Update

Hi Rayna that’s good news about the peritoneum biopsy. It all does sound very painful and not helped by your sciatic pain. I understand your concerns about taking Restoralax, from the info I could see online this seems to be a laxative rather than a stool softener, the latter being much preferable in your situation. I would confirm with your doctor which brand of stool softener, not laxative, would be best to take and I would start with a low dose and see how you get on. This should make things as soft as possible without giving you diarrhoea. This will also counter the effect of any opioid pain killers which can make you constipated. Bev. 

Good afternoon Rayna

I am so sorry that you are having to go through this very uncomfortable experience and I can really understand your anxiety regarding the passing of a stool. This has been my main problem throughout my treatment, although I have not had surgery and cant imagine what that must feel like. Do you have morphine gel? I have found this really helpful over the last couple of weeks. I am 9 days post treatment and am extremely sore around the anus. Exactly the same thing happens to me when I pass a stool. It either comes out in tiny bits or seems to get stuck half way and I can't get the rest out, so it just breaks away, leaving me feeling as if I need to get more out. The morphine gel, helps to relax the anal area as well as relieve pain. I have a routine of sorts that seems to help me.

First I make sure that I am clean, then I very gently apply a very small amount of gel. I try and wait a few minutes after this if I can and fill up the sitz bath so it is ready.  I never sit on the bath for longer than a couple of mins at a time as I also find it uncomfortable. The morphine gel seems to relax the opening a bit and often causes a bit of wind which does help to get the stool out. If at that stage, I still feel that there is more to come, I get some clean water and swish this around the area. I then dry and apply a tiny bit more gel and repeat the process. I sometimes use a hair dryer on a cool setting to help dry. I know this sounds a bit of a drawn out process, but it is working for me at the moment. I also have liquid morphine which I have ready in a syringe by the toilet so I can take this at the high pain point. This helps to relax me and to be able to pass the stool with reduced anxiety.I don't know if this will help but it may we worth a try. 

I had surgery many years ago after having extreme bouts of sciatica so really do feel for you right now. I agree with 1in1500 about not using a laxative. These caused me to need to go to the toilet consistently and were very harsh. I take stool softeners which are much kinder, but this is only because I am taking morphine at the moment.

Wishing you all the best

Serena x

Aweee thank you Serena & Bev!!

I am on the loo as I type lol with a little more success but as I suspected, I pushed just a little and now I have a slight bit of bleeding which I assume is to be expected. 

I think my doc scared me when she said passing gas can blow stitches and she kind of emphasized that it wouldn't be good if that happened.

I have not heard of morphine cream...I will definitely ask if this goes on for too long, thank you.

I've actually had this problem of not being constipated but taking 3 to 5 trips to the loo a day for few years...since this all started as "hemorrhoids "...never feeling completely evacuated but never felt the need for laxatives and such.

I will definitely get some stool softners, it sounds like the best way to start.

I need to relax as well I'm sure!! I'm being to anal retentive...literally ha ha.

R

Hi Rayna,

It is uncomfortable following the surgery isn’t it? Mine was quite as extensive as yours by the sounds of things as I only had around 4 or 5 stitches where my tumour was removed via local resection just on the anal margin & my stitches did burst 4-5 days after my surgery, my surgeon said this may happen but not to worry. I spent most of the first few days following my surgery in the bathroom as you’ve described just pooing a tiny amount at a time as I was scared to strain & I think a combination of the oramorph I was prescribed & internal inflammation from the surgery meant there wasn’t much room for things to pass through! I went to A&E on the night my stitches burst as I was bleeding, a constant drip of blood, the general surgeon there examined me said the stitches had burst & there was quite a gaping hole but it would heal from open, he also said to stop the morphine & take 2-4 stool softener sachets, I took 2 together when I got home & boy did I go the following morning but it was such a relief. Following this I kept on top of the pain with paracetamol & ibuprofen with lansoprazole to protect my stomach, after the stitches had burst & I’d got to grips with the toilet issue & softeners I healed pretty quickly to be honest. Unfortunately a tiny area of my tumour only had a 1mm clear margin which is cut off for further treatment so 8 weeks after my surgery I was entered into the PLATO trial & had 23 days of chemoradiotherapy with the radiotherapy being of slightly reduced strength. 

It’s great news on the peritoneal biopsy & I hope you’re feeling better & more comfortable really soon. 

Nicola 

I'm not having a good time with healing...went to emergency on Saturday as my husband thought my stitches looked a bit infected and was given antibiotics. Last night I started to have bleeding and this morning as well. Got my phone, took some pics and it appears my stitches have opened...uggghh. Called the surgeons office and they had me send in pics and I'm going in to see her tomorrow afternoon.  I'm not sure how deep into my buttock she went, my tumor apparently started inside and went out onto my butt. My incision runs along the crack of my but and veers away towards my hip for about 10 to 12 centimeters. When I have a bm, I just blot and use a peri bottle and sitz bath. However, crazily enough, I'm finding that there is stool at the top of my stitches no where near my anus. At first I thought it was getting up there from the sitz bath so I didn't do that this morning after my bm, just blotted the stool off and blotted the blood off the top area of my stitches and there was poop mixed with blood? I don't know how it's possible though! I'm not having any bowel leakage either. 

Anyone experience these things? How was it treated?

R

Update...just looked at my incision on my bum cheek, wish I hadn't...I feel ill. It's definitely opened up, it's about 1.5 cm wide along the whole incision and I can see fat tissue 

I'm not having a good time with healing...went to emergency on Saturday as my husband thought my stitches looked a bit infected and was given antibiotics. Last night I started to have bleeding and this morning as well. Got my phone, took some pics and it appears my stitches have opened...uggghh. Called the surgeons office and they had me send in pics and I'm going in to see her tomorrow afternoon.  I'm not sure how deep into my buttock she went, my tumor apparently started inside and went out onto my butt. My incision runs along the crack of my but and veers away towards my hip for about 10 to 12 centimeters. When I have a bm, I just blot and use a peri bottle and sitz bath. However, crazily enough, I'm finding that there is stool at the top of my stitches no where near my anus. At first I thought it was getting up there from the sitz bath so I didn't do that this morning after my bm, just blotted the stool off and blotted the blood off the top area of my stitches and there was poop mixed with blood? I don't know how it's possible though! I'm not having any bowel leakage either. 

Anyone experience these things? How was it treated?

R

Update...just looked at my incision on my bum cheek, wish I hadn't...I feel ill. It's definitely opened up, it's about 1.5 cm wide along the whole incision and I can see fat tissue 

Update..I saw the surgeon, she pulled the stitches out, packed it, and now I have to go to the clinic everyday to have it done. 

Good news is she got clear margins. She said radiation treatment or cream in the future for cells that will always be there? We didn't get into it all but I will be seeing her again...one day at a time I suppose!

R

Hi Rayna,

Although as I said before my surgery was far less extensive than yours I found I healed quite quickly once my stitches had burst, hopefully you’ll be the same. If your surgeon has achieved clear margins & presuming the margins are over 1mm hopefully you’ll need no further intervention, I don’t quite understand the bit where she’s said ‘cells that will always be there’ though. It does sounds as though she’ll be keeping a close eye on you & that’s a good thing. 

Nicola

Hi Nicola, thank you. The Doctor said  HPV was the cause of this, maybe she meant it can come back due to that being the factor?

R