Brachytherapy and Bowels

Hi Barb,

Not sure I will be much help, but I think your bowels change (like everything else ) as you get older. I've had no issues with bowels, but have learnt a lot since husband was diagnosed with bowel cancer 5 or 6 weeks ago. By the way, he had no symptoms, it was found after a blood test proved he was anaemic. We guess his last bowel screening was about 2 years ago. The bowel does not like being moved or tampered with! He was fine until they put a camera up, then he became what he classed as 'sticky'. The consultant could tell he had been constipated by looking at the bowel during the operation!. You can pass small hard bits, but still be classed as constipated!. 

I'm sure your scan will show any problems. They have found a couple of things on my husband that need sorting out (apart from the bowel cancer). I'd get anything checked that doesn't seem 'right'. By the way, the ward my husband is on seems extremely busy. I wonder if they are catching up on things. xxx

Hi NannyAnny thanks for that - I've never been constipated in my life except after my op until the movicol got things moving after the anaesthetic. 

Good thing is my 3 monthly check-up that should have happened in September, was booked for mid November has been brought forward to Tuesday next week so I'll bring it all up with then. My CT scan is Thursday so fingers crossed they amalgamate results quickly. 

My hubby also didn't have any symptoms, just the anaemia and weight loss due to co-codamol. You mentioned the ward your hubby is in is busy, the Champ of the Bowel cancer group mentioned it's busier there at the moment!

Big hugs, Barb xx

Hi Barb. I had my total hysterectomy in mid July and have had problems with my bowel ever since. It seems to be getting worse not better. Minutes after eating I have to urgently get to the loo and have very loose stools. I'm bent double in pain. Today I had a very sharp pain... like I was being stabbed just for a second or two then it would just stop. Then a minute later it would happen again. This was getting worse throughout the day. I thought I can't carry on like this all weekend so I rang the Christie hospital for advice. Because of the intensity of the pain I was told to go to A and E. I went to the loo and horrendous diarrhoea, walked to the car and realised I needed to go again. This time was worse than ever. By the time I got to the hospital the pain was lessening. I had blood tests and saw a doctor who also works at the Christie hospital. I told him that the pain was gone. He thinks it was gastritis. I'm just glad it's stopped. I'm seeing my sarcoma consultant on Tuesday and will mention it to him. I know that I had a lot of adhesions and the surgery was challenging but I would have thought three and a half months later the bowel issues would have eased.

I hope you get some help soon for your bowel issues. Take care, Deb

Hi barb.

Im sorry your experiencing changes now but there must be something I'm the air because I'm also feeling changes and spoke to the nurse who has been with me from diagnosis and they have booked me in for bloods and an mri on Friday 5th.

Im feeling bloated and getting pains in my tummy.

A month ago I had 2 weeks of diarrhea but that's calmed down now thankfully.

I've decided to not tell any of my family or friends yet because they will drive me nuts with over worrying so I will wait for results.

Barb we are all strong women and we will beat this war so keep mentally strong and positive thoughts as much as possible.

     Hugs and kisses Debbie 

Deborino

Not sure if it's reassuring or otherwise but we all seem the same. I'll let you know how I get on Tuesday.

Thanks for the good wishes, hugs, Barb xx

PS my bestie's name is Debbie and if it weren't for her nagging me............

Hi Barb,

Hope the scan helps with your diagnosis - painful tummy and unreliable bowels sound like a really uncomfortable place to be. I know if I neglect walking a couple of miles each day, or drinking sufficient fluids, I get terrible bloating (which I very rarely experienced pre-op). My body definitely is different but not sure how much is down to ageing, and to putting on weight post-op. I've also been reading up on adhesions - apparently 93% of people who undergo abdominal surgery, as we have, experience adhesions - these can cause pain, and have a range of side effects, but I've not seen them mentioned by many folk. I plan to raise this with my oncologist and gynaecologist next week when i have my quarterly appointments. I'm not quite sure why I'm seeing both of them in the same week but will go ahead as we're moving to the North West on 12 November and I'm keen to be checked over before I leave here.  

If you, or anyone else in this group, are concerned about getting caught short when out and about can I recommend the Bladder and Bowel Community and their 'Just can't wait' card.

Take care,
Dx

Hi Dreamweaver,

Funny you should mention adhesions. My mum had her appendix out (must have been in her 30's or 40's), and had a lot of trouble being sick and constipated for years afterwards, due to adhesions. Each tome she was whisked into hospital and we knew it was another operation. After many years she started making home brewed beer, and discovered that  a glass each night  kept her regular, and she had no more trouble. I shouldn't think any doctor would have recommend this, but it worked!! xxxx

Hi all, just wanted to add my experience here. I had my hysterectomy August 2020, but less than a year previously I had to have my appendix removed. They started off with keyhole surgery but had to go to open surgery as my appendix had ruptured. I had, and still have, lots of “weird “ feelings around my scar area. I feel lots of twinges even now. So I was apprehensive re my hysterectomy. My surgeon explained that , during surgery, when the bowel is moved aside it can dry out and then get stuck to anything near it. After my op he said “it was quite a mess in there”, but he said he’d managed to sort it out. I’m pleased to say that so far I haven’t noticed any drastic after effects, tho I have to admit my bowl has always been sluggish and that hasn’t changed!  I know I don’t drink enough water! I do keep a box of laxatives in the house in case things get desperate.

I hope you get some answers this week Barb, so fingers crossed that they sort you out,

Love Viv x

Hi Dreamweaver, I live in the north west and I'm under the sarcoma team at the Christie hospital in Didsbury. My sarcoma consultant is lovely, I'm seeing him on Tuesday regarding the scans I had almost two weeks ago.

Thanks Deborino we're moving to Southport so not sure which hospital I'll be transferred to - possibly Liverpool?