3 weeks done

Hello Michelle,

Firstly well done on getting to the half way point! Won’t be long and it’ll soon be behind you.

I’m just over 2 weeks post treatment. I also had to stop the chemo tablets but in week 4 as they were sending my liver function haywire and I think that it isn’t uncommon for the tablets to be stopped for one reason or another from what I can tell. The nurse said to me the main treatment is the radiotherapy and the chemo is just a bonus which helped put my mind at ease a bit when this happened. You do right to keep going with the creams and I feel my skin faired well as a result of this. By the end I was red and tender externally and had some peeling and blistering around my knicker line in the days following the end of treatment but fortunately up to now don’t have any open sores. You have done well to not need the pain relief. I started with radiation cystitis really early on (end of week 1) and so needed paracetamol/ibuprofen to cope with the constant stinging. I still manage with this level of pain relief in the day now and just take the strong stuff at night. I too also have discomfort from an old hemerroid. The only thing I’ve found that helped this was mixing optilube activ/ instillagel with emollient cream and applying it as this numbs it. The gel on its own really stings otherwise. All the best for the rest of you treatment and I hope it continues to be ok for you.

Vicky x

Hello Michelle,

Well done on getting to the 3 week mark. 
I’m sorry about your chest infection and the piles but otherwise it sounds like you’re doing really well.

From what I understand the radiotherapy is the primary treatment so hopefully stopping the chemo for a week won’t impact and hope that you feel better soon and get over the infection. 

Hoping that it all remains manageable and wishing you well for the rest of your treatment journey. Keep crossing off the days- you’re on the home stretch now.

xx

Hi Vicky,

I hope that you continue to recover well. It sounds like you managed the creams really well and have minimised the skin damage. Hopefully it will all heal up soon.

The dreaded radiation cystitis is a bit grim isn’t it. I had that and it was eye watering. Hopefully that’s improving too. 
Wishing you all the best for ongoing healing and recovery xx

Hello Michelle F6eb802 

I hope you are marking off those days - you are now over the half-way mark and the next 13 days of treatment will pass really quickly.  I am sorry to hear about your chest infection and hope the antibiotics kick in really quickly, chemo does leave you vulnerable to infections.  But as has been pointed out the radiotherapy is the main treatment.

The piles - oh yes, I had those too and still have them now.  I got mine during childbirth but hadn't been bothered for years, but they popped out again during treatment.  I think our poor bottoms are protesting and are weakened by the treatment and old issues reoccur.

Using wet wipes is such a good idea, who knew that toilet paper would now feel like sandpaper.  At the very end I used unperfumed lotion as well as wet wipes which was certainly better when I was so sensitive.

Please don't hold back in taking pain medication if you do come to need it, the last weeks and after treatment ends can be very painful and I couldn't have managed on my own.

Sending a gentle healing hug and best wishes for the next few weeks.  Please keep letting us know how you are doing.

Irene xx

Hi Michelle F6eb802 ,

It's great to hear you’re bearing up so well through your treatment. It’s feasible that if you’ve previously suffered from haemorrhoids that they’ll get inflamed during treatment as the radiotherapy tends to cause a lot of internal & external inflammation. 

I hope the antibiotics get on top of your chest infection quickly. Apart from that you sound as though you’re doing great & I’m sure others as well as myself appreciate you sharing your experience this far. Keep doing what you’re doing regarding moisturising etc., it definitely helps. 

Wishing you all the very best with the remainder of your treatment. 

Nicola