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pain in glutes
This isn't burn pain; I have no burns since I'm only three days into the radiation. I feel glute pain, more like muscular pain, a sort of dull ache that doesn't go away. Has anyone else experienced this?
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Had first follow up and am worried
Hi everyone. I had my first follow up doc visits and scans yesterday. The chemo oncologist, his resident, and the resident of the radiation oncologist said the PET and CT scans looked good. The radiation oncologist though was more guarded. He said he wanted to see how things look in three months. The radiation oncologist…
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fatigue and thirst
I'm about to start day 3 (meaning that I've had the mitomycin infusion and have been on the 5FU pump for just a little less than 3 days) but started to feel the full brunt of fatigue last night. Also experiencing unusual (not excessive but unusual) thirst. Has anyone else experieced this? Will report both to the medical…
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First day done & dusted
So far so good! Taking this day at a time & trying to be prepared at the same time. Radiotherapist advised me to use aqueous cream or aloe vera. Told me with aloe vera I could apply in the morning but no need to remove it prior to radiotherapy. I'm on prophylactic antibiotics too for the duration of my treatment. I slept…
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aquaphor, etc
I don't yet need aquaphor, having had only two radiation txs but decided to apply it anyway. It's much thicker than I expected and doesn't seem water soluble. Knowing the importance of removing all topical ointments before radiation, how do you remove this stuff? Also, the radio onlcologist who I like less and less each…
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1 week Post Treatment Care
Hello everyone, Question. I'm 7 days post treatment and have the normal genital burns and raw skin from clitorus south to anus. I still have (earlier post) sticking of the fleshy overlapping areas of skin. Aquaphor really helps but I'm having trouble getting it to stick to the raw areas. It appears it doesn't stick well to…
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Will I ever have sex again? I'm so scared
My chemo and radiation will start after New Year and I am so scared. Not just the treatments themselves, but the vaginal aftereffects, shrinkage, using a dilator, and all of that. I got married in July and I am worried that we may never have sex again. I wonder if it's best, or even possible, to begin using the dilators…
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Scan results...
So, on friday I got the results from my recent chest and pelvis CT scans. In Feb.2011 I was diagnosed with Stage3 Anal Cancer (chemo/rad/colostomy) and in Feb. 2012 Secretory Carcinoma of the breast (mastectomy). For the most part my scans remain stable with a few areas of improvement and a few minor freckles to keep an…
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Anyone have to stop their radiation treatments early? Have you remained cancer free?
I had Stage III Anal cancer and received the standard treatment of chemo and radiation in March and April of 2012. I unfortunately had to stop about six treatments short of the planned amount of radiation treatments due to complications. Although my PET scan came out clean in July 2012, the colo-rectal surgeon warned me…
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Pelvic lymph nodes
Hi there, The primary tumour is at the top end of the anal canal, with lymph nodes involved in mesorectum and pelvic area (2 lymph nodes in total). Anyone here had similar presentation? About to start treatment on 18th. Was called in by oncologist to discuss the likliehood of long term effects of radiation on small bowel.…
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Here's another newbie
Hi everyone. I have anal cancer (feel like I'm in front of a group of an AA meeting! :-) I'm T2 N0 M0; I've had all my tests done and start chemo and radiation this coming Monday. I've been reading this wonderful forum to find out as much as I can before something comes up and I'm unprepared. I'm so glad I was given this…
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Port question
Does anyone remember if they were injected with contrast media when the port catheter was placed?
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when it rains...
