Good questions for Doctor, pls help - Cancer: Colon Message Board

daddysgirl · 10-12-2003, 02:25 PM

Hello,

I am new this board. My mother died of lung cancer after only knowing for 1 week and I am an only child. Recently, my father who is 62 years old found out that he has two tumors. One is in his rectum and the other is up higher in his colon. The one in his rectum is all the way around and pretty thick and the latter is about 5 1/2" big. They have done biopsys of the tissue and have said that from the tissue they could get it is "pre-cancerous". Due to the location of the tumors he will have to have the entire colon removed. Last week they did the ct and it came up without showing anything in the other areas.

I NEED TO KNOW WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK THE DOCTORS AND IF ANYONE KNOWS WHAT I MIGHT BE LOOKING AT....

The next meeting is with the surgeons, then the gastro and then the primary care....

Thank you so much!

Kathy Starr

jaydees · 10-14-2003, 08:55 PM

Hope I am not too late in answering.

If he is to have a permanent colostomy ask if electrolysis of the hair on the abdomen is OK. One of the worst parts of having a colostomy or ileostomy is dealing with the hair under the wafer which is esentially pasted to the skin. If it isn't shaved it pulls when replacing the wafer but shaving can make the skin tender or itchy. Permanently removing the hair some weeks prior to the operation might be OK.

If he will not have a permanent ileostomy(pouch collects contents at bottom of the small intestine) then he will have to get used to loose stool if there will be no remaining colon. Actually it will be loose whether its coming out the olf fashioned way or in a pouch. If you have questions about that ask away. He will need to make sure he is not getting dehydrated or losing too much salt both of which are normally reabsorbed by the colon. Good news is that his sodium level will not likely ever be too high.

How many blood vessels are going to be involved? Does the surgeon think there will be a great need for blood transfusion? If so would it be possible for your Dad to get a specifac donor from his family? This helps avoid any possible problem with getting AIDS or other disease(however remote that possibility) from the transfusion.

What will he be getting for pain med during and after the operation? I had an epidural next to the spine. It caused my right thigh to be paralyzed until it was removed(full recovery of movement afterward).

That's all I can think of right now. Hope some of it helps.