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thank you for the strength you've given as I begin treatment
The battle begins tomorrow. Ever since my first post on this site a couple of weeks ago, all of you have offered your encouragement, knowledge, support, and love. I truly feel like I have a new family. You have answered my questions and shared your stories and offered suggestions on how to deal with side effects and…
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Issues and Helpful Medications - for new folks to the board. (Anyone and everyone please add to the
One thing that would have been helpful to me up front was a little bit of knowledge about some of the side effects of chemo or radiation and medications that may help. So I thought maybe we could begin to put something like that together for new folks and have begun a list below which I hope everyone will add to! Mouth…
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Met with the Radiation Onc MD today
I was supposed to start radiation/ chemo on Tues 9/4, but the she ( the doctor) said I need a PET scan because there was lymph node enlargement, and following the PET scan, will need CT planing scan. She is doing IMRT, and said radiation would last 6 1/2 weeks. My tumor is 7 cms long and goes almost completely around the…
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Will I need help at home?
I'm sorry to ask so many questions. Please know I appreciate all the information and support you all are giving me. I find this site a place of comfort. I live alone and have no family members close enough to help. From what I've read, I should be okay for the first three weeks. Should I try to get someone to stay with me…
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Designating a time and day of the week to meet in the chat room to discuss our issues?
I've entered the chat several times only to find it mostly empty. Would this group be interested in designating a time and day of the week to meet and chat to discuss our related issues? I often find myself wanting a real time response, a conversation, and to be able to do this with you all would be great. Let me know what…
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Scans
I have a question. I am one year post trearment and I am seen at the hospital about every 10 weeks. I was looking forward to my scan this September, but at my last appointment, the doctors told me that the hospital is not going to do scans anymore unless there are symptoms. I am confused. I trust my doctors. On the one…
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Newbie, starting radiation/ chemo 9/04
I am so glad to have found this site, and overwhelmed with all the love and support I see here. In late June of this year, I experienced significant rectal pain, accompanied by large amount of blood passing for an entire day. I anticipated this as hemmorhoids, but when the symptoms persisted over the weekend, I went to an…
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Starting treatment soon -- what happens the first day with chemo?
I am scheduled to start radiation and chemo on Monday, Aug. 27. I'm done with the radiation planning and have the simulation on the Friday before I start. No one has specifically explained the chemo part. Can anyone tell me what my first day will be like? I guess they will set up the delivery system for the chemo, and I…
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diagnosis changed from stage one to stage two; IMRT
Dear friends...I had my radiation simulation today at Duke and start treatment on Monday. I asked about the PET scan I had done on Wednesday. The doc said that a couple of lymph nodes were involved. I had been told at another hospital that it was stage one, but no PET scan was done. The doc said the nodes are beside the…
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rectal cancer surgery
i had anal cancer, all is clear now. Now they are saying surgery to remove the scar tissue and that i will end up with colostomy bag. Don't know what to think or do.
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Hello from Australia no 2
Hello and a big thank you to all those lovely people who replied to me. I couldn't find where to add to the messages to reply to you all so have to start a new post. Can someone tell me where to add to a discussion topic??? A couple of answers and a couple of questions from the posts. My rad treatment is guided by PET, MRI…
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Hello from Australia
Hello, I live in Australia and have just started treatment for anal cancer. Because of out small population there is little online in the way of forums for anal cancer, so I hope you don't mind if I join your discussion. :-) I had chemo last week- four days of 5FU and mitomycin injection via PICC line. I have had 5 out of…
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Question on protein sources during treatment
I start radiation and chemo in a little over a week. For the past few months, I completely changed my diet and worked out religiously doing both weights and cardio. I lost over 50 pounds. Part of my new diet was to cut out meat...an animal thing for me. I got most of my protein from protein powder mixed with skim milk.…
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Anal Wart Cauterization
Hi Everyone-- I saw my colorectal doc on September 2nd. for my 3-month follow-up with DRE and anoscopy. I have the ongoing radiation proctitis, which she says is causing my bleeding with hard BM's. What I wasn't expecting was the discovery of 3 very small anal warts. These are clustered together and are not at the original…
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2nd opinion different from 1st
I went to Duke for my second opinion today (1st came from UNC). The differnces: Duke is not ready to stage it. UNC said stage one. Duke wants to use IMRT radiation. UNC wants to do traditional or 3D. Duke did say the final decision would be based on the planning session. Duke is giving me a PETScan. UNC said nothing about…
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results of CT and several questions
First of all, I want you all to know that I'm so grateful for this site and for all the help you provide. I received my diagnosis on Aug. 3, and the support from you on this site has helped me to replace fear with determination and embarrassment with openness and candor. Thank you. I had my CT scan yesterday and met with…
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Vaginal Scaring
Hi everyone, now that I have completed my treatment and received a cancer free report a new side effect has presented which is vaginal scaring. I have been using the vaginal inserts but it burns so badly and I have light bleeding. I have an appointment with a GYN Oncologist to seek advice but wanted to reach out to the…
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I love NED!!!
