urgency after 2 years

alis7910
alis7910 Member Posts: 80
in Anal Cancer #1
Hi:
It's been almost two years since radiation and chemo and I still occasionally get caught off guard, where I have to find a bathroom right away or go on the street. I'm still not used to this; I feel humiliated. Does anyone else have this challenge?

Comments

  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #2
    Alis
    Yes I ended tx on 6-30-09, and I occasionally experience this. Only when I leave the house before the daily morning bm. So I know my body well enough not to do that or I will be rushing to find the bathroom. I have spichter control, but thats not good to keep from going. If you learn your bm patterns that is helpful. I wish you well. Lori
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #3
    z said:

    Alis
    Yes I ended tx on 6-30-09, and I occasionally experience this. Only when I leave the house before the daily morning bm. So I know my body well enough not to do that or I will be rushing to find the bathroom. I have spichter control, but thats not good to keep from going. If you learn your bm patterns that is helpful. I wish you well. Lori

    Hi Alis
    I have the same issues that Lori mentioned, just not very often. I still don't like to leave the house until I have my morning BM and if I have to, I make sure I get up extra early to give myself time to have one. I'm nearing the 3-year post-treatment mark, so I think it is just something to deal with from time to time, probably for the rest of my life. I also have urgency issues with urination as well since the radiation.
  • Dog Girl
    Dog Girl Member Posts: 100
    #4
    Urgency
    I'm 27 months post tx and I too still have issues. (My 4 cm tumor was right on my sphincter muscle, so it got fried real well.) Of course I think I have a touch of IBS which just exacerbates the problem. I know that I usually have to go within 30 minutes of eating a meal (I go multiple times a day) and sometimes sooner if it is a particularly rich meal which I do try to stay away from out in public. I'll tell you the first thing I do is scope out the restrooms of wherever I happen to be.

    I think I have had 4 accidents in public since finishing treatment and the most recent one was just this past Sunday. It may just be something that you will need to live with. It's not fun I know, (I'm mortified while it is happening), but in the end (yuk, yuk) I'm just glad that I am alive to poop my pants. I figure I am getting a head start on being old... I do carry travel size baby wipes in my purse at all times (along with a small squeese container of Aquaphor)in case I need them for cleanup, and I think I will start keeping some type of long sleeve t-shirt in my car in order to wrap around my waist as a couple of times it has happened while I was running from a parking lot to a bathroom in a store/retaurant.
  • lil lady
    lil lady Member Posts: 36
    #5
    urgency
    finished my treatment July of 2009 still have urgency problems. I think alot of it is the diet. I also have pain and sometimes bleeding...Dr keeps saying it will get better I am still waiting. I have had some embarassing accidents. I don't think we will ever be back to the way it was before radiation.
  • mxperry220
    mxperry220 Member Posts: 496 Member
    #6
    Same Here
    33 months post treatment. I still am not comfortable leaving the house until I have at least one BM in the morning. I take three immodiums daily and this has helped my sense of urgency. I now have 3-4 BMs daily. This is close to what I had before I was diagnosed with anal cancer. My normal BMs pre anal cancer were 2-3 times daily. I suppose this is my new "norm" now.
  • duckyann
    duckyann Member Posts: 159
    #7
    mxperry220 said:

    Same Here
    33 months post treatment. I still am not comfortable leaving the house until I have at least one BM in the morning. I take three immodiums daily and this has helped my sense of urgency. I now have 3-4 BMs daily. This is close to what I had before I was diagnosed with anal cancer. My normal BMs pre anal cancer were 2-3 times daily. I suppose this is my new "norm" now.

    I also have times of urgency
    I also have times of urgency and I am 26 months post treatment. I think it has to do with what I have eaten also. I take immodium most days to help control it too. I go mainly 2-3 times in the morning but I still have those days of more and sometimes later in the day. Not too often but it does happen.
  • janke
    janke Member Posts: 29
    #8
    duckyann said:

    I also have times of urgency
    I also have times of urgency and I am 26 months post treatment. I think it has to do with what I have eaten also. I take immodium most days to help control it too. I go mainly 2-3 times in the morning but I still have those days of more and sometimes later in the day. Not too often but it does happen.

    urgency
    Yes I am one year out of treatment. This is a very embarrassing problem. My GI specialist, oncologist, PCP, and surgeon have all been consulted and I have not gotten much help from them. Sometimes I wonder if they can relate to the issue. I personally controll my issues with DIET only. I am afraid to take imodium because I wonder if my cancer was related to my IBS issues in the first place. Then if I take imodium I have to follow up with a laxitive, and the cycle goes on and on. It took me a very long time to adjust my diet, finding out what foods agree with me and which ones will send me running for the bathroom. I can relate this is a very uncomfortable side effect and I don't know if it will get better. But on the bright side we are alive and healthy.
  • sissy310
    sissy310 Member Posts: 300
    #9
    Like everyone else who
    Like everyone else who responded, I too have these issues now and again...I try really hard to have my morning routine and that seems to help a lot. If I have to get up early to go somewhere I get up earlier just to go, otherwise I'm quite anxious waiting for the 'mad rush' to the bathroom. My husband laughs at me and knows to get out of my way when the urge hits...some days though over the last year, maybe once a month, I will go four or five times in one day. Usually I can attribute this to something I ate or maybe a nervous tummy as something is coming up I'm worried about. I have to sit in a craft show for four hours next month and I'm actually nervous about my 'routine' and urgency. Hopefully it will be a good day. :-) Marilyne
  • pamysue
    pamysue Member Posts: 105
    #10
    yes
    Almost 3 years out of treatment and this still happens to me often. I lost all of my rectum and 2/3 of my colon. I use Colestipol and Lomotil to try and keep a quiet bowel, but that doesn't always work. Diet doesn't really matter. Just good days, bad days and surprise really bad days. I keep extra panties with me in the gloveboxes of the car & truck. Try to keep them in my purse. It sucks, but I guess that is the way it is going to be.
    Don't be humiliated. After all cancer puts you through, don't let this embarrass you. I am sure you have had many not so shining moments, I know I surely did. It is what it is. If anyone asks you what this is, tell them. Once you get the word RECTAL out there, they will be so ready to end the conversation. *I wish you peace*
  • sephie
    sephie Member Posts: 650 Member
    #11
    sissy310 said:

    Like everyone else who
    Like everyone else who responded, I too have these issues now and again...I try really hard to have my morning routine and that seems to help a lot. If I have to get up early to go somewhere I get up earlier just to go, otherwise I'm quite anxious waiting for the 'mad rush' to the bathroom. My husband laughs at me and knows to get out of my way when the urge hits...some days though over the last year, maybe once a month, I will go four or five times in one day. Usually I can attribute this to something I ate or maybe a nervous tummy as something is coming up I'm worried about. I have to sit in a craft show for four hours next month and I'm actually nervous about my 'routine' and urgency. Hopefully it will be a good day. :-) Marilyne

    i get up earlier also just
    i get up earlier also just to handle going to the bathroom and try to get it out of the way. i go 2 or 3 times each morning and every now and then a little at nite. just have to handle this, unfortunately. sephie

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