I can' believe we all got through the treatment. I personally think we all did well to get there sane!
I' m 5 weeks post treatment now, and I'm feeling ok most days, I too do tend to watch what I'm eating, no real issues and I haven' suffered with diarrhoea but I do try to keep my diet on an even keel. I don' t seem to have an appetite, I could quite easily go all day without eating and think nothing of it. ( I haven' lost any weight tho).
It's the toilet thing for me, I have one day that I constantly feel as tho I need to poo, maybe up to 7 times in that day, then it settles and I'm normal then for a couple of days. Only occasionally do I need to rush for the toilet. And the whole thing is getting better with each day.
Have any of you been given the dialators and have you started using them? I'e been told I need to use them every day for a few minutes for 6 months! Then a few times a week for the foreseable! That I find is a ball ache.
I too think of you all, all the time. It's a lovely thought that we are all the other side of this horrible journey .
I had a holiday booked to Thailand and Cambodia which was booked before my diagnosis, to go in October but I'm thinking of cancelling it now because the holiday involves living in the villages and eating local food and I'm not sure now if my stomch can cope with that, although I never had issues of that sort before my treatment. I have my first follow up appointment on 11th June so I though I'd ask my doctor and see what she thinks.
Yes Sue I was given a dialator when I visited the Dr on my first appointment after the treatment finished. She was annoyed as it should really have been given the day I completed treatment....I was told its important as although not everyone is having regular sex, in the future you may need a smear and it will be more comfortable to still be nice and open in that area ;) Its very uncomfortable for me at the moment and i'm only on the small sizest size...I have quite a few more to go through until I use the broom handle she gave me!! Your pending holiday sounds lovely Sue and I hope it will go ahead. You never know October is still a little way off and you are improving each day. Gilliebean I too had the nerve pains down my legs, thankfully they disappeared. I was told to take pain killers and they did go after a day or two but I know what you mean...it can be quite painful. If I have been doing a lot of walking I do find that the pelvic area aches more than usual. Im guessing all the radio in that area has caused this...I hope! Forgot to ask Sue has she taken the helicopter ride yet over Snowdonia? I remember you saying it was a gift and saving it up for when feeling better.... Gilliebean I feel there may still be something there i.e. lump but the Dr did say it was hard in the area that the radio was given and radio causes this so with a bit of luck it won't be the dreaded C still around.... Love to you all and as always thinking about each and everyone of you! Mandy x
I have started using my dialator, mine was given to me by the fem care nurse at the hospital a week before my treatment finished. I'e been getting on not to bad with it, although I did ache for about an hour afterwards, so I've started using it at bed time, that way if I ache it will be while I'm asleep!
I too get the aches down the back of my legs, mainly when I go to the toilet a few times in the morning, I've found if I take a painkiller it gets it under control and I can carry on as normal for the rest of the day. Living near Snowdonia I love walking the hills, but I've not attempted them yet although I do love paddling in the surf, which is enough for now.
I haven't done my helicopter ride yet, I was saying to my granddughter I can organise it now.... I can't wait. I can put my holiday off for a couple of months, so I'm thinking of postponing it until about Jan or Feb, give me a bit more time.
i’m only 1 week post treatment, so still having sore botty problems. But I have been on a bland diet since my second week of treatment as I couldn’t control the diarrhoea, this is mainly white bread, rice and pasta very boring but haven’t felt like eating that much anyway. Although today I did have a bacon roll it was lush but not sure how it will effect my tum, so far so good. Am looking forward to getting back to normal eating I haven’t had any fruit or veg for weeks now! I normally have a high fibre diet as I suffer with IBS so this was the best diet for me to help with constipation which I often suffered with.
Dilators were given to me on my last day of treatment, obviuosly I’m not ready to use them yet, but I was told to use them for 5 mins 3 times per week for at least 2 years! My follow apppointment is on the 21 June, but I will also need another biopsy on a lump they found on my thyroid, the last one was inconclusive. I just take each day as it comes.
And finally I’m fair skinned and freckly. My Dr told me ladies that have problems with haemorrhoids and anal fissures are more than likely to develop the cancer.
very spooky, thought I’d look at this site and because it’s been quiet for a while and would write a post, and there was one from you!
i doing ok, 3 weeks post treatment. My skin has healed but it still stings to pee and poo! Also feel very tired, I trying to go out for a little walk every day, only started on Monday, to build my strength up. I’ve got Slight bowel incontinence, is that normal?
Fortunately my choice of foods has improved, although I steer clear of anything too fatty or spicy!
Apart from that I’m enjoying the sunshine and being able to sit in the garden, I’m signed off work until the end of June, don’t know when I will go back don’t want to rush it, I wan to make sure I’m strong enough because it will full on when I do.
hope you are ok and managing to have your problems sorted out?
to the rest of the girls on here, hope you are all ok too and well on the road to recovery
You sound just like me. I' m 7 weeks post treatment, bowels are just sorting themselves out! I get slight bowel incontinence, usually in the morning, but it's sgetting better every day. The worst I had was going to the toilet about 7 times a day, I took painkillers to calm it down and that worked. I had my first follow up appointment on Monday, my doctor said everything I am experiencing is normal, still early days and to give it time. I' m not back at work yet, hoping to go back begging of July, it' just the bowel thing I'm a bit anxious of. I started using my dialator 4 weeks after treatment, it gets on my nerves to be honest remembering it every day. I also found the fatigue crippling at times, but that is much better now. I still have to be careful how much I do cause it quickly catches up with you,. Same as you with food, I did loose my appetite completey ( it' s still not great now) but I still watch how much fibre I'm having and I steer clear of spicy foods.
It's lovely to feel almost back to normal now, and I love being at home, I too have spent a lot of time in the garden enjoying the lovely sunshine. I must say we picked the ideal time for this I think lol.
Mum is doing ok, she came home but went in again last weekend. She had another UTI, she is just prone to them, as she has tumours on her kidneys, never been confirmed if it’s cancer as the procedure too evasive and if they did a biopsy would make it worse. So she Is home again now with massive antibiotics!!
just have to keep going as there isn’t much they can do because she has numerous other conditions which could be risky. Funnily enough they even considered radiotherapy to reduce the kidney tumours but after talking to a Doctor yesterday he thought it would be too much. And as we all know that having been through it it’s not pleasant and causes it’s own problems.
I suspect this could go on for a while, my poor Mum.
Unfortunately, I think that bowel and/or bladder incontinence can occur from the treatment. I'm 8 months out and it still hits me every once in a while, but it has definitely improved. I could go into detail, but I'll spare you from that. I have been on a low fiber diet since treatment and it really seems to help with the potty pain, but it's difficult to get the proper nutrients. My guess is that the location of the cancer makes the potty pain linger longer for some than others. There is a huge difference if I eat fiber. Ointment also helped tremendously with the painful pee. It adds a layer of protection. I'm so glad you have gotten passed the two week mark and things aren't as bad for you. I am finally getting my gallbladder out next week. It's taken way too long to get this accomplished. I should start feeling better once my body adjusts.
No dialators for me. They weren't offered. I'll probably regret it at my next yearly physical.
I'm so sorry that your mom is having those issues. That's tough when you don't feel that great yourself. I agree about making sure you are up to returning to work. I don't remember how long it took before I didn't feel wiped out all the time. I still get tired, but I'm ok for several hours. My tummy has kept me down. Hang in there. Baby steps.
