Hi cancer buddy.
I'm so sorry to hear your news. I went through colorectal surgery Nov 2011 following 5 weeks of daily radio & chemo. I was off work 5 weeks after the operation but was driving within a few days. If you are reasonably fit and strong you will recover quickly. I had the temp iliostomy reversed a few months later and everything is back to normal. Last year I got a lump on my lung so I had a wedge removed but that was relatively simple. I'm still fighting fit and working full time. I'm currently waiting to see the oncologist to find out if I'm going back on chemo again.
To be honest chemo was yuck. I felt nauseous a lot and puked a lot in the first few days. Your doc will prescribe ant-emetics, there are various kinds so if they don't work try other ones. I was able to work right through chemo. You may feel a bit tired but for me I was less tired when I was busy. They will keep an eye on your bloods and you need to avoid germs and dodgy food. Your immune system is going to take a kicking. The smell of anitbacterial hand cleanser now makes me feel sick.
Eating actually helped, being hungry made me feel sick. Ginger Beer and ginger nuts are good. Maybe its placebo but it seems to work.
IMO - based on lots of research and dicussions with specialists - the way to treat cancer is to poison it, nuke it and cut it out. Go for it. There is so much bullshit out there about cancer. Its only a matter of time before some idiot tells you to take baking soda. My specialist nurse told me to forget everything I had ever heard about healthy eating while on chemo. Get food into you. If you fancy it, eat it. You need your strength.
A lot of well meaning people will tell you a lot of bullshit. Just smile politely; or smack them round the head depending on your mood.
Having a positive attitude does help. I don't buy into the idea that it effects the cancer at all but it makes a world of difference to how you deal with it. I made it my goal to set records for getting out of hospital and achieved that for all 3 operations. Its fucking inconvenient but don't let it dominate your life more than it has to.
There are more myths relating to cancer than any other topic. Your specialists really want the best for you and will help you make decisions that maximise your odds for a good outcome. Be involved with your treatment, ask questions and expect straighforward answers. Don't scare yourself to death reading internet articles on the topic, but there are some good resources that will help you understand what's going on.
So much more I want to say but 1 step at a time. First get your scan results and see what you are dealing with. The doc will give you a provisonal staging depending on how far the tumour has progressed and whether it has spread. Once you have that you will be able to plan your treatment. Your in for a bumpy ride Hammy but you will be fine. This is the scariest part, roll your sleeves up and beat the bastard.
If there is anything I can help with please ask. If you want to chat more feel free to PM.
DIS-Member Could you PM me links to those research papers please?