Is worry normal after one year post treatment. bowles still a problem

Brendaklein

Seems like every little pain or strange body feeling, makes me wonder if something else is wrong. 

All the Doctors appts. and checks ups. Always scared they will find something else. How do you cope

with this? 

feckcancer

Live in the moment & trust

Live in the moment & trust your oncologists & do what they tell you...and remember that even though you have had cancer you are monitored now so well that if it did come back the doctors would be on to it straight away, not giving it a chance. I also stopped anything i felt might have contributed to me getting cancer in the first place eg:  stopped smoking cigarettes , stopped working so hard, cut stressful or toxic people from my life, ate healthier etc.  3.5 NED years later certain foods can still give me bad diarrhoea so i try to eat low fibre, no red meat and always always have loperamide on hand. For ages if i ate something that my body didn't like it would take 20mins before the diarrhoea started so i use to stay by a toilet for at least 1/2 an hour  to be safe. I do have trouble with my lower back/hips and a numb bit in my groin which my doctors say is scar tissue from radiation on my lymph nodes so i go to accunpunture followed by massage & an osteopath a few times a month . I take magnesium supplements and have epsom salts in a hot bath (good for sore muscles), take hemp oil, take tumeric supplements (both anti inflammatory therefore anti cancer) . medical cannabis balms are good for pain/numb bits if it is legal in your country. I also take vitimin B as i became very low in it after treatment (comon apparently) and iron. hang in there, you have been through a big fight and won. now you are still healing. it does get better. 

Brendaklein

feckcancer said:

Live in the moment & trust

Live in the moment & trust your oncologists & do what they tell you...and remember that even though you have had cancer you are monitored now so well that if it did come back the doctors would be on to it straight away, not giving it a chance. I also stopped anything i felt might have contributed to me getting cancer in the first place eg:  stopped smoking cigarettes , stopped working so hard, cut stressful or toxic people from my life, ate healthier etc.  3.5 NED years later certain foods can still give me bad diarrhoea so i try to eat low fibre, no red meat and always always have loperamide on hand. For ages if i ate something that my body didn't like it would take 20mins before the diarrhoea started so i use to stay by a toilet for at least 1/2 an hour  to be safe. I do have trouble with my lower back/hips and a numb bit in my groin which my doctors say is scar tissue from radiation on my lymph nodes so i go to accunpunture followed by massage & an osteopath a few times a month . I take magnesium supplements and have epsom salts in a hot bath (good for sore muscles), take hemp oil, take tumeric supplements (both anti inflammatory therefore anti cancer) . medical cannabis balms are good for pain/numb bits if it is legal in your country. I also take vitimin B as i became very low in it after treatment (comon apparently) and iron. hang in there, you have been through a big fight and won. now you are still healing. it does get better. 

Thank you feckcancer

I started the epsom salts baths...helps a lot. I need to stop smoking, husbands smokes too. I really have to try harder on that one. My BP is high

I'm sure from stress. Mamogram schd. fot tomorrow ugh. Oncologist wants another blood test for CEA levels. I still have a hard time with my bowles, no diarrhoea, the other way, takes me maybe two hours to empty. Thank you very much for the advice, I've heard of turmeric. No one told me about vitimin B. I'm 61 I will be getting some soon.  

feckcancer

honestly, this is probably

honestly, this is probably the last thing you want to hear but if you are going to do anything to help the cancer not come back it's stopping smoking cigarettes. get some vapes with high nicotine. every 3 months cut the nicotine % down until nicotine free then stop that when able. & ask your husband to stop too to help you stay stopped. it will be really hard but statistically it will help your chances of the cancer not coming back and if you can't wean yourself off nicotine vapes then it will still be better than smoking cigarettes but nothing going in your lungs is best. using NRT will give you a better chance of giving up.  if you ask your oncologist what is the best thing to do to reduce the chance of your cancer coming back it will be the first thing your oncologist will tell you at the same time as they are saving your life with their knowledge.  . he/she knows what thay are talking about and have got you here cancerfree so far so listen to them. trust me, i know. 30 years 1--2 packets cigs a day, could become addicted again right now but my fear of having cancer again overrides my cravings for a cigarette. anal cancer is like diet cancer...it's nothing as bad as some of the others but it can be so don't invite it back by smoking...plus cravings/giving up  will take your mind off worrying about getting cancer again plus you havr taken control of your health  . do all the other things that doctors say will help your chances of cancer not coming back like the tumeric ( apparently works better with cracked pepper and heated ) etc unless your cancer comes back. if it comes back it's not working so might as well smoke again. well thats my reasoning so far. seems to be working at the moment but who knows?  sorry but not sorry for the lecture

