6 months post treatment

melbas2
melbas2 Member Posts: 108
in Anal Cancer #1
Hi y'all, I just read some posts and yes Martha nailed it. But I'm 6 months post treatment and I still have all that crap going on. I am seeing my oncologist in the am for the 1st time in 2 months and I think she's going to tell me to stop being a baby. But I can't go anywhere if I'm not close to a toilet, if it isn't unbelievable pain due to bowel movements it's the constant itching driving me insane. I sleep maybe an hour or two per night and then when I do finally fall out from exhaustion my husband finds it necessary to wake me up to see if I'm okay. I've tried sleeping pills, but I'll still be up at 3 or so, and most of my appointments are at 8:30. Any help or suggestions are welcome and apprieciated. Thanks, Melodie

Comments

  • SueRelays
    SueRelays Member Posts: 485
    #2
    Melodie, all I can offer is
    Melodie, all I can offer is it does get better, but never completely...at least 3 years later for me I still have times when I have to run to the bathroom. 6 months is just not near enough time to heal all the damage that has been done though. I wondered if I was EVER going to be able to go back to work, due to the necessaity of having a bathroom close by and being able to get there when I needed to! But it does get better! I promise!!!
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #3
    Hi Melodie!
    I'm sorry things are not improving quickly for you, but what Sue says is true, it takes time. Your intestines have suffered a lot of damage from the radiation and they can be slow to heal. You may want to take a really close look at what foods you are eating and see if you can identify any that are contributing to the urgency issues. Also, I have found that certain foods can cause burning/irritation. I can no longer eat any foods that contain seeds (like kiwi, strawberries), nuts, corn or cantalope. All cause me great distress. I can eat spicy foods, but must be prepared for some burning and possible diarrhea. Keep in mind that I am 2 1/2 years out of treatment.

    As for the sleep issues, one thing that helps me is to keep a regular schedule, always going to bed and getting up at the same times. However, I confess to getting off schedule over the weekends and it can mess me up for the entire week. I find that taking a nice warm shower or bath before bed can help. Also, no TV or computer an hour before going to bed is a good idea. I am betting that your sleep problems are related to the menopause. Perhaps a visit to your gyno for a discussion about hormonal issues would be of benefit.

    I'm sorry, but that's all I've got.
  • gratefulmom
    gratefulmom Member Posts: 15
    #4
    mp327 said:

    Hi Melodie!
    I'm sorry things are not improving quickly for you, but what Sue says is true, it takes time. Your intestines have suffered a lot of damage from the radiation and they can be slow to heal. You may want to take a really close look at what foods you are eating and see if you can identify any that are contributing to the urgency issues. Also, I have found that certain foods can cause burning/irritation. I can no longer eat any foods that contain seeds (like kiwi, strawberries), nuts, corn or cantalope. All cause me great distress. I can eat spicy foods, but must be prepared for some burning and possible diarrhea. Keep in mind that I am 2 1/2 years out of treatment.

    As for the sleep issues, one thing that helps me is to keep a regular schedule, always going to bed and getting up at the same times. However, I confess to getting off schedule over the weekends and it can mess me up for the entire week. I find that taking a nice warm shower or bath before bed can help. Also, no TV or computer an hour before going to bed is a good idea. I am betting that your sleep problems are related to the menopause. Perhaps a visit to your gyno for a discussion about hormonal issues would be of benefit.

    I'm sorry, but that's all I've got.

    hey Melodie
    I'm sorry things aren't going well for you. Maybe I can offer you some hope. I am 6 months post treatment now and I am totally healed up.I have been truly blessed compared to many of you. The only issue I seem to have is waking up alot in the night,but most of the time I can fall right back to sleep. It only took me about 6 weeks to get my stomach and bathroom issues back to normal.I work in my home so I didn't have to worry about being away from the bathroom,and I was back to work the week after I finshed treatment.Time will heal all wounds for the most part,I'm just afraid It's longer for some than others. Be patient and hang in there. God Bless
  • grandma2selena
    grandma2selena Member Posts: 199
    #5
    I agree with the others
    At six months our bodies are still doing so much healing. It does get better though. This may sound strange, but I noticed after going through treatments I am not able to wear cotton underwear. I have to pay a little more and get satin underwear with no cotton what so ever in them. If I wear cotton underwear I itch and burn like crazy. It must be the looseness or better ability to get air with the satin underwear.
  • patacz
    patacz Member Posts: 64
    #6
    Getting impatient is normal,
    Getting impatient is normal, 6 months seems to be a long time, but is not enough to recover from such aggressive treatment. According to my dr. it can take up to two years, and it all depends of the people, we are so unique that it is different for every person. I finally seeing some improvement on mine, but I still have to watch what I eat. Finally, I came to the realization that it will never be the same for me. When people ask me if I am back to normal, I say yes, but it is a new normal, it is not the way I was before. Take care, and arm yourself with patience, it might takes some time, but there is hope, God Bless!
  • Donna M
    Donna M Member Posts: 25
    #7
    See a GI
    I had the same problems you have been having, and I am about at the same stage out of treatment as you are. No one could figure out what was causing the problem. I had all the symptoms of proctitis, without having proctitis, was in constant pain and had diarrhea to point of being incontinent. I had another colonoscopy which was normal (Yeah!) and the GI doc put me on Questran. 2 days after I started taking it no more diarrhea, no more pain, no more itch that can't be scratched, no constant sitz baths, no more creams and ointments and sitting on towels. I can even wear pants for a short period of time. My PCP put me on trazadone and celexa and I can sleep at night, most of the night through.

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