Long term Thriver - question

7243

This is for anyone post treatment for anal cancer, but more toward longer term post treatment.  I'm 10 years out  still get rust colored mucus after BM especially when a tad constipated.  Anyone else have this symptom?   Anxiety never goes away! ?

 

Wishing everyone peace and healing this new year! 

Red Sox Fan

Me too

I'm a ten year survivor as well.  Still get the icky mucus (seems like some of the people in this forum call it whale snot).  I also have bleeding from time to time and terrible vaginal stenosis.  You're sure right about the anxiety never going away.  I do find this forum to be pretty comforting, although I'm mostly a reader and not much of a poster.  Hope 2021 brings you lots of good things!

 

Pilikia55

It's been 16 years since I

It's been 16 years since I finished treatment, and I still experience this at times. Otherwise, I'm healthy and doing great -- as long as I remember to take citrucel or Metamucil every day or so, and get in some exercise. Good luck. 

pializ

Wow! Long timers!

It's so good to hear you long timers on here! I have been missing those who were on here for a long time and gave me lots of encouragement and support. My treatment ended almost 8 years ago (1 week to go to 8 years). 
it must be very encouraging for any new people who find themselves at the beginning of this journey

Kind regards

Liz

7243

Thank you all!

I appreciate all who responded! 

AZedj

long term effects

Soon i will be able to say i am an 8 year surriver.  My BMs have never really returned to normal or anything like prior to chemo and radiation.  Sometimes they are painful, sometime the famous whale snot happens to me too.  The bleeding is much less but still occasionally does happen. Any slight issue with my BM causes me to feel like I have a UTI or a feel like severe vaginal irritation but only for about half a day. I think the worse long term effect id the osteoporosis that i constantly chase and the back pain.  I must be fair and say i did end up with radiation toxicity so maybe that has something to do with side effects.  Most days are AWESOME and life just keeps getting better but sometimes the side effects like to remind me to be humble!

technicolor

mucus

In October of this year it will be 5 years for me.  I still get this mucus once in a while but I view this as normal because I seem to remember this as a sometimes thing anyway.

The occasional blood I do get is usually due to a harder than normal BM which I try to avoid.  I do have an order to go see my Surgeon because of some changes in my bowels.

I don't worry as much as I used to though.  I am able to do many things now that I couldn't do at first.  I am much more relaxed and I count that as a blessing and a healing thing.

 

mp327

Mucous

I will chime in here and say that this happens to me nowadays with almost every bowel movement.  I am over 12 years post-treatment.  I will also experience slight bleeding if constipated and having a hard BM.  I think this all is just part of the norm as we get further out from treatment.  Age is probably a contributing factor as well, IMO.

Fengshoe

Bleedi

Glad to see all the long term survivors chime in! Recently, I was having some bleeding and I’m 4.5 years out from completion of treatment. Turns out it’s a small hemorroid. So not a sign of recurrence. Guess the anxiety never goes away completely as a survivor.

Mucous comes and goes. in doing some reading and research, mucous is a common symptom of IBS. It makes sense that we would have irritable bowels from radiation. Maybe using some of the same treatments for IBS would provide relief or lessening of mucous?  Just a thought...