Hi there Melanie and thank you for your post

I am sorry to hear about your dad and the after effects he is experiencing following radiotherapy.

Unfortunately due to the locality of where the radiotherapy was given this can cause some bowel and bladder and tummy troubles alongside tiredness. Do make sure your dad lets his doctor or nurse know, so they can also assess him and prescribe medications as needed.

There is some information about the possible side effects from abdominal or pelvic radiotherapy on the website, so do take a look.

At this time it is important your dad is drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated. This will help with any lost fluid from having loose stools and diarrhoea as well as diluting the urine that hopefully will ease any stinging or burning sensations he has. Anti diarrhoea medications such as loperamide can often be used to slow down his bowel movements too.

It isn't unusual to feel a bit nauseous or to have a reduced appetite alongside the diarrhoea so try and encourage your dad to eat smaller meals or regular snacks rather than larger meals. Foods low in fibre such as white bread, pasta and rice are better at times like this. Anti sickness medications can also be given if required.

Your dad needs to listen to his body and if he needs to rest or sleep a little more at the moment this is okay. However if he feels up for some fresh air and a gentle walk this can help with the fatigue as well.

Remember with radiotherapy the side effects often worsten for a week or so after the treatment has finished but then will start to improve.

I hope this helps and your dad starts feeling better in himself soon. As I say do make sure your dad lets his team know about how he is feeling so they can also best manage this for him.

Take care

Naomi