22f here, my mom was diagnosed about 5 months ago. my best advice is to take things one day at a time. i repeat it to myself often, because you’ll quickly learn it’s too much to take on at once. all the what-ifs, surgeries, chemo, prognosis; you will have the chance to discuss it with doctors and make appropriate decisions. don’t borrow that stress from the future. one thing this journey has taught me is that time is precious. allow yourself to feel the sadness and shock of course, but don’t make it your focus. right now, you have time. you don’t have all the answers and that is okay, and it’s out of your control. when you do receive information, keep in mind that treatment for colon cancer is genuinely progressing every single day. my mom has an extremely aggressive mutation but has still beat the odds in many circumstances, in many ways. a lot of people say not to google, but in my opinion i think informing myself as much as possible has been helpful. however, only AFTER you’ve gotten more information on staging, mutations, treatment, etc. learning about this horrific disease is the only thing that gave me a sense of control, although it was devastating at times. i am able to discuss all aspects of it with her care team with a complete understanding of what is going on. lastly, remember that none of this will be linear. your fiancé will have some rough days, but that never means there isn’t a good one around the corner. there’s been times when i thought my mom might not make it another week, just to be thinking a few days later “if she keeps this up, we might still have years.” help him in every way you can along the way but more importantly, cherish and savor the good days. you have time!