Recovering in Texas

Hi RedCurlGirl, love the name! I am a year post treatment and all side effects I had regarding skin have gone. My only legacy from the treatment I would say is how diet affect my bowels. I either go too much or constipation. I have been given advice from a dietitian which is very random and limited with the NHS and feel it’s a tick box questionnaire and here is your answer. Our bodies are so unique and what works for one may not work for another.  I suffer a little discomfort in the morning with first bowel movement and don’t think that is ever going to change. I pretty much do as much walking I can I am retired so do not have to work so lucky I don’t have to worry about that. Life is good but not the same as before. I think I will always be anxious about it coming back as a few weeks ago I had a lump on my tongue which the dentist was concerned about and had to go to hospital but they looked at it and said they are not worried. Things like this happening can easily set your alarm bells ringing. When you start getting your energy back and have no soreness anymore it’s great. Hope you are doing well too. Julie

Hi Julie,

Thanks so much for the kind and reassuring response.  I have told many people that it seems cruel that the side effects of “cure” so very closely resemble the initial symptoms of anal cancer—the mucous in bowel movements, occasional skin tearing, leading to little smears of blood on toilet paper…. I have very little problem with my skin now, fortunately, but like you mentioned, I have noticed that my bowel habits seem to swing on a pendulum, also.  Like you, I can’t quite figure out if diet changes would make a significant difference, but I eat very healthily—primarily vegetarian, occasional fish, some days completely vegan.

My energy seems normal, so I run and do yoga daily, and I teach ballet a few times a week.  I have young children, and I have been able to keep up with their activities.  I do try to aim for earlier bedtime and to allow myself to sleep as a late as I need—easier now that the kids are on summer break, and my husband is fully capable and willing to help with those things.

My team at MD Anderson in Houston is wonderful and sees no red flags in my post-treatment symptoms, so I guess I just wait to check in with them again as scheduled at the end of July.  Nothing I feel or experience now is interfering with my lifestyle.  It’s just nice to hear from others that my “new normal” is actually normal.

Thanks again, and have a great day,

Red

Hi RedCurlGirl my experience post- treatment is pretty much the same as Jaycee12 has described. I'm a bit further along and am almost 3 years post-treatment. I don't suffer from constipation but have episodes of loose bowels should I overdo certain things, namely coffee and green vegetables. Sometimes spicy food can set me off yet I can tolerate it at other times.   I also have episodes of sore skin which is still sensitive at the site of the radiotherapy. I also suffer from mucous and blood on the toilet paper. As you say, some of the side effects of treatment do mirror the side effects of anal cancer and they are very worrying in the early days until you come to learn that they come and go.   The most lasting effect for me has been the impact on my pelvic bones causing aching and sometimes sciatic pain down my leg. I had a MRI scan to check for hairline fractures which can be caused by the radiotherapy but there were none. I am now wondering if the radiotherapy may have caused some osteoporosis for which a bone density scan would be required and intend to ask about this at my next appointment.  You do sound to have recovered remarkably well and it's good to see your energy levels levels have returned.  Bev 

Hi Jaycee12  sorry to hear about your recent health scare and I'm glad it turned out to be ok.  It's good to be vigilant about health matters so getting checked out was the right thing to do but it does ramp up the anxiety doesn't it ! Bev 

Hi Bev,

Thank you so much for the response and input!  It was very interesting to read that you sometimes have sciatic nerve pain.  I have had some odd nerve sensations and pain, but I had attributed it to my workouts increasing in intensity as I have felt stronger.  It absolutely makes sense that the nerves would be affected by radiation.

I’m glad to hear you had no hairline fractures detected, and I hope you’re able to have the bone scan, as that would definitely provide helpful info to guard against osteoporosis-related complications down the road.  I was warned that radiation can bring upon osteoporosis, though doesn’t always.  Hopefully you’ve dodged that!

I appreciate the inspiration, and may you continue to thrive without cancer!

Best wishes,

Red