More pain

Oh how I sympathise with you. I remember screaming in the bathroom that the pain was worse than giving birth!  I was eventually admitted to hospital with severe burns and given special creams. You are burnt on the inside, so peeing is acid on burnt flesh! I got comfort from peeing into the little toilet thingy that sits on the toilet & fill it with warm water,  I can’t remember the name, I got it on Amazon, it was a life changer. Are you using aloe Vera cream or Sudafed? That helps. I haven’t been on this site for ages as I am 4 years post treatment, but your message brought it all back. I am fully recovered - I hope. My 4 year check and scans are due soon. You will come through this, it is awful, nobody understands. Shout out loud for help from your GP, your Oncologist, or whoever might listen. 

Best wishes, Pam 

Oh, Puddy, I'm incensed that you've only been given codeine! Can you go pound on someone's desk and demand something more suitable? Oxycodone is the ONLY thing that helped with the pain, and it didn't even get rid of it. 

You're headed into the worst phase and need every single bit of help you can get. It seems so awful, but try to keep in mind that you've got the treatment behind you and now just have to keep inchworming forward. It WILL get better!

But you need appropriate meds to help you do it. I'm hoping you can get your oncologist, who should know better, to give you pain meds that will get you through this.

My heart is with you. 

Suz

Hi Puddy,

It’s great that you’ve finished your treatment but on the flip side your side effects will now be at their height. I couldn’t take codeine or any opiate based painkillers so I was alternating paracetamol & ibuprofen. Have your team sent you home with any creams to use at all? Try peeing & pooing in water, I would keep a jug of water by the loo & pour it over myself when I had a pee, also if you have a portable bidet maybe pooing in that would help a little. Salt baths were often where I was most comfortable in the first week post treatment, I would go from bed to bath to sofa back to bath again, you do whatever you need to to get through that period. Don’t hesitate in contacting your treating team if the pain relief & creams you have aren’t cutting it they have a myriad of things that they should be able to offer you. 

Nicola 

Hi puddy, as ritedbred has said codienne is not enough. Also be aware it causes constipation so make sure you are given some form of laxatives with them. I was given movicol whilst I was on morphine every two hours plus paracetamol and ibuprofen as I was not going to suffer more than I needed. Lady Tourelle was referring to a sitz bath which you fill up with warm water and do your business in it. My nurse said using it to basically poo in it will not be unhygienic as you are cleaning yourself afterwards. Creams are a minefield and I bought so many promising magic and ended up using sensitive Vaseline post treatment and sometimes sudecrem. Get back to your treating team and say the pills are not enough for the pain as you are going through the worst period. Julie

Hi Puddy, 

If you can ( and aware it is the weekend) get some morphine. You will need something heavy duty for the next few days. If you can’t get it, sing, shout, make noise when you go to the bathroom , and hold onto the fact this will pass, it will get better. Have you got a sitz bath? If not pee using a shower head. Take comfort in knowing whilst these days are really tough, it is because the treatment is killing the cancer and you are getting better, don’t be afraid of what is coming out of your bottom , you are getting rid of the badness . Good luck , stay strong, you can do this! 

As the others have said, go back to your team and tell them exactly how much pain you are going through.  At your stage I was have morphine every four hours although a few weeks later I stopped due to chronic constipation, but by then the pain wasn't quite as bad.  You are at the absolute worst stage of the treatment, and in a couple of weeks it will ease off but call your team without delay - you shouldn't be going through this.  Best of luck, it is truly awful, and like a bad dream to me now. 

Thank you everybody. You gave me the motivation to contact my GP, who has given me morphine and an anaesthetic cream. Love to you all. xxx

Hi Puddy glad your GP has given you some strong painkiller. Please be aware that you will need to take laxatives alongside the morphine as it cause constipation and also you urinate more frequently so keep up with drinking plenty of fluids. Julie

I’m so pleased you’ve got some additional pain relief & the anaesthetic cream will come into its own I’m sure! As with the codeine make sure you have some stool softeners on hand such as laxido or Movicol as the morphine slows everything down including the digestive tract & bowels so you may get some constipation which isn’t great with you being fresh out of treatment! Let us know how you’re getting on.

Nicola

I have some more questions, please. 

I constantly feel cold/shivery. My temperature is around 37.5.

The Morphine Sulphate seems such a low dose (up to 2.5ml) that I don't feel it's doing anything?

I'm having trouble doing anything - showering is a chore, taking the dog for a walk is a chore, let alone doing washing, housework etc. I just want to feel strong again. I live alone so it's a very lonely time.