Experiences of bowel management before each RT session

Hello Jonny five 

I had my RT at The Christie in Oldham. I live close to the hospital so I had my enema each day at home - emptied my bowels at home and walked in for the RT. (We were empty bowel - empty bladder - some hospitals are empty bowel full bladder)

To help with both bowel movements and not having wind on "the sunbed" we were told to avoid green leaf vegetables, fizzy drinks, coffee and caffeine, beans and pulses, alcohol , corn and to stop smoking. 

It worked for me, however I did see men being turned away to empty their bowels or to walk off wind so all in all I had a very healthy 5 weeks (I lost 8lb during RT!!)

Good luck with it, I hope all goes well for you - let us know how it goes.

Best wishes - Brian.

Thanks for the reply,so did you use micro enemas each day before RT through out the treatment.my treatment is empty bowel full bladder.

Hi Johnny five, Hope you are well. My OH starts his RT in 2 weeks and has been told to take an enema before each session when he gets to the hospital. He was also handed 2 boxes of micro enemas after his planning scans.

Best wishes,

Majestic

Good Morning Jonny (Jonny five) 

Yes, I was handed a box of 24 micro enemas and told "just turn up with an empty bowel - where you live the choice is either home or here".

I took the enema about an hour before my appointment and within 20 minutes I was "good to go". I found it quite an easy "job" to administer the enemas and as most if not all of my appointments were around the same time I got into a routine.

It took a couple of days to get used to the "new routine" but the daily trips became a social affair speaking to the same people each day in the waiting room.

Our Radiologists were great too- always happy to answer questions.

You will be fine - it's just like a big sunbed.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi Jonny five pleased to hear your planning scan went ok.  For my 37 sessions of RT they didn’t issue enemas so I got into a very simple routine with my eating and bowel routine. I managed to empty first thing every morning and wasn’t bounced once.  So no spice, fizzy drinks, caffeine or alcohol during school days but Friday and Saturday I could do what I liked.

In my case it was all about keeping to a routine which worked.  Once we had a menu for one day, we just tinkered with bits but kept very similar.  We changed from eating in the evening to a main meal at lunchtime.  The main thing was it worked.  Quite boring but it’s a long game we are playing hopefully. Good luck, David

Hi

I was in the empty bowel, full bladder cohort. As my 6 mile journey could take anything up to 45 mins,  I used the micro enemas at the hospital. 

The key for me, as others have said, was keeping rigidly to the recommended diet.In addition to Brian's recommendations, we were told to eat low fibre everything. So, no whole meal bread, for example.

Do not waiver, it really isn't a good idea - I speak from experience!

Regards

Stuart

Thanks for that Millibob feeling less anxious now.I will report back when I’m finished.Had my first HT 3 monthly injection today so it’s all go.

Thanks for that,micro enemas it.

Thanks for the reply David low fibre diet already in place time to bring it on.

Thanks for the reply,I think I’m ready to get it done now.