Brendaklein

feckcancer said:

honestly, this is probably

honestly, this is probably the last thing you want to hear but if you are going to do anything to help the cancer not come back it's stopping smoking cigarettes. get some vapes with high nicotine. every 3 months cut the nicotine % down until nicotine free then stop that when able. & ask your husband to stop too to help you stay stopped. it will be really hard but statistically it will help your chances of the cancer not coming back and if you can't wean yourself off nicotine vapes then it will still be better than smoking cigarettes but nothing going in your lungs is best. using NRT will give you a better chance of giving up.  if you ask your oncologist what is the best thing to do to reduce the chance of your cancer coming back it will be the first thing your oncologist will tell you at the same time as they are saving your life with their knowledge.  . he/she knows what thay are talking about and have got you here cancerfree so far so listen to them. trust me, i know. 30 years 1--2 packets cigs a day, could become addicted again right now but my fear of having cancer again overrides my cravings for a cigarette. anal cancer is like diet cancer...it's nothing as bad as some of the others but it can be so don't invite it back by smoking...plus cravings/giving up  will take your mind off worrying about getting cancer again plus you havr taken control of your health  . do all the other things that doctors say will help your chances of cancer not coming back like the tumeric ( apparently works better with cracked pepper and heated ) etc unless your cancer comes back. if it comes back it's not working so might as well smoke again. well thats my reasoning so far. seems to be working at the moment but who knows?  sorry but not sorry for the lecture

Thank you feckcancer

Yes, I am cutting back on the smoking as we speak. It is hard, but I do have a vape and fake cig to carry if need be. 

I do worry,,to much time on my hands I guess. I'm 61 on the 24th. My bp has been all over the place. Mammogram done last Friday. 

CEA level is 7.4 I go back for more blood test next week. Oncologist said not to worry. UGH.. 

feckcancer

Awesome you are taking the

Awesome you are taking the 1st steps to become smokefree and increase your chances of staying cancerfree but you know you have to stop , so why don't you just stop now? everytime you smoke you are just readdicting yourself & setting yourself up for more cravings. the only way to stop is to stop.

have a big smoke smokefeast to say goodbye to your beloved cigarette addiction , buy 3,4,5 packets just smoke them all and go to bed with none left so the next morning is the beginning of your new smokefree life. love yourself enough to promise yourself that the only time you will ever smoke again is if the cancer comes back and grit your teeth & stick to it. it will be so hard but so worth it and you can do it. good luck for your mammogram results, it's fantastic that your oncologist says not to worry, he/she is doing their bit so you can do yours. As for worry you will always worry because you have had cancer but i can tell you 3.5 NED years ahead of you I worry less because I don't smoke & do other things that contributed to me getting cancer in the first place anymore . And you know why your BP is up. 

Hang in there. you've got this. Kia Kaha ~ Stay Strong~

Brendaklein

feckcancer said:

Awesome you are taking the

Awesome you are taking the 1st steps to become smokefree and increase your chances of staying cancerfree but you know you have to stop , so why don't you just stop now? everytime you smoke you are just readdicting yourself & setting yourself up for more cravings. the only way to stop is to stop.

have a big smoke smokefeast to say goodbye to your beloved cigarette addiction , buy 3,4,5 packets just smoke them all and go to bed with none left so the next morning is the beginning of your new smokefree life. love yourself enough to promise yourself that the only time you will ever smoke again is if the cancer comes back and grit your teeth & stick to it. it will be so hard but so worth it and you can do it. good luck for your mammogram results, it's fantastic that your oncologist says not to worry, he/she is doing their bit so you can do yours. As for worry you will always worry because you have had cancer but i can tell you 3.5 NED years ahead of you I worry less because I don't smoke & do other things that contributed to me getting cancer in the first place anymore . And you know why your BP is up. 

Hang in there. you've got this. Kia Kaha ~ Stay Strong~

Thank you feckcancer

Thank you, I would love to talk to you more...