It’s getting real now !

Hi Dee62 

Welcome to the club, although im sorry you have found yourself here. All the scans and appointments at the start can be over whelming and to find out you have a fracture aswell. The treatment for ac is a pretty sucessful treatment so try not to think ahead to surgery, concentrate on now. Everything you are feeling is totally normal but once you get started on treatment and get into a routine you will feel more in control. While treatment isnt a walk in the park it wasnt as bad as i expected. You can do this, everyone is here for you. We are all either going through it or out the otherside. Use this space to ask questions, unload whatever you need. Try and enjoy christmas and your holiday. Sending hugs. Xx

It’s so scary, but I think it’s right what you say we’ve all lost our control to start with 

I will try and enjoy Christmas and my holiday although it will probably be there in the back of my mind 

I will try and concentrate on the treatment and not worry about the operation until it happens if it even does, I understand they give you the worst case scenario and the worst may never happen 

Thank you so much for your reply 

xxx

Hello Dee62 

A warm welcome to the forum, and I am so sorry to hear of your diagnosis.  Most of us know only too well all the feelings that you are going through right now, the fear, disbelief and bewilderment.  All of a sudden you are in a strange land where you don't speak the language and your oncologist has really painted the worst picture.  I have no medical knowledge apart from what I have learned on here but we do know the treatment has a high success rate.   The number of forum members where it hasn't worked and they have had to have surgery and a stoma really are in the minority.  And even then, happily, most have recovered well and are getting on with their lives.

The period you are in now is the worst, the rollercoaster of scans, biopsies and and investigations but your treatment plan is now decided and in place.  When you have the first chemo, you will be given medication to counter nausea and you may well feel fine, there is no way of knowing but the treating team will be keeping a very close eye on you. Please keep them informed if you are finding things hard, they can normally supply medication and other supplies the same day.  And remember the radiotherapy itself is painless and really only takes minutes, you will get to know every clunk and rotation of the machine!

The side effects from treatment don't all come at once and normally not until the third/fourth week of treatment, but we have lots of tips and coping strategies to help through this.  My main tip would be to buy a Sitzbath, a bidet that sits on the loo and is readily available on Amazon.  Filled with lukewarm water it is wonderful for soothing everywhere in the nether regions when you start feeling really tender and sore.

I am also sorry to hear of your back injury, I bounced down the stairs many years ago carrying my baby daughter and to this day I can remember the agony at the base of my spine.  You poor thing, struggling on with that since August.

Finally, please remember what you say on here isn't ever regarded as a moan by others on here who have great empathy with what you are going through right now, we have a great crowd here and there is always someone ready to offer support.

Now, if you can, enjoy your Christmas and holiday away.

Big hug

Irene xx

Hello Dee,

Welcome to the forum. First thing I would echo is that yes, it is so overwhelming when you are first diagnosed - it all sounds really complicated and you think you'll never become familiar with it all. But you will, and you will be strolling in and out of the radiotherapy department like you had known it forever, and the staff will become familiar and supportive to you. 

The first day when you have chemo and radiotherapy might well be a long one, just in terms of hanging about, so take things to do, make sure your phone is charged and take some drinks and snacks to keep you going. The first chemo session is a different drug from the others (Mitomycin, usually) and can be the one that makes you feel a bit nauseous, but the remaining chemo should be fine. They will give you anti-sickness meds to help in any case.

Irene has said your oncologist has given you all the scary bits, and that is exactly right. When I had my first conversation with mine, he really freaked me out and I thought I was doomed! They have to be realistic about the possibilities I suppose, but please bear in mind it is an extremely effective treatment and many of us here have been through it and are on our way out the other end. 

So.. go with the flow, if you can. They do know what they are doing, although it can feel a bit like you are being shoved from pillar to post at first, but once the first session is done, you will start to feel more in control and will settle into your routine.

Sorry if this has been a bit long, but I could just feel your panic coming through. Please let us know how you get on. 

Have a great Christmas, knowing it's all in hand now - and by the spring you'll be done. xx

Hello Dee62,

Welcome to the forum although I’m sorry you’ve had to find yourself here. 

What a whirlwind for you, and in answer to your last question, yes, it’s absolutely normal to feel this bad at the point of diagnosis. I think we’ve all been there and remember feeling scared and apprehensive with a feeling of disbelief. It’s a lot to get your poor head around. 

I can see that you’ve had some great advice from forum members already so won’t repeat. What I will say is that I wish I’d made more use of this forum sooner as remember feeling so scared and overwhelmed by the diagnosis and had never heard of anal cancer. 

Everyone on this forum has either been through treatment or is going through it and you can ask absolutely anything, no holds barred. The treatment has really good success rates so try to hold on to that if you can.

You are absolutely not moaning and please don’t ever think that. Everything you are feeling is completely understandable. 

I hope that your appointment tomorrow goes as well as possible and that the team can answer any questions you have. 

Big hug to you xx

Thank you for your lovely post I’m definitely going to keep in touch on here for the hints and tips and also update how things are going 

hope you have a lovely Xmas and new year Irene xxx

Thank you, I’m not someone that normally pains or feels out of my depth but this has really scared me but with all you lovely ladies support hints and tips I’m sure I will get through this 

you have a lovely Xmas and new year also xxx

Thank you for the very good advice I will definitely come on the forum more often and seek advice when needed 

I will update once I’ve spoken to my chemo team tomorrow 

hope you have a lovely Xmas and new year xxx

Hi Dee62 , another warm welcome from me although I’m sorry to learn of your recent diagnosis. I hope your appointment went well yesterday. 

Firstly you’re not moaning you’re airing concerns that most of us here have had ourselves, it’s a daunting time waiting for your treatment to begin, fear of the unknown I suppose.

What I will say is what’s already been touched upon in the wonderful replies you’ve already received & that is once your treatment starts it all very quickly becomes routine, those daily visits to the hospital & you'll begin to feel a little more in control. On your first day it’s normal for there to be quite a wait between your chemo appointment & the radiotherapy appointment, if I remember correctly my chemo appointment was 10.30 or 11am & my radiotherapy session wasn’t until 3.30pm, there was a little cafe just between the 2 departments so I went & got a cuppa & a sandwich & did a bit of scrolling on my phone (I couldn’t concentrate enough to really read or anything!) but the time passed surprisingly quickly. You’ll also be given anti-sickness meds prior to your chemo so you shouldn’t feel unwell. 

I hope the replies you’ve had here have helped reassure you a little & that you can enjoy your Christmas & your holiday & come back ready to start. Also remember we’re here to support you however we can. 

Nicola 

Hi and thank you, my appointment with the chemo nurse was ok but all the information was very overwhelming and scary I didn’t realise so much could go wrong whilst having these treatments 

I’m petrified at this time,  I’m sure they give you the worst case scenario’s and everything they tell won’t necessary all happen but it’s also a lot of information to process so I’ll continue coming on and ask questions xxx