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Pain

Welshgirl
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Hello.

I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in June 2020.  I am currently having chemo once a fortnight.  A few days after chemo I get really bad stomach pains.  I have spoken to my oncologist about it and they say it's my body responding to treatment but I'm in agony.  I take zomorph twice a day,  morning and evening, paracetamol up to 4 times a day and oramorph when it's really bad (currently at least twice a day).  The only time I'm comfortable is in bed and this only lasts a few hours.  Is it normal to be in so much pain?  I have been told I'm terminal and chemo is just keeping me going.

Does all this pain mean that I don't have long left?  I lost my sister to cancer in September 2023, she died just 9 weeks and 5 days from diagnosis so I hope you can understand why I'm so worried.

Thank you

  • Hello Welshgirl

    Thank you for getting in touch with us. My name is Lynsay, and I am one of the information nurses with Macmillan cancer Support. I hope you are finding the online community a helpful and supportive environment.

    I am so sorry to hear about the pain you are experiencing. You mentioned that you have spoken to your oncologist about this, but if you are still experiencing as much pain then it is important that you get back in touch with your team as soon as possible.

    I’m not sure how long these pains affect you after having your chemotherapy treatment, but if you are currently in pain we would encourage you to contact your urgent chemotherapy helpline number straight away for further assessment.

    I can completely understand why you are feeling so worried, and I am really sorry that you lost your sister to cancer and that this happened so quickly. This must have been a shock and it must also impact how you feel about your treatment and worries about what to expect going forward.

    Having pain, even severe pain like you describe does not really tell us about how much time you have got left. If this pain is associated with your chemotherapy treatment, then this is the cause rather than the cancer, and this pain can sometimes be managed or improved through adjusting the dose of the chemotherapy.

    The most important thing is to get back in touch with your team, either urgently using the helpline number today if you are currently in pain, or otherwise we would advise you to contact your cancer nurse specialist (CNS) or oncologist as soon as possible to advise them of the pain you are experiencing, when you have it and how long it lasts.

    Your CNS or oncologist is also best placed to be able to discuss your prognosis (how long you may have left), this can be a difficult thing to talk about and not everyone wants to ask about this. They can only ever give an estimated idea of what they think based on your diagnosis and treatment but it may help to have a talk about this, especially if it can ease your worries about your pain being related to how long you may have.

    Losing your sister and going through cancer treatment must be really hard, I’m not sure if you are currently having counselling support, but if not this is available to you through us, you can book onto this through our website if this feels like something that may be helpful.

    I hope this information helps. Please feel free to get back if there is anything else we can help with.

    All the very best,

    Lynsay

    Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

    You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. 

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