What should I expect after a colon cancer diagnosis?

So Sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis... I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in mid April... After suffering from lots of diarrhea which I thought was food and possible IBS related. Then one day I suffered a severe abdominal pain right below my sternum and I couldn't really eat because there was a mass on my colon blocking my ability to pass food. I had become severely dehydrated and lost 14 lbs over the year. Because of my dehydrated condition and malnutrition, I couldn't have the colon cancer surgery right away. Instead, my gastro doctor operated and gave me a temporary ileostomy bag. Then in June, he operated and removed the cancerous area of the colon and reversed the ileostomy bag. They also removed 44 lymph nodes, 2 of which were cancerous. I am now in my second round of FOLFOX chemo since the cancer spread to the lymph nodes (stage 3). The chemo will run through October 22, every other week. Your individual treatment will certainly depend on what stage cancer you are in... This has been my mine. Praying for you and the best Mary Jane

Thank you. It's tough and scary. My mom and sister had lung cancer. No one had colon cancer in the family. That I know of... It may be a long journey, but we've got this .. My mom and sister

I'm so sorry to hear that Gloria. I also had colon cancer first detected in 2020 when I was traveling through Las Vegas. They first performed an emergency resection which only removed half of my colon. I was discharged after 17 days. A week went by and there was still an immense amount of pain. Went to the most amazing Hospital for cancer. Had another colonoscopy. And was still loaded with malignant polyps. They removed the remainder of my colon and tried to save my rectum with Folfox. I was on an ileostomy for 2 years while my j pouch healed up. We were unable to save the rectum, but now using my pouch. It's been a long learning journey. But with a lot of prayers and determination, cancer can be beaten. Hang in there my friend. I will keep you in my prayers

I'm so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I was diagnosed with stage 3C in Aug 2024 after surgery to remove a 6 cm tumor. Then started FOLFOX (leucovorin, fluorouracil (5FU) and oxaliplatin) in Sept 2024. I immediately had the rare side effect of arterial constriction from the time released 5FU. I spent 4 days in hospital with them trying to get it under control. They switched me to the FLOX treatment which is leucovorin, 5FU push and oxaliplatin every other week and leucovorin and oxaliplatin on the other weeks. That worked but after 7 weeks my pancreas stopped working. The pancreas produces enzymes to help digest your food so everything I ate just passed through and I had severe diarrhea. They prescribed a supplement which fixed that problem. At week 13 I again had severe diarrhea and nausea and couldn't eat. I was in ER every other day over a week with dehydration and had an additional treatment before they finally admitted me for IV nutrition. I hadn't eaten in 10 days and was still having a lot of diarrhea. They still hadn't diagnosed the problem. My husband finally found info online about rare cases of small bowel toxicity from 5FU. The doctors agreed this is what I had. I spent 11 days in the hospital and left weighing 105 lbs (I normally weigh 140 lbs). 5 months later I'm up to 130 lbs and able to do my normal activities. And I'm (supposedly) cancer free. I tell you all this to advise you to be aware of these rare (but possibly deadly) side effects of treatment. I hope the best for you.

Wow. That's scary.. Thank you for telling me..

Wow, that is scary and overwhelming... I was concerned about the antinausea medicine they give me on the day of infusion and the pill form I take for the next 2 days I am on the pump at home... Dexamethasone. I have heart failure that was diagnosed a little over 2.5 years ago and I read this medication can cause heart complications. My oncologist says it is common procedure to take it to prevent nausea and vomiting before it happens and the benefits outweigh the risks.

@Mary Jane well fortunate for me my heart is extremely healthy because the reaction to the 5FU in the infusion pump at home put quite a strain on my heart. At first I thought it was nausea but then the chest pain had me calling 911!

Grace, that's all we need as we go through our cancer battle! Heart complications!

Hello Gloria. Discovered oct 2023 reticle stage 3. Had 25 radiation treatments then 6 chemo every three weeks. Severe diarrhea at times and had to stay close to restrooms so made travel difficult. So far I have not had surgery. The radiation shrunk the tumor. Have neuropathy in hands and feet from treatments. Still dealing with diarrhea at times so I travel with extra clothes incase of accident. Suggest full body CTScan to check other organs. You can ask additional question if you like. Hope all works out well. Ken

I have Pet Scan tomorrow. Wow that's alot of treatmeants...

So similar to Mary Jane-I was diagnosed with CC in May. I went forward with chemo (injections w/ a port) 2 hours and then a take home pouch for 2 days every other week for 8 sessions total. I just completed my 6th session. I will say my side effects became more acute after the 4th session. The good news is that so far, my tumor has shrank by almost 50%. Next may be surgery or radiation…I’d like to skip surgery, but that’ll depend on my CAT/MRI after my 8th chemo session. Regardless, be strong, be positive, adjust your diet…those have been my cornerstones, thus far. It’s a marathon, not a race. Sending good thoughts your way!!!!

Thanks Josh. Trying to watch my diet. But I'm also a year in bring diabetic. And oh boy am I staying positive..

Well, it looks like I only have one more scheduled infusion... September 22. They had scheduled 2 extra infusions in case I missed any. However my carcinoembryonic antigen level keeps going up even though I just had a good report on a CT scan with contrast. The only thing I am concerned about are the multiple very small cysts on my liver... So I have talked with my head oncologist and he has ordered a PET scan in the next week or so.

Welcome to the community! A colorectal cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming, and it's completely natural to have questions about what comes next. The PET scan and meeting with your oncologist will provide important information to help create your treatment plan. Many community members have shared their experiences with various aspects of the colorectal cancer journey, from different treatment approaches to managing side effects and finding support along the way. Feel free to ask specific questions as they come up - this community is here to offer support and share experiences that might help you feel more prepared for the road ahead.