Swollen feet

Don't want appear to be a Job's comforter but do not worry and pànic!  Long term side effects can manifest four plus years after treatment - as told to me by oncologist  when I panicked with swelling in my groins and left ankle after 2 1/2 years.  Was sure that I had a recurrence!  No!  We fried your lymph nodes, didn't remove them.,  but side effects can occur for many years later and the result is lymphoedema!  Was prescribed a support stocking for my left ankle/foot which I don't wear as often as I should - it is such a faff to put on and take off!  And to be honest once it is off all the benefits of wearing it disappear within an hour.  Lying in bed or legs elevated serve the same purpose, until you stand up for any time!  What's a swollen ankle or mifoot in the grand scheme of things?  Have to be honest that my swelling is only obvious if I have been standing for a long time, or if the temperature is very warm, but it is not so bad that it affects my shoe size or width.  Waffling again as I do!!  Nothing to worry about - there are many of us who weren't told at the start of treatment.  PS I wasn't told anything, had no back up, on my own, but it was 5 1/2 years ago!

Only logged in to this site a year ago to find about if there were others like me!

To others just starting on their journey can I offer my advice, for what it's worth.  It's your journey and yours alone!  Fight your battle for yourself and not based on others who have gone before you or others who will come after you.  You are doing it for you.  Don't let others experiences cloud or influence your fight.  You are your destiny and you decide what you will do and achieve.  I really believe in mind over matter!  Doesn't always work, but if you try there's a real chance you'll get where you want to be!  Love and hope for the future to everyone.  Please believe in the future!!  Mxx

Thanks for the reply. 

I did freak out aftercare reading it's an incurable condition. 

I also read it's very common for pelvic radiotherapy. But I have never heard anyone mention it on here before. 

Im on my last day of treatment today and thought I was out if the woods so to speak. This had come as a bit of a blow tbh.

World be good to hear if anyone else has or is coping well with this.

Cheers

Ian

When I replied didn't realise that you hadn't finished chemoradiation treatment.  Sorry!  You are just suffering normal reactions to treatment!  Had a similar reaction which subsided after about 4/5 weeks.  Something to do with the radio affecting the lymph glands ability to drain fluid.. So no problem there, normal as me!   My lymphoedema manifested itself two and a half years later following a bout of cellulitis.  Don't ask cos don't know how or why!  But it was, and hi nu by ft is now!  It's not a real problem.  If you want to find problems you will!  If you want to get on with life you will ignore any probable problems and stop looking for them.  Live for today, the future you have!  No-one knows what will happen tomorrow - healthy or not.  Please do not anticipate the worst outcome.  Think I am here and am going towards my future.  Love and hope.  Mxx po

Cheers for that.  Ive noticed they seem to go down a little overnight so I'm more relaxed about it now. I thought it might be the cocodemol. Apparently that's a side effect too.

As they don't seem to be getting any worse I will leave them be for a few weeks and see where we are then.

Cheers again

Ian x

Hi !

Just nicking this thread to say what a pleasure it is to read such uplifting and positive posts as yours.

I was just saying to buttercup01 that I've been scaring myself a little ... just a little ... reading on this site about what to expect in my RT sessions, and then there was the entry on Wikipedia about Flamazine cream.

After reading your posts, I'm much more relaxed and laid-back. If something is gonna happen, it's gonna happen whether I worry or not ... but it might not happen. So I should stop worrying but be ready for it.

Thank you so much for coming here to support us!

Hi Andy,

I didn't get any skin reactions until the end of week 3. And that was minor, in the groin area. 

The second day of week 5 I went shopping with the wife 12 miles from the house up on the 6th storey of the car park in St Davids centre Cardiff. 

I wasnt using any creams just cocodamol. 

The experience certainly was a lot easier than I thought. 

I finished my treatments last Friday. 

One tip I will give you,  take the lopramide they give you when you start going to the loo half a dozen times a day. It brought me back to near normal toilet visits. 

Best advice I received.."Take one day at a time"

Cheers 

Isn x

Hi Ian ()

I've got Loperamide on repeat prescription already, having had IBS since having my piles stapled a few years ago. I've been told that the procedure didn't cause the rampant diarrhoea but they happened at the same time.

Actually, the guy doing my colonoscopy said he was taking samples from the scar tissue from the stapling and that's where the carcinoma is!

I think the consensus is that everyone reacts to RT and/or chemo in their own individual way, and may or may not have the same side-affects or after-affects. We've all just gotta wait and see.

I was going to say "suck it and see", but that would be inappropriate ... even for me!

Best wishes, buddy!

I had Brachytherapy in February then noticed a couple of months ago that both my ankles were very swollen. My GP said it wasn’t lymphoedema and prescribed Furosemide. This has helped but by teatime they are swollen again

Someone told me they had swollen feet for 5 weeks after treatment but they went down again.

I had a tightness in the groin too. Felt like I had sat on a testicle tbh. 

7 weeks out now the tightness has slowly reduced and so have the feet. I still get the same sensations occasionally but they are much less swollen.

Ian