Depends

Scubajoe
Scubajoe Member Posts: 39 Member
in Anal Cancer #1

So I'm getting tired of wearing depends at night because of liquid or mucus or whatever comes out of my butt. I think it's been getting better but it's so slow it's hard to tell. I also know it depends on person to person but can people tell me when they thought their stomach got back to normal with somewhat normal poos. I am still feeling some cramping and a lot of times feels like I have to go but I don't. Thanks in advance

Comments

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #2
    Scubajoe

    It can take some time for the intestinal tract to heal after this treatment, which does quite a bit of damage.  I know it's not easy, but try to be patient and hang in there.

  • don09
    don09 Member Posts: 108
    edited January 2018 #3
    I went through the same thing

    I went through the same thing as your experiencing. It's not as annoying now and eased up some but I still occasioanally have bouts.  I'ts been a year out from treatments. My Dr. told me to avoid vegatables with hign fiber content and other various veggies that are naturally gassy.  It will get better as time goes by. Best wishes to you

  • Mollymaude
    Mollymaude Member Posts: 431 Member
    edited January 2018 #4
    Scubajoe

    I don't have a set answer either. I think there was a really long thread which mentioned "whale snot" and the advice "never trust a fart". You might put in keywords and search for it.It had a lot of input from various people about the after effects of radiation on their bowels. I don't want to be pessimistic, but also don't want to predict a full return to precancer normal. Many of us find a "new normal" bowel wise. I still have to wear a pad 24/7due to bladder leaks and they have come in handy the couple of times I've lost control of my bowels. It might be easier for women because we've all worn pads for menstrual reasons. But men have not had things leaking out of them in the past! If you aren't leaking too much maybe you could use an incontinence liner instead of a full depends. I'm sorry you are going through this. 

  • Mollymaude
    Mollymaude Member Posts: 431 Member
    #5
    Scubajoe

    I forgot to mention I became lactose intolerant after treatment so changing to lactaide milk helped a lot- after about 2 weeks mucus was less and bloody mucus stopped for the most part.

  • Ohmy
    Ohmy Member Posts: 102 Member
    #6
    Kefir is lactose free.  I

    Kefir is lactose free.  I drank it during and after my treatment to maintain my normal gut flora.  My treatment ended March 17, 2017.  I remember sleeping on a towel for at least a month or two because of blood and mucus discharge.  I noticed a big change around six months post treatment.  I started eating normal again.  I have been constipated my entire life.  I still have to eat All Bran or drink some Milk of Magnesia once a week to get things moving.  I know lots of people can't tolerate raw fruits and vegetables.  I eat a lot of fruit, beans, yogurt, and salads with no problems.  I think it depends a lot on how you were before treatment.  I do feel the urgency when I gotta go!

  • Scubajoe
    Scubajoe Member Posts: 39 Member
    #7
    Thank you

    Thank you all for the responses. I have gotten used to wearing a pad in my underwear during the day and still wearing the depends at night but it has gotten better. I am 7 weeks out from radiation tomorrow so it definitely has improved a lot although I do get cramps right in the anal region that seem to be associated with a little bit of liquid that needs to come out. I'm hoping this improves over time as well

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