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  • Shared Experiences

    Carcinoid Cancer at 24

    It was a huge shock to me to be diagnosed with a carcinoid tumour at 24 years old after an emergency appendectomy, then off to have a right hemicolectomy, what the hell is that? 20cm of bowel removed and changed bowel function from now on.

    It was surprising how little information was available to me however i did find a great booklet, “improving bowel function after bowel surgery” which gave me great tips like staying away from Caffeine, Alcohol, spicy foods and “sugar free” foods and drinks. it also contains a handy food chart which lists how foods effect bowel movement.

    I think its important to think about how to communicate information to young people with cancer, especially since like all people i thought it would be good to google carcinoid cancer…not the smartest idea!


  • Find a professional to answer your question

  • Lisa Goding

    HealthShare Member

    Hi Mkd.. I was 26 when I was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer and also had to have a hemicolectomy.. It's a scary situation when it's all happening so quick and the information is so clinical when the only thing I wanted to know is ‘will I be ok after all this?’ and that's a tough question to get an answer to in the midst of everything that was happening..

    I also had to face the question of do I do chemotherapy as precautionary treatment.. A question that no one wants to answer ever, let alone at 26 when my biggest stresses in life sometimes only came down to what am I doing this weekend?! 

    But I think you're right, communication is key to create some awareness, especially in younger people. I know for myself, prior to my diagnosis I didn't really know much about bowel cancer and what I did know revolved around the idea it was something to worry about later in life! I think forums like this are great at getting the info out there!

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