Show of hands...

I take daily stool softeners and eat a healthy diet, without avoiding anything. I feel rubbish if I don’t eat regularly. Low residue foods, (apart from broth) just don’t appeal to me and I think it’s better to keep using the tubes. 

My best pain strategy is to run my hand under the tap when I’m going to the loo. It works really well.

xx

Oh and the radiographers get cross if you lose weight during treatment.  It’s hard work processing radiotherapy and if you don’t eat properly you’ll get sick. Also the tattoos they give to aim the radiotherapy will be in the wrong place if your bum gets smaller!

i've been really struggling with the appetite and soft stool isn't really an issue, my stool is pretty soft.  i have a small tumor further up the rectum which creates a small blockage that makes pooping incredibly difficult.  The resulting poop is ribbon thin by the time it gets out.  (sorry for the visual but i guess this is the place where we can say these things?)  By the time i am done my entire body is shaking.

I've learned to go sit on the tub after a bowel movement and run the hand held shower head to clean things up and also as tepid water and sometimes a bit cooler it is soothing.

I actually didn't get tattoos.  Here They use  water proof stickers for markers that really stay in place well as long as you don't do the vigorous scrubbing thing and are replaced as needed.

All this being said i HAVE been trying to eat as much as I can, but it has for sure been a struggle   I have been supplementing with the boost/ensure drinks for some extra protein and nutrition.  2 of these a day has helped with energy quite a bit.

It took almost 10 months to diagnose me since they kept saying it was just hemorrhoids for the longest time during which my health in general has taken a nose dive.  I was in such bad shape that my sister took me to the ER and INSISTED they admit me because i couldnt even hardly walk by that time.  I ended up with a 2 week hospital stay.

The radiologist oncologist did say that even as the radiation starts to cause the burn..  i start having less cancer pain which would be a blessing since the pain has been overwhelming to this point.

i appreciate the encouragement to eat, and to push on.

Stormeey