Hello Halse,

Welcome to our forum. Poor you I can understand why you feel like you are a bee to pollen buzzing from one type of  cancer experience to another.  I hope you have recovered well from Hodgkin's Lymphoma but I am sorry to hear you are now having to deal with squamous cell carcinoma.

I hope you are happy with the treatment plan they have offered you given your past history. If you are worried about the risks or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask your medical team whether there is a risk of having a colostomy after having this kind of surgery. I am sure they will have the experience and knowledge to inform you of any possible risks or side effects of surgery if there are any.

Feel free also to ring our cancer nurses on this free number 0808 800 4040 - their line is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and they may be able to answer your questions and help you prepare for the surgery and help you feel a little less nervous. You can also contact them via our Ask the Nurses topic area.

I hope you will also hear from some of our other members who have had this type of surgery before and that they will be along soon to share their experience with you

Best wishes,

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Halse, I did not have surgery (treatment only).  I did not want a colostomy, but there were times deep into treatment I wished (maybe naively) that I had one to get around having a painful poo.  There is a lady that swims at one of the public swimming pools who had a colostomy and wears a bikini.  Of course we all want to keep our bums, but this lady's is hardly noticeable.  

Some of the ladies in the anal cancer group had surgery and they will be able to give you better info.

Will be thinking of you,

Sheri x