Lingering Pain

nellie67
nellie67 Member Posts: 28 Member
edited March 2014 in Anal Cancer #1
I am approximately 4 months post treatment (radiation and chemotherapy), lately I have been having painful bowel movements and even had a little blood. It seems like its more so when my stools are firmer that it hurts, but Im not constipated nor would I saw my stools are hard. Maybe they are larger in diameter its hard to say, anyways has anyone experienced this? Is this something I should be concerned with and will it go away? Also another thing Ive noticed after I eat my stomach (bowels) make the craziest noises, its so audible that people can hear it at work. I tend to have a little discomfort after I eat too, like a dull pain in the lower part of my tummy area. Iam assuming its my bowels that are probably still healing. Just wanted to see if anyone out there has had or having these kinda symptoms.
Thanks,
nell

Comments

  • sissy310
    sissy310 Member Posts: 300
    #2
    Hi Nell. I'm almost 5
    Hi Nell. I'm almost 5 months out of treatment and I am experiencing a lot of similar things. My tummy will make the loudest growling and gurgling sounds. I was at a quilt kvetch (where a bunch of us gather and sew and just talk - hence the kvetch term) and my tummy was making all kinds of noises and I was apologizing. I said since treatment my tummy has a mind of its own! I also am having some painful bouts and find that if I do not drink enough fluids or have my veggies and fruit or benefiber I pay for it later. The colo-rectal surgeon told me that the anal canal has shrunk some and that the bleeding I experience (not a lot but since this was a symptom to begin with, I can understand the concern too) is a small tear that gets irritated. I would still bring it to the attention of my doctor so they can check. It can't hurt. I find if I am concerned about something I question and ask - bring questions with me to the doctor appointments and that eases my fears. Marilyne
  • grandma2selena
    grandma2selena Member Posts: 199
    #3
    Yes, Me Too
    Yes, after treatment I really had a tough time with scary things like this. After talking to my doctor though and realizing that things will never really be quite the same for me my mind finally found some peace. I think the hardest thing for me though was the inability to control my bowel movements. That has gotten better with time, though it has taken a lot of work on my part to retrain my bowels. Hang in there it does get better.
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #4
    Hi Nellie
    Yes, your bowels are still healing. Mine make some horrible noises sometimes and I'm 28 months post-treatment. It all depends on what I eat and how much water I drink. It will most likely improve the farther you get out from treatment. Now, about the blood, this is probably normal and is caused by radiation proctitis. The radiation thins the lining of your intestines, making the blood vessels closer to the surface. When stool passes by, it causes irritation and can bleed. I still have this sometimes, mostly when I am constipated, have hard or large stools, or don't drink enough water. You could also have some anal stenosis, making the anal opening smaller, which can bleed with a large stool. I know it's scary to see that blood, so since you are experiencing this for the first time after treatment, I would suggest calling your doc's office and letting them know.

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