Am I doing the same as most people?

midofnowhere
midofnowhere Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Iam a 43yr old woman living in the Australian outback and was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer in March 05. I travelled to Melbourne thousands of miles away for the chemoradio therapy of my T2N0M0 high grade, I was lucky to be diagnosed early, my first signs came late last year after a trip to asia, I was tired, found it hard to concentrate and of course anal bleeding following bowel movements. It took me six months to go and have a colonoscopy (usually have regular ones as dad had bowel cancer) as I was so busy at work and couldn't spare the time. Health should come first I realise now. I went to Melbourne so to be near family and friends for support, it was so important. Working in the medical field I am still finding it hard to come to terms with what has happened to my body and having cancer. Being healthy prior to treatment was a bonus, Ive survived the burns by using the creams (wax based) then solugel and gel impregnated gauze,(water based) plus must use a dilator in the vagina 3x a week using a lubricant called SYLK natural base, did the dressings constantly wearing very loose underwear to keep dressings in place, scarring has been minimal but I will never need to pay for a brazilian again, (my joke) How long will I feel tired post treatment, Iam due for my six week post treatment checkup in mid july 05 and although I am only working 3-6hrs a day I also sleep constantly and still take pain relief for the gut and rear, diet is ok but find I can only tolerate small meals, the heat here, Iam back home, is a constant 30 celcius very hot and is probably not helping, When does the pain go away? and have others had to continue taking pain relief for this long. my dr says go with the flow. I had HPV diagnosed in my late 20's and had hysterectomy in my 30's to prevent cervical cancer so how do we win? would like to be in touch with someone going through the same as me its lonely out here at times.

Comments

  • AlKeis
    AlKeis Member Posts: 1
    Hi. I'm also T2N0M0, diagnosed in Pennsylvania, US, in April. I'm almost halfway through chemo & radiation, and thus far still working. I'm currently using silver sulfadiazine cream for the burns. I'm supposed to be using a dilator but the doctor's office said that they are still backordered from the distributor. Maybe I'll get them in time for the recovery process.

    I found a support network at groups.yahoo.com. The group name is anal-cancer. Everyone has been helpful in sharing ideas, telling me things to expect, etc. I've even been able to surprise my doctors with how much I've learned about the process. There are members who are just undergoing treatment (like me), just finishing treatment and surviving post treatment for X number of years. I've found it to be a very helpful group.

    Alaine
  • Melanee
    Melanee Member Posts: 1
    It looks as if a whole bunch of us from the Yahoo! groups anal cancer list have found this site. I finished treatment on March 21, 2005 and thought I was doing so well...and actually, I think I am...but these last few days I've been helping my mother move and I've been so tired. To answer your question, who knows what's normal? Each of us seem to be at a different place. Some have serious burns, some have mouth sores, some have diarrhea, some have nausea. The pain will disappear, but I can't say how long it will take. Just let me tell you that I think that I'm doing just fine and I'm probably only a few weeks ahead of you, so you'll be fine, too.

    Melanee

    P.S. If you're not fine soon, you have my permission to email me and rag me out. :)
  • wings321
    wings321 Member Posts: 1
    I'm so glad I signed on to this site. I was diagnosed with squamos cell cancer and HPV in July, 2003, I am now cancer free; however I am still sleep deprived (I sleep 2 hours at a time), and I am always tired. I can eat almost anything; however if I drink too much coffee or chocolate, I get cramps. I see my proctologist every 6 months, and I will be sure to mention the stomach cramps to him. Initially after treatment when I mentioned the cramps to my doctor, his reply was "wait 2-3 years and if they still bother you, we will take action. I want action now. My chemo consisted of 2, 4 day stays in the hospital, where I was given Fu and mito 24/7. The first stay I went immediately back to work. However the second round I was home for about 6-8 weeks before I could go back to work. I also had no appetite after chemo; however I started trying different foods to determine what I could taste. Ice creame was defintely my best friend at the time. I was also given Ensure to drink as a supplement. The only pain I experienced was toward the end of my radiation treatment. I think I blocked out the pain and what I used. I honestly do not remember, however it does go away eventually. Although I was given pain medication when they performed the biopsy, I only took it once. I grew up taking pills as a child, and I only take them now if necessary. I so glad you wrote your note, and I hope your are feeling better.