Newbie

Welcome to this group, however, I'm sorry that a diagnosis of anal cancer has brought you here.  Treatment, while for a short duration, can be intense with numerous side effects, so it's great that you are making every attempt to be prepared beforehand.  I was treated over 7 years ago without the benefit of a support group such as this one, so my journey was a rough one.  I have learned so much since then from others who have been through this. 

I used Aquaphor on my skin in the beginning, but finally had to switch over the Silver Sulfadiazine as my burns worsened.  I was given a prescription pain med, but failed to take it as much as I should have to keep from feeling out of it.  I would not recommend doing that!  Ask for pain medication and take it as prescribed to keep ahead of the pain.  I recommend using salt or baking soda mixed with water to swish often in your mouth to ward off mouth sores, which can be a common side effect.  Buy yourself some men's boxer shorts to wear when you must go out, as there will be much less contact with your skin.  When at home, go bottomless as much as possible.  Ask for a prescription for Lidocaine ointment, which you can apply to your anal area prior to bowel movements to numb the area.  Do not use toilet paper--it's way too abrasive.  Many people purchase bidets that fit onto their toilet.  I didn't know about those, so I kept a bucket of water by my toilet and dipped regular toilet paper in it, which made it much easier to clean with.  If your appetite tanks like mine did, protein drinks (such as Boost), will be one way to continue getting some nutrition.  My oncologist told me to eat whatever I could get down, even if it wasn't exactly healthy.  Towards the end of my treatment, I ate a lot of Ramen noodles!  If you have diarrhea, you'll need some anti-diarrheal medicine.  Some people get by using OTC Imodium, but others must get a prescription med, such as Lomotil.  If I could give you just one bit of advice, it would be to drink, drink, drink those fluids!  Water is best.  If you have diarrhea, your body will lose fluids rapidly, so it's important to replace them and not become dehydrated.  Your mouth may become tender, so make sure you have a very soft toothbrush.  You may find regular toothpaste stings, so Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash is the way to go.  Try to get some protein in every meal and snack, as it is good for healing.  Good sources are eggs, boiled chicken or Greek yogurt.

Okay, that's a lot of information and I hope I haven't overwhelmed you.  As I said above, my treatment was over 7 years ago and I've probably forgotten a lot about that period of time (which isn't all bad).  I'm sure some other people on this site will have some other suggestions much better and more complete than mine. 

I will close by saying that many of us have gone through this and made it to the other side.  Keep that in mind on your bad days.  Just take this a day at a time and know that you will get through this.  This is a very effective treatment and you have every reason to be hopeful that your cancer will be melted away.  I wish you all the very best and hope you'll keep us posted.  We are here to help you.

Martha

I would definetly use the sitz bath if I were you. It relieved my pain more than anything and the lidocaine cream, although I recall not really being able to plan ahead for bowel movements. I soaked in black tea ALL the time. 

eihtak said:

paininthebutt....

Hi,

Welcome to our family......while you may not want to be here, I'm glad you have found us at this time and am sure you'll get lots of help and support from sharing with others in the same boat!

I won't repeat the great advice already given but agree that the pain medication helped me greatly through the rough times. I took daily regardless of my pain and tried to stay ahead of it getting too bad. I continued for a month or so after and then slowly weaned off with no problems. (If you do this, do take a stool softener regularly as well since pain meds can be constipating and you'll want to avoid that)

One other tip is that someone had recommended using a satin or silky pillow case to sit on especcially in the car to make it easier and less painful to swivel or turn in a seat once skin becomes tender from radiation burns, and this helped a lot!

Keep us posted as you move forward and remember that no question is off limits as we are all with you!

I will have you in my thoughts and prayers as you embark on this adventure!

katheryn

very important: do NOT have any kind of lotion in the anal area during your actual radiation treatment! My doctor told me to be sure

to wipe it all off before treatment . You want that radiation NOT to be blocked!

Also, this was a very unconvential way to urinate but when i had gotten really raw, peeing was unbearable. Your urine is sooo strong so try to drink lots of water to keep your urine not so strong but i also, would be in a sitting position on the toilet, then raise my back end up, my head almost to the ground. This would enable the urine to flow AWAY from my anal area and into the toilet. Believe me, it works.

also, i bought non fragranced baby wipes to wipe with. With aloa. Nice thick ones. MUCH better than toilet paper !