Pain during treatment

Kazenmax
Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

I'm looking for some help. I'm only on my second week of chemo/radiation and I'm starting to hurt. 

My cancer is very low. In fact, I have a tumor that popped out which I at first thought was a hemorroid.  It was not. 

So I'm getting radiation very low. I already have redness and soreness between my legs. I asked my doctor about it and he recommended aquaphor.  I've tried that and no relief. I can't sit, I can't lay down. It feels like the tumor is pulling my skin.

The doctor said well I'm sorry, it's going to get nothing but worse.

So I'm pretty low today. Does anyone have any suggestionson creams? The doctor recommended sitz baths.

I really don't know how I'm going to get through this if already it hurts. 

Any help is appreciated.

K

 

 

Comments

  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #2
    Surgery ?

    Surgery ?

    Was there any reason your colorectal surgeon did not offer a total removal of the tumor, anus, rectum, etc? It usually considered the best way to get rid of the cancer. Having a colostomy and wearing an appliance isn't all that bad....

    Just curious...

    Best hopes for you,

    John

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #3
    Ah, your post brings back such bad memories

    I am sorry you are suffering so. I have been there, and unfortunately, it was bad for the whole treatment and about six weeks beyond.  

    Definitely get yourself a Sitz bath. Pay for it to get on your doorstep just as soon as you can. I practically lived in my Sitz Bath. Warm water was such a blessing. I didn't use the hose and spray. Too much bother, and I was in too much pain to bother. 

    The redness between the legs will go black. Its real freaky, but normal. 

    Creams. I went through so many, trying to find 'The One'. I don't think there is just one, and of course, each person responds to different products in different ways. What worked for me was Pure Vitamin E Oil. Pure Aloe Vera (pure is the best but its runny, and needs to be kept in the fridge). I tried Adult Balmex, but my, what a mess. There was something else, I can't think of it. I used it all up, so it must have been good. I'll post the name if I remember it. 

    Just go through lots of different products, Organic if you can, until you find something that works for you. 

    As for the sensation of the tumour pulling your skin, I remember having the sensation that my tumour (which had been surgically removed) had grown back, and that it was a the size of a ball. I could feel a ball like sensation in my rectum. There was no ball, no tumour, just the sensation. A ghost sensation. Of course, this was my experience. Yours may be completely different. 

    I wish I could tell you that the pain magically goes away, and it may for you, but it certainly didn't for me. It may very well get worse. Almost unberable. 

    Keep visiting us, we will help you through. 

    Trubrit

  • DD3
    DD3 Member Posts: 136 Member
    #4
    Trubrit said:

    Ah, your post brings back such bad memories

    I am sorry you are suffering so. I have been there, and unfortunately, it was bad for the whole treatment and about six weeks beyond.  

    Definitely get yourself a Sitz bath. Pay for it to get on your doorstep just as soon as you can. I practically lived in my Sitz Bath. Warm water was such a blessing. I didn't use the hose and spray. Too much bother, and I was in too much pain to bother. 

    The redness between the legs will go black. Its real freaky, but normal. 

    Creams. I went through so many, trying to find 'The One'. I don't think there is just one, and of course, each person responds to different products in different ways. What worked for me was Pure Vitamin E Oil. Pure Aloe Vera (pure is the best but its runny, and needs to be kept in the fridge). I tried Adult Balmex, but my, what a mess. There was something else, I can't think of it. I used it all up, so it must have been good. I'll post the name if I remember it. 

    Just go through lots of different products, Organic if you can, until you find something that works for you. 

    As for the sensation of the tumour pulling your skin, I remember having the sensation that my tumour (which had been surgically removed) had grown back, and that it was a the size of a ball. I could feel a ball like sensation in my rectum. There was no ball, no tumour, just the sensation. A ghost sensation. Of course, this was my experience. Yours may be completely different. 

    I wish I could tell you that the pain magically goes away, and it may for you, but it certainly didn't for me. It may very well get worse. Almost unberable. 

    Keep visiting us, we will help you through. 

    Trubrit

    Sue

    pretty much hit the nail on the head.  My wife's tumor was pretty low too.  The redness and pain was terrible.  Our radiology/oncoligist said her location was a very tough spot to be treated at and said (as you know) it will get worse.  

    The doc did give her a prescription cream that seemed to help a little.  Can't remember the name tho.  I'll see if I can get it.

     

     

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member
    #5
    John23 said:

    Surgery ?

    Surgery ?

    Was there any reason your colorectal surgeon did not offer a total removal of the tumor, anus, rectum, etc? It usually considered the best way to get rid of the cancer. Having a colostomy and wearing an appliance isn't all that bad....

