayers, and I am sure others on this forum will, also, be praying for you.
hotcoffee
New Member
I need some guidance. I don't want to have to sift through a bunch of horrific information to figure out how to get my family through this.
My husband is my best friend. I love him dearly. It's hard to glean what is information we both need and what is garbage that will only make it harder on us.
So.... if there are any of you out there who know of a good informational website that we can utilize, please send me an IM.
I'm already on MD Junction because of the Lyme disease I fought for so long. It's a good information source but not great yet so I'm kind of feeling my way through this.
1st question.... what can I eat that will not tear the staples or clamps from the removal of the flat polyp that the doctor took out Friday.... so I can have some time to set all this up?
What does it mean when they say eat a low fiber diet?
Maybe we can all learn something from this.... like we did with the Lyme discussions....
TIA
My husband is my best friend. I love him dearly. It's hard to glean what is information we both need and what is garbage that will only make it harder on us.
So.... if there are any of you out there who know of a good informational website that we can utilize, please send me an IM.
I'm already on MD Junction because of the Lyme disease I fought for so long. It's a good information source but not great yet so I'm kind of feeling my way through this.
1st question.... what can I eat that will not tear the staples or clamps from the removal of the flat polyp that the doctor took out Friday.... so I can have some time to set all this up?
What does it mean when they say eat a low fiber diet?
Maybe we can all learn something from this.... like we did with the Lyme discussions....
TIA
My mom had ovarian cancer back in '86. Johns Hopkins treated her. They told her she wouldn't survive without the surgery. A 28 lb tumor was removed. (Not a typo). She had bowel blockages, they treated her. She had re-connection surgery, they did it. You name it, they did it with the exception of stents in the heart that were done at WHC. She passed away in '08. She was still cancer-free at her death (autopsied). I would NEVER GO ANYWHERE but Johns Hopkins for cancer. WHC is very good with the heart but anything else, my life would be in the hands of Johns Hopkins. Here is a link to the top ranked hospitals for cancer according to U.S. News.
U.S. News Best Hospitals: Cancer
U.S. News Best Hospitals: Cancer
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kwillia
n/a
If you've already had the polyp removed then just follow the specific details they sent home with you. I'm not sure why there would be staples or clamps involved since a polyp is like a skin tag and they typically cut it off and seal the area they cut it from. If you are being told the polyp is cancerous but they don't see any other cancer in the colon than you are catching it very early and it will most likely be a non-event getting you cleared.
GWguy
*
That must have been one helluva polyp to require staples. I've had 3 removed and just light duty/soft diet for a week or so.
Low fiber diet means just that. don't eat things high in fiber, like veggies, cereal, etc... Stay with softer foods that have low fiber content.
and I've heard nothing but great things from John Hopkins. Maybe set up an appt for a review before you need to.
hotcoffee
New Member
I guess it was. I don't know. Doc said I have staples.
So I guess yogurt and protien drinks are ok... right?
SoMDGirl42
Well-Known Member
I guess it was. I don't know. Doc said I have staples.
So I guess yogurt and protien drinks are ok... right?
Hope this helps. Good luck with your treatment.
Low-fiber diet - MayoClinic.com
The following foods are generally allowed on a low-fiber diet:
Enriched white bread or rolls without seeds
White rice, plain white pasta, noodles and macaroni
Crackers
Refined cereals such as Cream of Wheat
Pancakes or waffles made from white refined flour
Most canned or cooked fruits without skins, seeds or membranes
Fruit and vegetable juice with little or no pulp, fruit-flavored drinks and flavored waters
Canned or well-cooked vegetables without seeds, hulls or skins, such as carrots, potatoes and tomatoes
Tender meat, poultry and fish
Eggs
Tofu
Creamy peanut butter — up to 2 tablespoons a day
Milk and foods made from milk, such as yogurt, pudding, ice cream, cheeses and sour cream — up to 2 cups a day, including any used in cooking
Butter, margarine, oils and salad dressings without seeds
Desserts with no whole grains, seeds, nuts, raisins or coconut
You should avoid the following foods:
Whole-wheat or whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta
Brown or wild rice and other whole grains such as oats, kasha, barley, quinoa
Dried fruits and prune juice
Raw fruit, including those with seeds, skin or membranes, such as berries
Raw or undercooked vegetables, including corn
Dried beans, peas and lentils
Seeds and nuts, and foods containing them
Coconut
Popcorn
SoMDGirl42
Well-Known Member
Sometimes very experienced doctors just know it's cancer by the color, consistency etc. My guess is the doctor is pretty sure it's cancer, but sent it off to pathology to confirm a diagnosis. :shrug:
Misfit
Lawful neutral
I ask because my mom had a segment of her colon removed because the doctor didn't like how it looked. The biopsy was non-cancerous. She regrets not finding out more about it now because she has to take 4 Imodium A-D's with each meal and has to literally eat and go. I can relate. I've suffered from post infectious IBS since early 2000 so I know what a pain in the azz it all can be.
SoMDGirl42
Well-Known Member
Wow. I hope by having her colon removed it prevented her from getting cancer then. I'd rather take 4 pills with every meal than have to go through cancer. I hope the procedure was preventative and not malpractice.
hotcoffee
New Member
First I had a regular colonoscopy.... That's when they found the flat polyp....Then they scheduled a surgical colonoscopy and took out the polyp.... then continued down the 20% of the colon that they could not get too with the regular colonscopy equipment and that's when they found the cancer... took a biopsy and that's what came back positive for cancer.... tomorrow I have another CT Scan to get a better picture of it.
Misfit
Lawful neutral
First I had a regular colonoscopy.... That's when they found the flat polyp....Then they scheduled a surgical colonoscopy and took out the polyp.... then continued down the 20% of the colon that they could not get too with the regular colonscopy equipment and that's when they found the cancer... took a biopsy and that's what came back positive for cancer.... tomorrow I have another CT Scan to get a better picture of it.
migtig
aka Mrs. Giant
First I had a regular colonoscopy.... That's when they found the flat polyp....Then they scheduled a surgical colonoscopy and took out the polyp.... then continued down the 20% of the colon that they could not get too with the regular colonscopy equipment and that's when they found the cancer... took a biopsy and that's what came back positive for cancer.... tomorrow I have another CT Scan to get a better picture of it.
It's really rough going through something scary and trying to handle everything else. It seems you are all alone, but remember you aren't.
Maybe folks here aren't going through what you are going through. Maybe you think nobody understands how hard, scary and stressful this all can be, but some people have been there, though in different shoes. 
You asked about a support group. I've been using a different support group at Daily Strength. I searched and found a colon cancer group on their site.
Colon Cancer Support Group - DailyStrength
I like my group a lot, so I hope yours is helpful too. Don't facebook connect though. Create yourself a screen name and password.
Also I've found it worthwhile to do internet searches and find the main website for the "disease". it helps you stay informed and gives additional info and resources and such. I searched for you and found:
Colon Cancer Alliance
I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2010 and was referred to Dr. Allen Chudzinski at Georgetown Allen P. Chudzinski - Colon and Rectal Surgery - Washington, DC
Once you get past the shock of hearing cancer, start writing down questions to ask the doctor.
Once you get past the shock of hearing cancer, start writing down questions to ask the doctor.