Parents has colon cancer, surgery next week,,..what to expect when released from hospital??

Question

I wrote in a week ago.. My dad has colon cancer, and has surgery next week.. its been a very trying couple of days while waiting.. After, he will be in hospital for 10 days.. I am jumping ahead I know, but was wondering what it might be like when he gets out of the hospital and is at home. I will be taking care of him, but was wondering if he will be able to manage stairs.. what exactly he will be able to do after such a operation.. I know doctor will tell after, but if there is a way i can prepare for his return home.. a little anxious to know now... appreciate any advice/infor.. thanks,, from a very scared daughter..

Answer 1

hello
I had this done at a very young age 12 yrs now I am almost 40. I would like to say this ran strong in my childhood family. There were 9 of us and and 4 had this cancer and one has passed on at a very young age,he was in his teens and in the air force had a wife and a baby on the way.My brother died at 27 yrs old but leaving a single mother to raise their 2 yr old son.To move this faster ...we other 3 have children and they must be tested (it could run in your jeans,you may want to think of getting checked?)
With this I have learned to eat 7 small meals a day,they taught me this and don't lift heavey weight anymore as if you were healthy and strong before you operation.NOW his food has to change,this is a must! I was put in the hospiatal because ...your track can not handle like...oranges,leafy vegs and you want to watch out for alot of gasy food liek broc.Make sure he chews up all of his meats and your food digestive sym is so different.
Man i have to say I still have to have my children checked out and I think about this everyday(how to tell them about this if it was one of them) I would love to stay in touch and try to help you and your family with some of your questions because I was a young child who had to go through this with nex to no ideal and no knodleg.If you trust me and have a number I am willing to call you?
Good luck and God Bless you a nd your family

Answer 2

When he is home, he might be pretty well whacked out.
Depending on the surgery the dr may order home health care, nurses who come around periodically to check on him. The down side of this is, he may not leave the house except for medical needs, such as dr visits, lab or xray, ONLY.
He may need oxygen.
The dr will decide if this is needed and if so, he will take care of arranging it.
I'll be honest, for a while he will just be miserable, but given time, that changes for the better. Trust me. Please.
It;s a team effort, your dad, you, his friends, the doctor. All have a vital role to play.
Good luck.

PS Getting yourself prepared now is the best thing you can do.

))Wife and father both had colon cancer. ))

Answer 3

First, let me say that I know what you are going through and it is very scary; my son, age 30 was in the hospital facing colon surgery and I can tell you that I got most of my gray hair at that time; I don't know the extent of the surgery but stairs are going to be difficult ; your body goes through a lot after surgery and sometimes even the smallest thing can be draining and that is normal ; age is a factor, my son was young so he bounced back pretty fast; the emotional impact is far worse than the surgery; I had my son tell me to get the hell out b/c of the embarrasment thereafter; he did have a bag and it was very hard on his emotional well being; be prepared to be supportive and get him any help that is available with no questions asked; my son was embarrased when he went out and you could hear the contents empty into the bag or at a holiday and we could hear it when sitting at a table; make sure to ask all questions , that is what you are paying for and the family is included in that mix; any good doctor will not have a problem; there are also support groups that may help; try to guide from him when things are appropriate; do not be afraid to voice your concerns, questions to your parents or to the doctor even if you are told off like I was; through time, it gets easier; just be loving, supportive and give a little time and space; do not let them shut off family and friends for embarrasment etc; it is a tough road but one that you can get through; I just saw the guy from siskel and ebert who had half of his jaw removed , face now deformed and can't speak and he is out there regardless ; he is an inspiration to all of us to not stare, not laugh, be patient and loving; respect all life b/c it is a gift and handle each challenge with grace and honor which honors the life of all of us. God bless you and your family ; I will keep you in my prayers.

Answer 4

The nite of the surgery, your dad will be gotten up to dangle at the bedside.
Then 24 hours post operatively he will be gotten up to walk with assistance of his nurse and a family member to manage his IV poles, catheter and drains. He will be expected to ambulate 4 times a day.
Every shift the RN will come into his room and listen to hear if he has bowel sounds and ask him if he is passing flatus from his rectum or examine his ostomy. When he gets bowel sounds which usually takes anywhere from 2 to 5 days, the nurse will clamp off his NG tube haning out of his nose and wait for several hours to see if he becomes nauseated or bloat.
When he tolerates the NG tube being clamped, passes gas from his rectum or colostomy, and has bowel sounds, the surgeon will order the tube to be removed from his nose and a clear liquid diet.
If he tolerates the clear liquid diet without being nauseated, his diet will be advanced to full liquid, then to regular or soft.
He will be up ambulating on his own by this time and be getting discharge orders.
If he has a colostomy, the Ostomy nurse will come in and teach him how to care for his appliance and hook him up with the medical supply company to send his colostomy bags to his house along with the paste, flanges, powders and charcoal tablets.
All of this usually takes anywhere from 4 to 10 days. Everyone recovers at a different speed.
The best thing you can do is offer yourself, and dont let his company stay so long they exhaust him. He will be weak and tired, but when he leaves the hospital, he will be doing the same things he did before he went in, but just a little slower.
Physical therapy will be there to decide what he needs at home and he should be able to navigate the stairs, just a little slower. He will probably need someone to cook for him and grocery shop for him because he will be tired.
Dont let him lay around though. This will lead to blood clots and pneumonia. Encourage him to get up and about, and go with him for support.
Hospital RN for 12 yrs. Specialty: surgical /Oncology

Answer 5

If I were you, I would do some things that would just make day to day life easier, like getting rails that you can mount next to the toilets, and other items that help provide stability for those with a lowered accessibility.

They can be found at the home depot and are relatively easy to install.

You might also want to set up a makeshift bed on the first floor, in case he can't do stairs.

Answer 6

oh honey,i feel for ya!! my dad also had colerectal cancer. yes,it is very stressfull! when he gets home he's going to need a ;lot of rest. MAKE SURE HE DRINKS LOTS OF FLUIDS! . the drink "ensure " is what my dad drank.ya know what ,click on my yahoo i.d and that will get you to my yanswers account page.you can e-mail me and i will give you my phone# .give me a call this evening.i was a wreck when my dad was sick. i wouold be happy to speak to you.

Answer 7

My mom just died after fighting cancer for 15 years. It is an evil disease. I wish you luck and strength.

Answer 8

hun,,,,colon cancer is not gonna disable him....dont worry...he'll be able to take care of him self in a while..just stay with him in the adolscence and he'll be fine later...

Answer 9

my sister & father have both had this type of surgery. IM me and I'll tell you everything about both of their experiences

ldmessing on yahoo