Hi I’m Post Treatment but a bit of a mess!

Hi Irene75359

I just recently felt the need to reach out, after reading so many posts since it all began for me last June. Believe me, EVERY post has helped in one way or another. I’ll remember my watch now at least!! Lol.

Wishing you the best going forward. 

You too, Holibobsx

Irene75359 ha ha I know!!! I felt such an absolute idiot!!! After all that fasting. I laughed too!  I was so apologetic to the team as not only had I wasted my time I’d wasted theirs too but he reassured me that they have many in patients awaiting scans so they readily fIll up any gaps. 

You’re not being flippant at all, just seeing the funny side of it. By far the best way. I mean I now have to make a whole other trip up to London and fast all over again. Serves me right!  

And yes hopefully, anyone having a scan that they say you need to fast for… don’t accidentally pop a mint or whatnot in!!! 

Sorry about your Apple Watch, what a shame! And goodness it could have burned you, isn’t that extraordinary! Lucky you were ok. We live and learn!! 

Holibobs it is an overwhelming plethora of emotions this crazy rollercoaster of a ride so please rant away to us! It’s good to get it out and we’ve all felt the same at one time or another! Your posts will go on to help many future visitors to here!  And yes, the menopause… as if we haven’t been through enough!    Hope you’re having a better day today  sending a big hug! 

xx 

Just wanted to say hi as I have just finished treatment in Bristol too. Hope you are feeling ok and that all goes well with your check up x

Hi Mrs Vanilla

That’s great news, I hope you’re doing well and your experience was as good as mine. I have a few up and down days now but to be expectedl I suppose. 

Thanks, roll on 22nd Feb, I’ll keep you posted.

Best Wishes x

Hey there - you're a bit ahead of me, but I still resonate! I had a very similar experience of doing pretty well for the first few weeks, and feeling pretty confident, then the 'skin issues' and pain and fatigue, and being generally quite a mess - quite shocking. I gather it makes sense that there will be 'down' times. Good on you for linking in here - it's been helpful for me too when I've gone into freak-out loops and flat / hopeless times. Just gotta hang in there. It seems, whatever you are going through right now, is not permanent - It WILL change. Best wishes, A

Hi,

Thank you for your encouraging words. Most days it’s fine. It’s just very up and down at the moment but I forget it’s early days.

• I just read your post about your skin. Mine was very patchwork quilt! But was back to my usual looking skin, 2 months post treatment, so you may just get into that bikini this season. I have until May here!! I usually use E45 cream but the hospital recommended and prescribed Aveeno. I have to say it’s a bit thicker and more moisturising so possibly speeded things up. Plus you can buy it cheaply here. And if it’s good enough for Jennifer Anniston then well….lol. Good luck with the healing. X

My anal cancer tumour has come back for 3rd time!!! Survivor of 7 years.  Lessons, keep a strict diet, no sugar, veggies, juicing, no red meat.  Exercise and fresh air key.  I think the reason cancer came back is I let my diet slip, cancer loves sugar!!!  I have started celery juicing, this seems to be working amazing for me and my gut.  A good probiotic key.  I eat full fat organic sheep yoghurt, great for gut.  Basically the way I see it, all about gut health.  I am scared about having chemo, as before I have done 95% natural and radiotherapy.  So any success stories about chemo I would like to hear and people living a normal life again! God bless us all on this journey XXX

Hey HG - Good on you for your determination to take the healthiest path you can find. And thanks for the good heads-up on diet and gut health. I'm no expert, but when I was freaking out about all the possible side effects of the radio / chemo combo treatment they were suggesting, the doctor explained the story of how that treatment protocol developed, and I found it reassuring. She said that originally any anal cancer tumor would be operated on and cut out if at all possible. That 'hard and fast' approach obviously saved lives, but also left people with a lot of life-altering challenges from them on. However there were some cases where, for one reason or another, an operation was not an option. They needed an alternative, and developed the chemo/radio combo approach, which is pretty much the main one used now, as it had a really high 'curative' success rate. As a result of those outcomes it has now become a favored approach over operations. I have a friend who talks about chemo as 'magic'. I think most of us know it's not quite a 'sparkly' as that phrase implies, but it's a helpful re-frame to think of the transformative power it adds to the treatment mix?