Ouch! GYN Appt.

jajmom
jajmom Member Posts: 33 Member
in Anal Cancer #1

I will start by saying this ahead of time, sorry for the frankness of this post!

What a shock! I just had my annual GYN appointment this past week and to be honest, it was the most painful exam I have experienced...of ay kind! I have never even had any mild discomfort during this type of exam or for the Pap test. My Dr. had to switch to a smaller speculum and it still caused excruciating pain. I have a dialator and estrogen cream but I never had any difficulty inserting it, so I thought everything was okay in there. Obviously not! My doc says intercourse is the best thing to keep this passage open, well I can't speak for anyone else, but radiation damage  has put a giant CLOSED sign on that area for the past 6 mos! I have discussed this with the hubby and he doesn't think intercourse is a good idea either...mostly for the obvious reason that it will cause pain and that's not the best mood enhancer in his book. I guess waiting for the fanny to heal completely was not the best plan.

Doc says there is no longer any elasticity, not that the passage has closed. Will this continue to worsen over time, or has it gotten as bad as it's going to get? Any tips or experiences would be welcomed.

Good news is my tests came back okay, bad news is GYN say I need to return annually to be tortured (his words!)

Thanks,

Chris

 

Comments

  • PegSue
    PegSue Member Posts: 13 Member
    #2
    Chris, Thank you for sharing

    Chris, Thank you for sharing your experience.  I will have to be sure to use the dialator a lot before my next OB/GYN visit.  My last radiation treatment was 5/24/2017 and my husband and I have only had sex twice.  The first time was excruciating, the second time was painful but not as bad as the first.  I used the dialator for 20 minutes prior to the second experience.  It certainly wasn't romantic but I looked at it as a process.  I'm hopeful that one day sex can be spontaneous again!

  • jcorum
    jcorum Member Posts: 54 Member
    #3
    Chris

    My husband and I TRIED a couple times to have sex in the first year but it was excurciating. I used the dialator faithfully and it was very painful at first. started with a small one, then went to a larger one. I took a mild pain pill before i would do it. It was right at a year after end of treatment that we had intercourse successfully. and it was still painful but we at least succeeded. My husband actually cried. He didnt think it was every going to happen again. I hate to say it took a few years but I am 7 years from end of treatment and its like it never happened. Sex is no longer painful and its been that way about 2 or 3 years. Dont put pressure on yourself. keep using the dialator and you'll know when you will feel comfortable enough to try. Just improvise with other methods together until intercourse is feasible.

  • Mcroc
    Mcroc Member Posts: 3
    #4
    It was too painful for me before I had cancer

    Sorry you have to go through this, caused by your treatment.  Only thing I can add to the conversation is that when I was diagnosed with anal cancer, my radiation oncologist wanted to do a vaginal exam in case the cancer might be in there too.  I was not expecting this, but pelvic exams and intercourse had become very painful.  It was so painful, the doc gave up and sent me to a OB/GYN for the pelvic exam.  This time I warned the doc I would take a hydrocodon, and to be aware.  He used lidocaine gell on me including 15 minute wait after application before he came back and the exam was just like they used to be - no pain.  As I just completed  chemo/radiation I was informed I will need to be examined again at the end of the month and already I  have informed that doctor’s assistant to get that gel for me, as I will take a hydocodon again before the exam.  Might work for you for exams too.

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