Newly diagnosed t2 anal cancer awaiting treatment

Hi Shellmarie Welcome to the club no one wants to join. Personally I had bad wind pain from day one but cutting green veg helped with that. I also got sore round the tops of my legs, felt like mild sunburn. It was probably about 2 weeks in when they really sore but I used the creams provided by my hospital and it was bearable but I'd did walk like john Wayne for a while. I used water wipes and wore mens baggy boxers, went commando as much as possible. Towards the end I had a lot of mucous but the hospital gave me these giant nappy things to get to and from hospital in. After treatment the painful poos started, just had to grit your teeth and get on with it. I also had to take max dose of paracetamol everyday as advised by hospital and they also made me take preventative antibiotics all the way through. Start moisturising your skin now and get it as good as you can prior to treatment. Also a lot of people on here ( i didnt )used a sitz bath which they found help. I would say that whatever you put on your skin run it past your team first however harmless you think it is as different hospitals seem to advise differently eg I was told to stop using epsom salts but other people on here were allowed. Good luck for the 22nd. Sending hugs. Xx

Hello Shellmarie 

Welcome to the forum although I am sorry you have to be here at all.  You are in the waiting stage which, added to all the test, biopsies and appointments just seems to go on forever.  But you don't have long now, and mentally you really will feel a lot better once treatment starts.

I had side effects that started in week three but it is important to remember they don't all come at once, it is a very gradual thing.  And your team will keep a close eye on you so remember to shout out if you need to up the painkillers, gels and lotions.

And there someone is around most of the time here on the forum, so please check in if you are worried or need to ask questions.  Remember nothing is off-limits here.

We will all be thinking of you and will be beside you in spirit all the way.

Big hug

Irene xx

Aw thanks for this and for sharing your experience! So my lesion is 4cm just inside my rectum and is already painful following passing s movement so I’m using codeine and laxative to manage this. It’s a weird sensation like a mix between pain and have a stool in there when you know there isn’t, I’m in a sit down job so using a donut to sit on as this week I had a horrendous bout of pain due to an enlarged haemorrhoid which has gone now with anusol thankfully but I’ve heard piles can be really irritated with the radio so dreading that and the painful poos too so will make sure I have things ready salts sitz baths etc and that my skin is prepped so off to get some aquaeceos cream today.  Be so glad when I’m at the back end of treatment and fingers crossed they will get rid of it ive heard it’s got a good outcome but feel like ive still not fully come to terms with the diagnosis yet it’s rocked my world but life goes on doesnt it 

Thankyou so much I’m glad you are now on the other side and all over for you xxx

Hi Irene think I have seen some of your other posts on here and they are honest accounts but also positive which is so important and has given me faith that i will get through it.

I feel like being at work now is helping me mentally as when I’m speaking to my clients I don’t think about it or the pain or discomfort but ive booked off the time when I’ll be having treatment as wasn’t sure how it would affect me as everyone reacts differently ive been told I’ll go through the menopause but I think I ews practically almost at that point anyway I have a supporting family and friends and work manager and feel lucky in that sense.  
I think my main worry is the burning and already have haemorrhoids this week gave me a taste as one of them was really enlarged and painful it hurt to walk and I panicked thinking the lesion had spread but good old anusol sorted it out and fine now! There is something for every symptom so I’ll just be vocal and tell the oncology team if am struggling.

it really helps me to talk to people like yourself who have been through it ive never been as scared in my life but this is giving me inner strength I appreciate it massively Irene and now just want to get it over with and get back to some normality after fingers crossed 

Hope you are well xxx

Hi, I’m pretty much exactly at the same point as you in my journey , and just like you I am so terrified! 
The advice and help on this forum is so good and I’m so glad I joined and introduced myself , 

Ive not been able to return to work since 1st May when I had my biopsy , the pain after bowel movement is horrendous so now I’ve been given tramadol and lactulose which helps a bit . I’ve also managed to get Instillagel which is an anesthetic gel that soothes and numbs the area but only for a couple of hours . 

I have my oncology meeting tmo to be told the actually staging after my PET scan and MDT meeting  last Thursday,

so I’m just waiting now for a start date for treatment and bring it on !! I’m gonna kick it’s ass 

We can do this together along with all these wonderful friends on here !! We just need positive mental attitudes to get through it xxxx 

Nicky xx

Hi Shellmarie , another warm welcome from me to the MacMillan Online Community although I’m really sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis. I hope you find your time here supportive, useful & informative. 

As you’ve pointed out everyone’s reaction to treatment is different, personally aside from some radiation cystitis around week 2 of my treatment I didn’t have many side effects until week 3-4 when my skin began reacting to the radiotherapy, it was similar to sunburn & gradually built over the remainder of my treatment. I had no diarrhoea, I did suffer some constipation which wasn’t much fun & in hindsight I think this was possibly internal inflammation but I managed that with stool softeners, I didn’t particularly lose my appetite at all. My side effects continued to build up until day 11 after my last day of treatment, those few days weren’t much fun but I slept a lot & lined up a watch list on tv! I just kept thinking to myself if this treatment will hand me back my life then every second would be worth it. 

As Irene has said tell your radiotherapy team if you’re getting sore or anything, they will be able to provide you with creams etc., & you should see your oncologist regularly so if you need more adequate pain relief be sure to tell them. I also agree to beginning moisturising your skin now, front, back, groin & the tops of your thighs, you want your skin in tip top condition going into treatment. 

I used the time between my oncology appointment & the start of my treatment to prepare for if I didn’t feel like doing much, I stocked up on essentials when I went shopping, I also batch cooked some meals for days when I didn’t feel much like cooking, I made a watch list on Netflix etc., & got some puzzle books in. 

I hope your upcoming oncology appointment goes well.

Nicola 

Hi there Nicky54

Thanks for replying and we will def kick this buggers arse together! Scuse the pun 

Aw the pain is also terrible at times for me too but I made the mistake of having 30mg codeine Friday and yesterday I usually have 15mg and two paracetamol every 6 hours and just one laxido but I should have upped my laxido to two to account for the extra codeine never mind won’t do that again! The way I’m doing it atm is having 15mg dose during the day then my gp said have 30mg at night  when I’m not driving etc to be safe this is ok for me for now but if does get any worse I’ll probs have to rethink everything again work seems to be keeping my mind off things right now though x

Hope your scan and appmt with oncology team goes well and always here to talk to when treatment gets going x

i felt for a while like I was talking about someone else like it wasn’t happening to me really and although fam have been so good with everything  t this  forum is great as the advice and support is  peeps who are going though it or been though it and I feel like I’m able to deal with things knowing not alone  

I’m using an ice pack at times, a special donut cushion and sensitive baby wipes they all really do help with pain and discomfort xxx

Hi Nicola 

thanks for this advice! At least if the side effects are challenging I will be well equipped to deal x

It’s a shame any of us have to go through this but I am grateful that things have come on as much as they have in the last 20 years and five weeks out of my life can save it so all for the greater good at the end point!

My hubby been scanning Amazon for bits and bats and bless him he has decorated the bedroom so will be my retreat when having my treatment and need to heal and rest 

You look at everything differently with this diagnoses and it’s also the little things u start to appreciate even my dog walks I hope I can still manage at least one short one of them a day even if it floors me for the rest of the day 

Bless u thanku so much this forum really does give u faith hope and strength x

Got 2 x donut cushions , got a siltz bum bath on order , and multipack of moist toilet wipes , The extra expense is inconvenient!!! But needs must

might try ice pack now thankyou