Dr. Douglas M. Iddings

Rectal cancer comes in many forms. There is a trans anal excision for early cancers, there is a low anterior resection with reconnection with anal sphincter preservation and then there is the abdominal peroneal resection APR. Most rectal cancers are in an area where you can preserve the sphincter and if there’s going to be a resection with incisions on the abdomen and you’re going to preserve the sphincterThen it should be around three hours. Maybe a little more. Many patients have chemotherapy and radiation prior to surgery in order to try and preserve the sphincter and improve negative margin successful surgery rates. Not a straightforward answer because the question is a little bit unclear.

About three months to a year. Depending on if this was an open traditional surgery versus a robotic surgery and depending on how much land was removed. It also depends on if this was a cancer and if other chemotherapy treatments and radiation is needed as well.

Low hemoglobin (hgb) after surgery means there was likely some blood loss during or after your surgery. There are other causes like dilution if you were dehydrated prior to surgery, so what I am saying is "in general" of course. Hgb is in the blood and carries oxygen to your tissues. If your levels were normal prior to surgery then having low levels means there was either blood loss or dilution from the IV fluid. The operative note should clearly state the "estimated blood loss" during the surgery or just ask your surgeon. All surgery is serious, but during some surgeries, a large amount of blood loss is expected and other surgeries a transfusion is likely to replace expected blood loss after levels of Hgb go down below 7 or so. If there was blood loss and you refuse a transfusion (due to religious reasons, i.e., JW), then an acute loss from normal (15) down to less than 5 can result in serious serious complications. Death is much more common when Hgb is <5 in this setting. To rebuild your own Hgb, you will need iron as that is the limiting factor commonly. If your Hgb is 10 or so, then that is common and it should slowly return to your pre-surgical levels in a couple of months. Problems from blood loss come immediately during or after the blood loss so the fact you're writing this question tells me you're doing pretty good. 
Good luck with your continued recovery. Recovery should take 1-2 months before you feel great. It's important not to smoke, maintain ideal fitness, and decrease your stress to make your recovery the best it can be.

Yes. Thank God it kills cancer. There are side effects from treatment no doubt. Wearing your immune system is the least of it. The area becomes thick and firm (woody texture) as opposed to soft and supple (normal).

Yes.

It is possible, but not ideal.

Complicated answer because the question is not specific. "A blood disorder" is not a diagnosis, but exercise and being at an ideal body weight (not more than 150 pounds unless you go to the gym daily or are an athlete) will help. Plant-focused diet may help as well. Being fit mentally and physically will be a great place to start. Most people are obese and think they are not and think they are in good shape and they are not. People need to start with being honest with themselves. That being said, talk to your hematologist.

You're going to need a few weeks. In 1 month, you should feel pretty good. Cancer can keep responding to radiation therapy for much longer, so effects are still taking place at 8 and even 12 weeks out. 

People can have a third cancer, but it is rare. Pain is not a typical symptom of cancer and there are a lot of causes for abdominal pain. See your doctor, but chances are low you have another cancer...but not zero.

Yes, it is called a mammogram. There are different kinds of mammograms, but they still miss about 10% of cancers.

Well, many things could cause it. High blood pressure, diabetes, certain drugs & others things too can cause it. 

You really need to see the pediatric oncologist. Typically, it's not treated with radiation.

Yes. Very much so. 

In general, there is no way to prevent it that is easily available and proven. Many "disorders" are inherited and are therefore "genetic" and may be fixed in the future with "gene therapy," which could correct the code in the DNA.

It can lead to better control of the disease if it is part of a multidisciplinary treatment plan. Talk to your medical oncologist specifically about the details.

Hi,

This is Dr. Iddings, I am a surgical oncologist. There is no absolute answer to this question, but a sensually we typically wait one month after chemotherapy before doing a had major surgery and that is considered recovery enough to take on a major surgery and he'll reasonably well. That truth of it is probably a little longer before there is absolute full recovery but the recoveries pretty good after a month and after 3 months you should be feeling pretty good. You may not recover fully from chemotherapy as there are some side effects to some chemotherapy is like numbness that may never go away. Essentially, it is a new normal and you will get there 1 to 3 months after chemotherapy has been as. Radiation on the other hand has long lasting effects that get worse and worse so there certainly is no full recovery after radiation and there is also a new normal there.
I hope that helps. The short answer is about a month.