CancerCompass message board discussion started by Callia46 on 10/15/2006 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,7287,0.htm Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ My husband was diagnosed with rectal melanoma exactly 1 year ago today. He had surgery the end of November and they removed his rectum and sewed his backside shut and gave him a permanent colostomy. His stoma is a innie as the stoma had turned black and died and I cut it out. The last several months he has experienced some severe episodes of bleeding from the stoma and recently the acting physician said his stoma was closing and would need to be closed and a new opening made either higher on the same side or on the other side. His regular doctor has decided to put this off till January for whatever reason. He never really explained. Now today I noticed that Bill is seeping an infectious slightly blood tinged fluid from an opening in the incision area of his backside that had been closed. I am concerned as to what would be causing this incision to reopen and if it might have something to do with the bleeding he has been experiencing. With the type of cancer he has, the prognosis is not good and we have been told that most patients do not survive 5 years. So we are anxious to find out what is happening. any help would be greatly appreciated. Bill did not have any chemo or radiation after his surgery as he was told it would be of no benefit. All he has had was the surgery and he was toldd the cancer in all likelihood, would come back. Callia46 Sun, 15 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Hi Callia! So sorry to hear of your husbands difficulties with the bleeding. I am sorry to say I don't have any information on that at all, but I do have a sister who has also been diagnosed with Rectal Melanoma, back in April. The doctors at Sloan Kettering and here where we live said that they didn't feel the colostomy would be beneficial. So she just had surgery. No treatment, nothing. She has regular CT scans and MRI's, so far nothing has returned any where else. My question is, did your husband have any lymph nodes affected? did they stage him at the time of surgery? what was the size of the lesion? has it spread anywhere else after a year? my sister just had a CT scan come out clear, but it's only been 7 months. We keep praying that it is gone for good, but know that the prognosis is very poor for this type of cancer. It's good to keep in touch with people that are going through the same thing and share information with. Wish I could offer some advice about your husband. I'll be praying for you guys! ~Cathbean Cathbean Wed, 08 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT