After Radiotherapy

Hi Julie 

Welcome or not to the “blowtorch” radio club ! I had the same and although excruciatingly uncomfortable for a couple of weeks after last session it DOES get better very quickly after that so it’s grit your teeth time! I think if you know it ends pretty soon you can deal with it better. I did lots of warm baths, pain relief, numbing gel, the lot ! You are doing the right things and you will get there soon !

lots of love Annie xxx

Hi Annie

You got the name right "The blowtorch" radio club!

Thank you for your reassurance, I just feel so bad. When I discuss this with other people, I don't think they quite understand.

Thank you

Love Julie xxx

Hi Julie 

You are right nobody does quite know the level of pain (for a short while) unless you’ve been through it. Some people don’t suffer as much and some do, I think it depends on where the radio is targeted. 

Main thing is it’s temporary and afterwards I felt better than I had for months so you will get there but until you do don’t suffer in silence.. ask the onco or the nurses or GP for all numbing gels and pain relief available !! as my mum said to me “ this too will pass” and it was true. Much love Annie xxxx

Yup, this is the worst part. Sounds like you are doing pretty well to be honest, as painful as it sounds. I was like you and I kept taking my painkillers up until after my surgery. If your painkillers are working even a little then this is great. To be honest I only had one really bad poo, the pain was like giving birth. The oramorph wasn't good enough for me because it took too long to take effect so I changed to slow release tablets as well as Codeine. I didn't have any other pain after this.

In some ways I wish I had not taken the painkillers because it took me nearly year to come off them all-tolled. Extra time because I stayed on them for three months until my surgery, and then six months after that. Coming off morphone is hard I found. And Codeine, but I went cold turkey on that stuff because I knew it's safer to do so than morphone.

If you can keep it together as you are then keep at it, you will notice an improvement each week, a couple of weeks and you should return to a point where it is exponentially more tolerable.

But there is no shame in taking painkillers, just be aware of ensuring you plan coming off them correctly.

Good luck.

Thank you Annie, a friend of mine seems to think now I have had the Radiotherapy I'm ok now.

I think I will see my doctor, for some numbing gel.

Love Julie xxx

Thank you,

Yes I need to think about the pain killers and stick to what I'm taking now. I have stopped taking Diazepam.

I will speak to my Doctors

Thank you

Hi Julie

I have just 1 more zap tommorrow then I've completed 25 days of chemoradiation too and know exactly how you feel my blowtorch bum started in the last week too . I don't think anyone who hasn't gone through it can understand what it feels like. I have been given gel and e45 cream am going to get some aloe Vera gel tommorrow as I've heard this is good too. The nurse told me today that after the radiotherapy finishes tommorrow I can use other medicated creams. I've also been given a dilator to use for the vagina in 2 weeks time as she said the radiotherapy can close it up a bit. 

What's keeps me going is every body says this is temporary so it will pass  and the hope that 'the thing'has shrunk

You can do this 

Love Peacock62 xxx 

Hi Peacock62,

Ask for the silver cream I have put the correct name in my original text. I was given a dilator, I don’t think I could go near mine for a couple of months. I have closed up! No joke. I have so many quest

Sorry I meant so many questions, I’m so glad we have this community.

Oh yes I’d forgotten about the dilators  I thought I’d stumbled into an Ann Summers party minus the Pringles when they started producing those from a small make-up bag!

ps have you only been given one?