I've been on this journey for almost 20 years: LAR at 43, "cured" at 49, local recurrence at 52: surgery (part of sacrum/coccyx removed) , chemo, radiation. It was after the radiation got going that the big pain started, and I lost my ability to sit. Pain was poorly managed by a pain doc n...

I hated the idea of getting a port, but I got used to the creepy science-fictiony idea that I could be plugged into something. After the procedure, it might hurt to not have the bra on keeping everything still. I showered with my bra on for a couple of weeks before the soreness went away. Good luck!

Thanks to all who responded. I am impressed by the wisdom on display here.

Five years after surgery for stage 1 rectal ca, my surgeon shook my hand, said I was probably cured. Two years later, I had a local met to the coccyx, sacrum, followed by radiation and 12 rounds of folfox, VERY poorly tolerated. The radiation oncologist, a great guy, said, "We are going to cure...

I started with stage 1 rectal ca, negative lymph nodes and years later developed stage 4, also negative lymph nodes, My radiation onc said I have a good chance of being cured. But I never asked precisely what that chance was. Best of luck to you . . .

I just want to say that side effects are likely to worsen as one progresses through the rounds of folfox. I was sick enough to be hospitalized for the last few rounds. What made me feel almost normal was IV hydration: an hour of it after infusion on day 1 and day 2. I didn't feel dehydrated, so it t...

I have been on the patch at various doses (up to 175) for a year, with other opiates for breakthrough pain. Constipation is a problem and there are lots of solutions: osmotic laxatives like oral, tasteless Miralax powder and glycerin suppositories are milder than stimulant laxatives (like Dulcolax)....

I had rectal ca met to my coccyx and sacrum, the bottom bones of the spine. These were removed promptly, and my treatment was radiation and folfox, just finished in September. Nobody told me to wait. I don't know what these spheres are that you're referring to.

Thanks, Lee Yeah, I have talked to my docs about this. One of my surgeons has never seen such a sequence of events (haven't asked the other), nor has my oncologist. They recommend PT and laxatives. The laxatives made matters worse: the belladonna worked. Bravo belladonna. Yikes, stage IV. Ok, I'll d...

Hi, all--I've been lurking for months and decided to enter the fray today. I was dx w/ rectal ca at 43, had a resection with no colostomy and went on my merry way. No lymph nodes, no chemo, no radiation. I think it was stage I. Five years later my surgeon shook my hand and pronounced me probably cur...