waiting for chemo+radiation treatment scheduled to start 6th January - too long to wait :(

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I’m writing this on behalf of my wife. She was diagnosed with Anal Cancer around mid October. 
unsurprisingly the tumour which is about 12cm and sits between the lower bowel and the cervix (and exists also  outside of the body) is continually Growing as she feels it.

up until now the pain has been manageable. A few weeks back she had a Stoma fitted - this has gone ok so far.

everyday things get a little worse now.

It’s not surprising that my wife thinks she cannot survive many more days like  this especially as there is another 26 days and that’s just day 1 of a 5 week treatment plan.

i imagine there is unlikely to be people here in a similar situation, even in the past…

felt I had to write something and let off steam

sorry.

L

  • Hello L ( 

    A warm welcome to the Macmillan online community, although I am so sorry to find you here. I am Brian one of the Community Champions on the forum and although I have a different cancer than your wife I can point you in the right direction for some help.

    The Community is divided into various forums which are cancer specific and I would advise you to join the Anal Cancer forum where you can connect with Community members on the same or similar journey and here's the link:

     Anal cancer forum 

    We also have a forum for Community members with a Stoma and here's the link to that forum:

     Ileostomy, colostomy and stoma support 

    Once the page opens up click on "join" on the black banner at the bottom of the page. You can then introduce yourself by copying and pasting or reposting your original post in the "New Here - Say Hello" section. I am sure you will receive plenty of replies there.

    You can also contact our Support Line on 0808 808 00 00 (8am to 8pm 7 days a week) for some extra support.

    Don't worry about "letting off steam" this is the best place to do it!!

    If I can do anything else for you please don't hesitate to let me know.

    Best wishes - Brian.

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    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

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  • Welcome. 
    your wife sounds just like me.  
    I am in so much pain. I was also diagnosed in October but they also found lung cancer after. It was a separate cancer but took care of that first. Now tomorrow I go see about my anal cancer and set up treatment.  But they have to do something for this pain. Please tell her she is not alone. I feel it everyday also.  
    best wishes.  

  • Hi, sorry I haven’t replied earlier.

    My wife feels she is in a trap, a kind of slow torture, with the tumour growing all the time she can only imagine how worse it’s going to get before it is able to get better. 12cm sounds big to me. Her treatment starts on the 6th January. That seems a moon away right now.

    She finds cocodamol is the baseline good medication for 90% of the time but catering for the 10% is not easy given that some other painkillers have a delayed spread out action, or cannot be ‘used in conjunction with’. 
    I hope your treatment plan is known soon.

    all the best.

    x