When it rains, it pours. After several scheduling fiascos, they've ended up with what might be the biggest, which is my day Monday: first radiation Tx and straight from there to the port implantation and straight from THAT to the first chemo Tx, all in one day. Someone dropped the ball if you asked me. This doesn't seem…
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Treatment Is Scheduled
It's been a week since I've written on this board. I met both my chemo and radiation oncologist this week, plus had a final MRI to rule out a spot on my liver and got my tatoos. I have had a total of 4 scans plus an hour and a half in the MRI tube since this all started. What a feeling it has been to sit there in those…
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Things are sticking together post treatment
Hello everyone, I have a question. Things in my genital area are sticking together. I noticed when I urinated that it wasn't falling immediately and felt something odd. I got a mirror and looked. The skin (which is raw) that lays on the sides of the urethra (not the outer set but the smaller ridged flesh that extends down…
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late effect radiation enteritis
Hi, Does anyone have any experience of radiation enteritis after treatment has been over a while? I understand it is commonplace during treatment. The position of the tumour & affected lymph nodes plus a lack of mesorectal fat has led my onc to call me in again to discuss the above. Anyone know of anything that can reduce…
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Mediterranian Diet
So I went to an hour-long lecture about diet for cancer patients in treatment and after. Forty-five minutes of the hour-long lecture, more or less, were devoted to plant-based diets and the Mediterranian Diet and it's cancer-protective properties. The lecturer was passionate and animated. There was no new or useful…
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soooo slooooow
why is this website so slow and hard to navigate?
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Finished Treatment Today
Hello everyone, I'm so excited that I finished my radiation treatments today! I have all the normal genital inflamation (burns) and some raw skin areas but overall, I'm ok. I was so scared when treatment began but I want everyone to know, this is doable. I've taken two heavy pain pills along the way just to take the edge…
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non cancer question... anyone have trouble with
non cancer question... anyone have trouble with using this website? I don't know if it's my internet connection or the website or something else, but I have trouble navigating and posting here due to the extremely slow speeds of this site. Is anyone else having the same problems?
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juicing, other foods and mouth sore question
Has anyone used a juicer during treatments? Any suggestions regarding that? Any other food suggestions? Ensure is an issue for me due to cost and sugar content. Any concensus about when the mouth sores appear?
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radiation set up
Anyone have their setup for radiation utilizing another CT scan?
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Treatment without radiation
Just found out that I have anal cancer. I am a prostate cancer survivor after having brachytherapy. I am also unable to have any more radiation in the anal region. Has anyone else had this problem?
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will decide for myself but soliciting opinions
Will decide for myself but soliciting opinions regarding when to ask my sister to come from another state to help me. She'll come when I need for as long as I need, but from a practical point of view, she just can't stay for weeks and weeks on end. Week 1 of chemo (from what I can tell) isn't usually very challenging but…
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questions about the radiation
How long does each radiation treatment last? Does the direction of the beam depend upon exactly where the tumor is? Is it aimed front to back or back to front? Is it directly up the caboose? Also... after, say, 10 or 15 treatments (with the concurrent chemo) is it generally possible to get around and manage on your own?…
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a helpful link with a lot of info
A friend of mine sent me this link. http://www.analcancerhelp.info/ It has a lot of good info.
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Kicking Cancer in the Butt
There have been several request recently for lots of information about how to prepare for treatment, lists of things to have on hand prior to, and how to deal with side effects. I am posting a link below to a book that is available on Amazon.com that was written by a virtual friend of mine, Theresa Mayhew, which gives…
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chronic inflammation, anyone diagnosed?
It just occured to me that my asthma, prediabetes, hypertension, fatigue and SCC might all be attributable to chronic inflammation. I'll have my internist run a c-reactive protein test asap, but has anyone tested postive for this? Has it affected your treatments for anal cancer or influended recovery and/or side effects?…
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clothing, food and miscellaneous items
Any comments regarding comfortable clothing, food and "things that are useful to have around" during treatments? I know that these things are discussed in various other posts but was hoping for something all in one place. Thanks to all in advance.
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Recurrent fissure developed 3 years after treatment
Hoping some long term survivors out there will have some insight on this. I completed treatment 3 years ago for stage 3 anal cancer. I was fortunate that the sexual side effects of treatment did not last very long and I've had a normal sex life for the past few years. However, a few months ago I developed a fissure at the…