Glad to hear you’re 4 months out but sorry to hear about the cramping. Is this something that has started recently or you’ve been experiencing it for a while?
Your body has gone through some tough treatment that will still be working for several months. The bowel will be affected and overly sensitive. I am 15 months post-treatment. I didn’t have cramping as such but I have experienced IBS type symptoms which I’m told is normal as the bowel doesn’t like being messed with. I frequently experience bloating, wind and the runs however, I’ve now learnt that certain types of food are the triggers. This is something that I discuss at every check-up with my oncologist. I’m not concerned about it and he doesn’t seem to be either, its just something I have learnt to live with and doesn’t interfere with life too much.
I imagine this cramping will be worrying you so I would advise you speak with your medical professionals as they know you best. I know appointments can sometimes be hard to get quickly so in the meantime, you could contact our online anal cancer surgeon for his thoughts and advise. If you email him he will get back to you in a day or two.
I’m sure the cramping is a side effect of treatment but best to flag it if only to get peace of mind.
thank you. It is comforting to know some of my symptoms are not unique to me. I am working with my doctors. Can you tell me which foods you stay away from? I'm unable to detect any sort of pattern at this point. Thanks.
This is still a work in progress for me however, fibre seems to be the main cause of my tummy issues. I haven’t stopped eating fibre as I know it’s essential for gut health, but I know if I eat it, to expect a backlash.
What I am trying to work out is what fibre effects me the most and what foods I can mix it with to counter effect the symptoms.
If I eat any pulses I usually end up very bloated with a lot of wind. The bloating can be very uncomfortable and last a good few hours. For example I recently ate a mild chickpea curry. I love chick peas but I ended up in a lot of discomfort which gave me a really bad nights sleep. I can eat baked beans but they give me a lot of wind that I can’t always control. I can tolerate small amounts of pulses in cold salads however.
Fruit is tricky to. Pineapple is an absolute no no, goes straight through me and I end up with the runs that I can’t always hold. I can eat bananas, kiwi, melon, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches but anything else just goes straight through me. However, I can tolerate fruit smoothies when mixed with avocados, soya milk etc. Vegetables don’t give me any issues, even peas that are full of fibre.
Cows milk is something I can’t tolerate as well. If I eat a bowl of cereal with cows milk I’m on the loo pretty quickly afterwards. If I have soya milk this doesn’t happen. I can eat all other diary produce.
I have cut out red meat completely, only eat chicken and one day hope to drop that and just eat fish.
If I drink alcohol I can pretty much expect to have the runs the next day.
So I pretty much eat everything I used to however, I’ve learnt what foods have a negative impact on me. I don’t cut them out completely but if I were going out for a meal with friends, I’d definitely avoid them otherwise it could result in an uncomfortable and embarrassing evening!
I have been referred to my hospitals nutritionist for further advise. I will let you know if she gives me any good tips.
