RADIATION..THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING.....

z810840b said:

thanks
thanks Rose..surgery is may24th

hello...been awhile since i have been on this site...some recent changes occurred where i dd a search on anal cancer and hip replacement.  sorry to say i am scheduled for a full hip replacement on right side after months of pain and unable to walk now.  i was not sure if it was because of age .. i am 65 .. or radiation or both.  i am thankful the search brought me back here...to the place i found so much comfort and caring three years ago when i was diagnosed with stag 3 anal cancer.  i find myself here again and while i am not hapy others are going through even more than we already have gone through, am relieved once again i am not alone.  hi Martha...had to say hello specifically to you...hope you are doing well.  anyway, i hae surgery schedled for this thurs and the pain isinense enough to makeme actually look forward to it.  hopefully all will go as planned.  i will write more inhere when i can.  thanks for listening.  hugs Marilyne

sissy310 said:

hip replacement

hello...been awhile since i have been on this site...some recent changes occurred where i dd a search on anal cancer and hip replacement.  sorry to say i am scheduled for a full hip replacement on right side after months of pain and unable to walk now.  i was not sure if it was because of age .. i am 65 .. or radiation or both.  i am thankful the search brought me back here...to the place i found so much comfort and caring three years ago when i was diagnosed with stag 3 anal cancer.  i find myself here again and while i am not hapy others are going through even more than we already have gone through, am relieved once again i am not alone.  hi Martha...had to say hello specifically to you...hope you are doing well.  anyway, i hae surgery schedled for this thurs and the pain isinense enough to makeme actually look forward to it.  hopefully all will go as planned.  i will write more inhere when i can.  thanks for listening.  hugs Marilyne

I'm so sorry to hear that you have been in such pain with your hip and are scheduled for surgery.  However, the relief you are looking forward to will make it all worth it.  I hope it will all go well for you on Thursday and that you can begin a good rehab program ASAP to get you back on your feet.  I just talked to a friend of mine last evening who had a hip replacement a few months ago and she is doing great.  She's back to a walking program and is now painfree.  I hope you will have the same great results.  Please let us know how the surgery went as soon as you are up for a little computer time.

I would suspect that the radiation has played a role in this.  It is both our friend and foe.  I keep waiting for issues myself.  As for how I'm doing, pretty well.  No more trips to the ER for a bowel obstruction (knock on wood), although I do feel like I'm on the brink of having another one from time to time.  Eating has become a huge challenge, as I never know what's going to push me over the edge and land me back in the hospital.  All that said, I am still running and will be doing a 15k race on Saturday.  SO, I am NOT going to complain!  Thank you for asking about me and giving me a special shout out!

I will certainly be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and I'll send you all the good vibes I've got on Thursday.  Please let us know how it goes when you can.  I'm sure it will be successful and soon you will be up and about again.  As always, I wish you all the best, my friend! 

jena58 said:

Wow, I had no idea! when I

Wow, I had no idea! when I started treatment there was no mention of the damage that radio does to bones and joints. Ive heard, not fom drs, that it can caus early onset osteoporosis so I've been running and excersIng to keep that at bay, but now I have to wonder does all this running increase the risk of a hip damage from the radio. Seems you're damned if you do and damned if you don't! So sorry to hear you have to go through this. I find I remarkable that I've learned 10 fold from this forum that what I was told by my oncs. Hope it goes well for you and thanks for the alert!

As for running increasing the risk of hip damage from the radio, I tend to believe otherwise.  It's highly recommended that people who have osteopenia or osteoporosis do some weight bearing exercise.  Of course, the downside to running is that it is high impact and can be hard on the joints.  I think we need to know our limits.  For most people, walking is probably the better alternative.  However, for people like me who find it hard to give up running, I think we can still do it--albeit perhaps slower, less frequently and for shorter distances.  And if something begins to hurt, it's time to back off.   

sandysp said:

running

Martha,

I agree with you that we need the resistance therapy. I need the exercise to feel better, period. I so admire you for the training you have done to run a marathon. You are such a source of inspiration to me!

I used to love to run in my 20's but can't imagine it now. However I also could not imagine how much I love my kickboxing and zumba classes! It seems as much as my legs hurt, the more I move them, the better I feel, and then the process starts again. The best thing I have done for myself in quite a while is join a good fitness club. Tonight I took Aquarobics. The PT at MSK says this, without a doubt is the best thing (the water) we can do for our lymphatic systems. She says it is like getting MLD (Manual Lymphatic Drainage) since the water is giving our lymphatic system the type of pressure it needs to be healthy. I also am taking Yoga at my gym. I have a different kind of class to go to every day, if I want.

Having this cancer has really taught me how to pay attention to my physical needs.

I don't know if any of this will save me from the fractured hip problems we are at risk for, but it sure seems to help me on a daily basis face he challenges. My red and white blood cells are still anemic. I have lymphedema and suffer chronic fatigue and pain, but after exercising for a while, I feel wonderful. Thanks for doing that marathon. It opened up my world.

All the best,

Sandy

 

You are so very sweet and I thank you for all the loving and kind words.  It makes me feel very good to know that my training (sometimes suffering!) motivates you and others to keep moving!  I really do believe in the power of exercise.  We all know the old saying "You rest, you rust."  I am convinced that is true.  The human body is meant to move--I don't think you'll ever see a caveman sitting around just relaxing.  Okay, well maybe none of us will ever see a caveman, but you know what I mean!    And I believe that any movement is good for us.  Not everyone can run, but walking is totally doable and is great exercise.  You have mentioned several other forms of exercise that are all very beneficial, including water aerobics and yoga.  Every move we make keeps us more flexible and makes us stronger.  Resistance exercise is especially good for strengthening.  You don't need to go to a gym and work out with the "clunks" to tone up muscles.  Using your own body as resistance is one of the best forms of exercise.  Also, inexpensive exercise tubing/bands offer the same type of resistance as lifting gym equipment.  I particularly like weight training, as it makes me feel strong.

I'm glad that exercising invigorates you and I hope others on this site will be motivated to give something a try.  As for me, I am going to be running a 15k race on Saturday (9.3 miles) that benefits the Emory ALS Research Center.  As you all probably know, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a debilitating disease that is ALWAYS fatal.  I had a dear aunt who passed away from this disease, so I will be running in her memory.  I also have friends who know of one person who recently died from ALS and another who is currently dealing with it.  I am always very motivated when I run for a good cause.  It's a shame we can't all be together and have a 5k race to benefit research for anal cancer.  Maybe someday!

Take care, my sweet friend, and thank you for being so kind. 

Hugs--

Martha 

jena58 said:

You are an inspiration mp327!

I so agree with the physical and mental benefits of exercise. You are an inspiration mp327. I had to walk/run the 5 k fun run for the royal children's hospital. Have never been a distance runner but I'm trying. I'm in awe if you running those distances. it's such a great way to support charity. Getting out and moving and doing it to help someone else is a combination made in heaven!

all the best for Saturday. 

Thank you SO much!  I need all the encouragement I can get for Saturday!  And kudos to you for doing that 5k race for charity!  There are more and more races every weekend, it seems, all for good causes.  I could go broke doing them all, but they keep me motivated and remind me that I'm not the only one that benefits.  Thanks again!