My experience with rectal cancer

I was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2015. I always considered myself a healthy man, tried to stay active, and maintained my diet like clockwork. The news, therefore, came as a shock. I never imagined I would be the one to sit at the doctor’s chamber, listening to him break the news about my rectal cancer. 

I believe we all feel that “something like this cannot happen to me.” But sometimes, it does.

 

 

The cancer was suspected when I visited my GP with severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloody stool. I started feeling tired and weak. The daily activities which I used to do with such vigor felt like dull chores. My GP referred me to the best rectal doctor in Kolkata. I went through a colonoscopy and the doctor found cancer. He took tissue samples to analyze whether the cells were cancerous, aggressive and which genes in the cancer cells were abnormal. Additional blood tests were also conducted to determine the spread of cancer.

My rectal cancer was large. In late June 2015, I went on to meet with a rectal cancer surgeon in Kolkata. As my rectal cancer was large, ‘Low anterior resection’ surgery was my only option. This surgery aims to remove the rectum fully or partially, depending on the location of cancer. Cancer affected the upper portion of my rectum. Therefore, that part of the rectum was removed and then the colon was attached to the remaining rectum. As the cancer did not grow near my anus, it was preserved in the operation.

The surgery was of the highest order as I was operated on by the best rectal cancer doctor in Kolkata. The whole procedure took about nine hours to complete. My recovery time was also shorter than I imagined. The wounds healed pretty well.

After the surgery, I was well in control of my bowel movement. My adjuvant treatment started shortly after the surgery. I was subjected to six cycles of chemotherapy to lower the risk of cancer coming back in the future.

The surgery combined with chemotherapy was a complete success. Rectal cancer is a relatively common disease and if you have been recently diagnosed with this disease, do not worry. With years of medical advancement and with the right and timely care, rectal cancer can be cured. I am now officially cancer-free.