    Just curious...

    Best hopes for you,

    John

    Surgery comes after the

    Surgery comes after the chemo/radiation. They want to shrink it as much as possible before surgery.

     

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member
    #6
    Trubrit said:

    Ah, your post brings back such bad memories

    I am sorry you are suffering so. I have been there, and unfortunately, it was bad for the whole treatment and about six weeks beyond.  

    Definitely get yourself a Sitz bath. Pay for it to get on your doorstep just as soon as you can. I practically lived in my Sitz Bath. Warm water was such a blessing. I didn't use the hose and spray. Too much bother, and I was in too much pain to bother. 

    The redness between the legs will go black. Its real freaky, but normal. 

    Creams. I went through so many, trying to find 'The One'. I don't think there is just one, and of course, each person responds to different products in different ways. What worked for me was Pure Vitamin E Oil. Pure Aloe Vera (pure is the best but its runny, and needs to be kept in the fridge). I tried Adult Balmex, but my, what a mess. There was something else, I can't think of it. I used it all up, so it must have been good. I'll post the name if I remember it. 

    Just go through lots of different products, Organic if you can, until you find something that works for you. 

    As for the sensation of the tumour pulling your skin, I remember having the sensation that my tumour (which had been surgically removed) had grown back, and that it was a the size of a ball. I could feel a ball like sensation in my rectum. There was no ball, no tumour, just the sensation. A ghost sensation. Of course, this was my experience. Yours may be completely different. 

    I wish I could tell you that the pain magically goes away, and it may for you, but it certainly didn't for me. It may very well get worse. Almost unberable. 

    Keep visiting us, we will help you through. 

    Trubrit

    Thanks. I will go to the

    Thanks. I will go to the medical supply store tomorrow and get a sitz bath. I'm also using aloe. That cools it a bit.

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #7
    You don't need to get an

    You don't need to get an actual sitz bath. I just sat in a tub with warm water and epsom salts in it. The cream they gave me at the radiation department was Glaxalbase. I have always said, though, that what I think helped me the most was that I had the radiation in the winter and my car has leather seats and they were cold so I'd leave the clinic and go to sit in my car right away and I think it cooled the skin. I wonder if there's any way you can find something that has gel in it that would be cool to sit on or maybe a cooled dog bed, I've seen those. Or a hot water bottle with cold water in it? Maybe an ice pack or bag of ice under a towel?

    I'm sorry you're going through this. I was so lucky with it. All I ever got was a bit of discomfort like a very mild sunburn. My first radiation and chemo was also to try to shrink the tumour before the surgery. Best of luck feeling better with this.

    Jan

  • lizard44
    lizard44 Member Posts: 409 Member
    #8
    Sorry you are having so much pain

    I  also have a very low  rectal tumor and had 28 radiation treatments following the initial  chemo treatments. The sitz bath advice is good- I used  one frequently and it did help.   I don't know how you feel about using animal products, but I used emu oil and it worked wonderfully at relieving the soreness and skin tightness and seems to have prevented any permanent skin damage. I  hope you find something to relieve your pain and discomfort.

    Grace/lizard44

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #9
    JanJan63 said:

    You don't need to get an

    You don't need to get an actual sitz bath. I just sat in a tub with warm water and epsom salts in it. The cream they gave me at the radiation department was Glaxalbase. I have always said, though, that what I think helped me the most was that I had the radiation in the winter and my car has leather seats and they were cold so I'd leave the clinic and go to sit in my car right away and I think it cooled the skin. I wonder if there's any way you can find something that has gel in it that would be cool to sit on or maybe a cooled dog bed, I've seen those. Or a hot water bottle with cold water in it? Maybe an ice pack or bag of ice under a towel?

    I'm sorry you're going through this. I was so lucky with it. All I ever got was a bit of discomfort like a very mild sunburn. My first radiation and chemo was also to try to shrink the tumour before the surgery. Best of luck feeling better with this.

    Jan

    No time to run a bath

    For me, there was no time to run a bath. I would make the usual mad dash to the bathroom, turn on the tap so that the water was hot by the time I was done, and just as soon as I could get my butt on that sitz bath, was the only time relief would come. I remember my hands shaking so bad while I was filling up the sitz bath, as I was in so much pain. I usually ended up with water all over the bathroom floor. Sad thing was, it was not my bathroom, as I had to live with friends in the big city while I was doing radiation.

    Its not fun to remember these things, but if it helps others, then I will re-visit that time in my head.

    Trubrit 

     

     

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