Discharge

Naty52
Naty52 Member Posts: 9
edited March 2014 in Anal Cancer #1
I'm 5 weeks post treatment and about 3 weeks ago I started having a slight discharge. I think it is a vaginal discharge but some of you are talking about a discharge from your urine tract. Sometimes it is slightly brown, other time its more yellow/white. I only see it in the panty liner, not when I wipe. It has a bad odor and different from anything I had smelled before. My rad onc nurse practitioner said it is all part of healing. Should I worry? I'm afraid to go to the gyn because I think an exam would hurt. Should I get a urine test? Please advice.
Natasha

Comments

  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #2
    Natasha
    Hi Natasha,

    If you trust your Rad Onc nurse, then you might want to wait a little and moniter the situation, as the pelvic area has been traumatized. If you choose to go to a gyno, you should go to an oncology gyno as they would be familar with what the radiation will do to your body. I wish you well Lori.
  • duckyann
    duckyann Member Posts: 159
    #3
    z said:

    Natasha
    Hi Natasha,

    If you trust your Rad Onc nurse, then you might want to wait a little and moniter the situation, as the pelvic area has been traumatized. If you choose to go to a gyno, you should go to an oncology gyno as they would be familar with what the radiation will do to your body. I wish you well Lori.

    Hi Natasha - are you sure
    Hi Natasha - are you sure this is not coming from your anus? I had and still do get discharges sometimes (mucus) and my colorectal doctor told me that this is from radiation treatments and it takes a long time before it completely disappears.

    Nancy
  • ranelle65
    ranelle65 Member Posts: 63
    #4
    same issue
    I have had the same problem...and I've had 3 urine tests, a vaginal opening exam, and some other tests for what could be causing my discharge. The rad onco says they don't know why I would be having any discharge; my primary care dr says she doesn't know why I would be having a discharge; the onco dr ordered vaginal tests. NO ONE IS LISTENING TO ME. And I feel as though I am going through this and no one has any answers. When I first posted that I was having a discharge here on CSN, most of the responses were that they hadn't had the same problems...and now the doctors still cannot give me any explanation as to why I'm having it. It's beginning to have a funny smell to it, but no burning/itching like with a yeast infection. I honestly think it's from the urethra and not the vaginal area, as the discharge is towards the front of my underwear, not in the middle where a vaginal discharge would be. I am going back to the rad dr next week so I will ask her about it again, and hopefully she will refer me to a urologist...maybe a new doctor will be able to diagnose the problem.
  • ranelle65
    ranelle65 Member Posts: 63
    #5
    duckyann said:

    Hi Natasha - are you sure
    Hi Natasha - are you sure this is not coming from your anus? I had and still do get discharges sometimes (mucus) and my colorectal doctor told me that this is from radiation treatments and it takes a long time before it completely disappears.

    Nancy

    not from there
    Duckyann,

    I know that my anus has been mucusy since my treatments stopped in early August. Matter of fact, bowel movements have never gotten back to "normal". I know that my discharge is coming from the urethra, as where it shows up on the underwear or pad...it's not in the middle where a vaginal discharge would be either.
  • patacz
    patacz Member Posts: 64
    #6
    How are you Natasha, I am
    How are you Natasha, I am wondering what your dr. said about the discharge issue, and if has been resolved. I have an appt with my gyn next week for the same reason, and like you, I didn't know where it was coming from. I used a tampon one day and discovered that nothing was coming out, so I assumed that it was from the vagina. If you happen to do that, don't leave in too long, I left it in all day, and it was sooo painful to get it out of my dried out vagina. I hope you are doing ok and everything is good with you now. God Blessing! Pat
  • ranelle65
    ranelle65 Member Posts: 63
    #7
    ranelle65 said:

    not from there
    Duckyann,

    I know that my anus has been mucusy since my treatments stopped in early August. Matter of fact, bowel movements have never gotten back to "normal". I know that my discharge is coming from the urethra, as where it shows up on the underwear or pad...it's not in the middle where a vaginal discharge would be either.

    it is from there
    Ok, I went back to my PCP for vaginal bleeding, and after she used the speculum to see the cervix, she saw what she thinks is urine in the upper vaginal area, possibly leaking in from a hole/tear/fissure near the cervix. She told me that after my hysterectomy the bladder now lays on the cervix and the degree of radiation burns I had on the outside skin of the groin area might have been just as badly burned inside me, thus causing a possible reason for the hole/tear/fissure from bladder into vagina. Awaiting gyn appt on Jan 18th...
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #8
    ranelle65 said:

    it is from there
    Ok, I went back to my PCP for vaginal bleeding, and after she used the speculum to see the cervix, she saw what she thinks is urine in the upper vaginal area, possibly leaking in from a hole/tear/fissure near the cervix. She told me that after my hysterectomy the bladder now lays on the cervix and the degree of radiation burns I had on the outside skin of the groin area might have been just as badly burned inside me, thus causing a possible reason for the hole/tear/fissure from bladder into vagina. Awaiting gyn appt on Jan 18th...

    Hi Ranelle!
    I'm sorry you are still dealing with this problem, but glad your doctor was able to see what is causing it. It sounds like you have a fistula. Good luck with your appt. on the 18th. and please let us know what the treatment plan is.
  • ranelle65
    ranelle65 Member Posts: 63
    #9
    mp327 said:

    Hi Ranelle!
    I'm sorry you are still dealing with this problem, but glad your doctor was able to see what is causing it. It sounds like you have a fistula. Good luck with your appt. on the 18th. and please let us know what the treatment plan is.

    thanks mp...
    I will keep you & everyone else updated. I know it's annoying to have this discharge, and have had it since September or so, just a short time after radiation stopped.

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