He's 58 and has just finished his radiation treatments and just started his 3 weeks of daily chemo. He is in good spirits, but he has a tough road to hoe ahead of him. Once he is done with the chemo, they will need to do surgery to remove the tumor.
My question is, who has had this and what is the general prognosis we can expect. I don't really want to ask him even though his doctors have likely already told him.
I only talk to him about the positives. I told him today that he is going to get through this. I told him that he'd better because the last time it was pool night, he cleaned my clock and I want another shot at him.
That made him laugh. He wished me luck because I was going to need it. That made me laugh.
I've known him for 30 years, and he is one of the very few close friends that I have. I have known hundreds of "wonderful Acquaintances", but have maintained a very small inventory of close friends like him.
What's the difference? With a close friend, when you are talking on the phone, neither of you are ever looking for a reason to hang up the phone. A Wonderful Acquaintance? When the first long pause happens, I'm out.
We never have any arguments, and we don't even debate anything. I like a healthy debate even if it gets a little heated, but when the two of you are so like minded on everything, it just never happens.
I hope that some of you have some uplifting success stories to share. Cancer sucks.

I currently work with 2 people that have had it. The one had it probably 12 to 15 years ago. He's 57 now. He had radiation and had the tumor removed.im not sure on the chemo but I'm thinking he probably had it. This was before I knew him and he's fine. I work with this guy all day as we do the same job. He never had to get a colostomy bag.

The other one is a lady who I work with when I work in that position helping out. She had it 5 years ago. I know more on her case as I introduced her to my wife as someone to do things with. Shopping that type of stuff. Shortly after that is when she found out she had it so my wife took her to some of her radiation appointments. She also took chemo as well. That was in some pill form. Hers was stage 4. They removed the tumor and took part of her colon. She had a bag for awhile but got her colon hooked back together several months after her surgery.

I have a 3rd guy a former coworker who had stage 4 and went through radiation, chemo and surgery. He had to have a bag and still has it. They weren't able to hook his colon back up.

All of them have recovered and work as normal. I wish your friend good luck and a full recovery. It's going to take some time and it sounds like he's got a good friend in you for support.

Just think. A simple Colo Guard screening may have prevented this from happening.

I have a friend that has gone through it. Because he won't stay on a diet (i.e., don't eat the food that causes problems for him), there are times he's told me he might consider having surgery reversed and having a bag put back in place.

He agrees with me, the simple, non-invasive above test, may have caught it early enough to prevent what he's going through now.

As a throat cancer survivor I can't answer your question but will suggest that you and his other friends and family do what you can to keep him eating food !
Chemo treatments can be difficult to say the least but a feeding tube sucks fecal matter through a straw ha ha
And can become it's own set of hurdles .

I wish your friend continued success with his fight and keep his humor going !

Met a woman at church a few weeks ago who has survived it and she is around 75. Theres hope.

BIL has been cancer free for a few years now from colo-rectal cancer.
He had part of his rectum removed and still has issues with the results but can live his life pretty much as he wants, just has to be near a bathroom after eating.
He does have what everyone calls bad gas all the time, not pleasant but he watches what he eats as some foods aggravate his issues. Some foods go right through him.

Prayers to your friends.

God be with him.

I had colon cancer about three years ago. Removed a section about 6-8 inches. No problems. Mine was stage 1. Get a check every three years. Early detection is the key. I am now 77.

Awwwwww! I'm sorry to hear that man. That sucks!

Thanks everyone. It means a lot to me.

Sent with prayers for a compete recovery.

I have a cousin that’s had stage 4 colon rectal cancer for about 5 years now there’s no “cure” but he goes for treatment about every month and is doing pretty good, the doctors told him he can live a long time, as far as quality of life other than not feeling well for about 3 days a month he doesn’t have any problems.