Hi All, I haven't posted in a while, but wanted to let you all know, I had my exam under anesthesia on Aug 3rd and he took a couple biopsies. The doctor called me last Tuesday morning and said the biopsies he took on Aug 3rd showed no evidence of disease (NED)... So I am CANCER FREE!!!!!! Yippee.... hard to imagine with a…
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anal cancer-causes?
Just wondering...how many of you have anal cancer that do not fall into the typical "at risk" categories?
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Scar Tissue/Biopsy
Hey All, Today I went to my 12 week post treatment surgeon visit. At 6 weeks he saw scar tissue and said he would take another look in another 6 weeks (today) and possibly take a biopsy. Today he said he saw a spot in the middle of the scar tissue, and of course, took a biopsy. I understand the importance of the biopsy but…
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OUCHY!!!
Hi there, I am on week 4 of tx - 2nd round of chemo; 20 rad down, 10 to go. Good days and bad days. Today is bad!! Have taken 3 oatmeal baths, put on aloe for burn, benadryl cream for itch, taken half a oxy 5 every 3 or 4 hours - just took a whole 5 a while ago. Nurse said it will get worse before it gets better. Any…
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Odd
It seems very odd I checked more complaints on MSK's form at my Oncologists office this year than last. A year ago I had lived with pain so long, it felt normal. MSK taught me a a whole new perspective on life. An Update: Because of you contributors, I will be able to get to see a MSK Pelvic PT. I now have an MSK Gyn. What…
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Long term side effects of radiation??
Hello, I am 2years 5 months out of treatment for anal cancer stage 3 b. Recently I have been having strange side effects. I am having numbing in my toes, leg and shoulder I am also having terrible pain in my knee ( left side only). I saw the dr and they did an xray and said there was no obvious signs of bone mets. But of…
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How to cope with the shame/blame of anal cancer knowing it's often caused by HPV for Men and Women,
I am experiencing some self shame and blame associated with anal cancer and it's potential cause rooted in HPV infection. It's compounded by being a gay man with HIV (dealt with that). Have you all experienced the self shame/blame game of having this disease? How do you answer the why? How did you discover it? I know…
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Post treatment complications/possible residual cancer , In horrible pain and feeling hopeless
Hi. I'm new to the site. I was diagnosed with anal cancer stage 2 in Jan. 2012. Went through chemo and radiation. Survived that. I still had a residual lump that I was told not to worry about. Had a colonoscopy was all clear. I then started having pain at the lump site. Dr. told me that the residual lump had split open, he…
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Ready for my trip!
After a rough few weeks at the beginning during treatment I'm happy to report that my healing has gone very well and now just 4 weeks since fininshing treatment I am ready to take my trip to England!! My bowels are still not quite back to normal but no real big issues and have stopped all the stool softeners. I leave on…
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calcium supplement side effects
Hi-just wondering if anybody else out there has had this problem. I am 1 year post diagnosis and so far no recurrence :) ! I have recently added a calcium citrate + D supplement (no magnesium) at the urging of the gyn. Right after I started it, I had increased BM's and looseness; this had been really improving, so it is…
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anyone taken this mix of chemo?
Mitomycin,5-FU AND Cisplatin along with radiation?I should be stating this cocktail sometime next week and wondered if anyone has taken these together and what their reactions were.thanks in advance patsy
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Recurrence
Hi Everyone, I am new to this but it is nice to say I have anal cancer and not be embarrassed. I was diagnosed Sept 1, 2011 with stage III 4cm tumor with lymph nodes affected. Went thru the 6-8 weeks of chemoradiation with Mitomycin and 5FU and 28 radiation treatments, hospital stay and all. I finished in Nov and was…
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I am having new problems
I was dignosed with Stage 3a anal cancer on January 25, 2010 after having blood in mystool for about a year or more thinking it was something else. I went through 3 rounds of chemo with them being the 5fu pump for 5 days each time, fought with neausa and diarrhea and 31 days of radiation. I had radiatio burns so bad I was…