Donate
Beating bowel cancer together

Younger people with bowel cancer

You can find lots of useful information for younger people on our website, as well as details of our Never Too Young campaign.

woosiewoo41

Anyone else experience this?

Hi.
My husband had a left hemicolectomy in December last year. We were told that the cancer had grown all the way through the bowel and started to attach to a nearby nerve. We were never told the grade etc. they also took 22 lymph nodes and found nothing in them.
Anyway, since the op he has never been right. As In, still lots of pain which radiates from side to back to hip on occasions and sometimes up to his chest.
We’ve had another CT scan which has found some changes in his Peritonium but they say they are too small to know if it’s a cancer or just due to the op.
Has anyone else who has had an op experienced similar? Is he still healing from the surgery or should we be pushing for more investigation into the pain? We just keep being told they can’t see any reason for the pain but not even helping him with it?
Thanks I’m advance to all :x::x:

kernowGun81

Hi,
I would absolutely push for a investigation from my own experience. I too had surgery in December and I also had problems and pain I was also brushed of and told it’s normal but I ended up in a&e with severe pain and bleeding which resulted in scans and examinations to find out the cancer had come back in my rectum and spread to the liver.
Your husband knows his own body and if it doesn’t feel right fight to get it looked at better.

Forum user

Hi @woosiewoo41 I had complications with infections and would definitely encourage you/him to ring for further advice and not sit back. If it turns into being nothing, then that is great, with only a little time and energy gone. Hope you find the answers :x::x::x:

lmf57

I would push for it to be looked at and if necessary ask for a second opinion. It could be internal scars but it sounds as if you really need to know

Liz Blakelands

@woosiewoo41 Hi, so sorry your husband is having pain and I would definitely push for further investigation and an explanation for the pain then hopefully relief from it.

I had a lower abdominal resection so most of my rectum was removed. I had a sudden pain for the first time about 6 weeks after my op. Made me gasp it was so sudden and painful. Didn't happen again till a few months later, then about 6 months after op I had the pain come on gradually and radiated up to my chest. I thought I was going to pass out. My pain radiated from my anus and it was a very experienced colorectal nurse who told me that it was cramp in my rectum (astonishing as hardly any of it left). She said that some people get it who haven't had any surgery. It was definitely a cramping pain.
Your description of your husbands pain radiating up made me wonder if he is having something similar. With me it very occasionally happened till about 18months after surgery then thankfully stopped.

Hope you find out what is causing the pain soon. :x::x: