I'm 5 weeks post treatment and wanted to ask a few questions:
Can I ask the ladies here about the vaginal dilator? At what point post treatment did you start using dilator and how often? Tbh the last thing on my mind at the moment is sex but I've only turned 52 so i don't want to not be able to ever again! The first few weeks after treatment my skin was so raw externally that it was not on my mind at all. I've had 2 episodes since finishing treatment of quite severe constipation and was admitted to hospital one of the times where CT scan showed severe inflammation in colon/rectum (obvs additional side effect of the radiotherapy) and also a great deal of 'back up' in that region. I'm still struggling to get any sort of reasonable/regular movements and mostly still happens in my sanitary towels that I've had to wear since treatment started. Also , I'm on slow release morphine (40×twice/day) not sure if that's a little or a lot but was wondering how long others took morphine for post treatment and how quickly they reduced/came off it altogether and if so, did it help ease your constipation issues? I'd much rather deal with some pain and have any sort of improvement in bowel movements if at all possible as it's really starting to get me down. My husband and I had booked a few days away to Faro to try and lift me a bit but unfortunately my bowels decided I wasn't allowed to go so my hubby went without me yesterday as I'd been feeling so bad towards the tail end of last week into the weekend I couldn't risk it. I feel like it's 2 steps forward then 20 steps backwards, you know a week when things definitely seem to be improving and then BAM something knocks me back again. Has anyone else's initial recovery from the chemoradiotherapy felt like that?
Finally did/does anyone else have pain in your hips/legs? I really haven't been able to get up and moving like I'd hoped I'd be able to and not sure if it's a lack of exercise or the treatment that's causing the pain. Honestly there are days I feel like I've aged about 30 years, I've always been a very 'young' person and I feel like I'm ready for an old folks home instead these days.Pease feel free to give me a good kick up the arse if thats what you think I need after reading this or alternatively any other advice would be greatly appreciated!
Apologies for my moaning, maybe it's the photos of the sunshine 
and lovely food my hubby has been sending me all day from the trip I thought I'd have been on too that's getting me a bit down
Andrea
