3 wks into treatment

melbas2
melbas2 Member Posts: 108
edited March 2014 in Anal Cancer #1
Hi Y'll. Okay, I'm 3 weeks into treatment and boy do I hurt!! Imagine going to the beach nude, on the hottest day of the year, and falling asleep for 5 or so hours. I am so red down there and I feel like someone has lit a blowtorch every time I go to to bathroom. I use a cream after each incident, but the relief doesn't last that long. It probably doesn't help that my gas was shut off Friday and not back on till sometime today, so I've been able to take sitz baths. Does this go away with time? Thanks,Melodie

Comments

  • Kenny H.
    Kenny H. Member Posts: 502 Member
    #2
    Im about 3 weeks out of
    Im about 3 weeks out of treatment and still some burning. Where is your tumor located?
  • pjjenkins
    pjjenkins Member Posts: 173
    #3
    It'll go away
    Keep up with the cream but remember to be sure you have cleaned it off before having your next treatment because that can make it worse. Many of us wash it off before treatment and then use it again right afterward.

    The burned skin will clear up shortly after the end of radiation but not until. For some of us, the "coning down" of the radiated area reduces the extent of the burn later in the treatments. I hope this will happen for you. Again, remember that pain control is essential for you during this time.

    Sitz baths got me through and my daughter and husband often heated water on the stove when we didn't have enough hot water... I found the range of tolerable temperature quite small. Too hot obviously wasn't comfortable but too cool and all of me got cold quickly- our bodies go through quite a bit!

    Three weeks is half way! You go girl! Glad you are up to checking in - we are pulling for you!

    Priscilla
  • sissy310
    sissy310 Member Posts: 300
    #4
    Hi Melodie - wondered how
    Hi Melodie - wondered how you were doing. My burning started around the same time, I ended up sleeping butt naked with a fan on me. The only cream I was allowed to use was a water soluble cream and while it cooled the area a little bit did not do much else. My worse was not so much burning but severe itching. I ended up taking cool wet washclothes and putting them around my bottom like a sanitary pad with a towel under me and slept like that. Took pain pills too. It was the only comfort I got. I'm stll doing that and I'm out of treatment a week but not for pain for the itching only.
  • cujuja4evr
    cujuja4evr Member Posts: 106
    #5
    Suggestion for Itching
    I remember I was at my three-week mark when I really started noticing some changes. Skin discoloration started during my third week, and the burning and itching started around my 4th week. Unfortunately, I didn't know that this board existed and I had to figure everything out on my own. If you experience itching, try using over-the-counter benadryl. I tried everything from cool cloths to fans to climbing the walls. All it took were two little pills and the itching stopped and I was able to sleep. But, unfortunately, this was a temporary solution...the itching did stop for a period of time, but started up later. At least, the benadryl gave me enough relief for several hours. The itching does get better over time.

    Hang in there!

    Judy

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