I have no bowel and the DRs had to cut into my sphincter muscles to get clear margins. Due to an infection, I had my reversal very soon. I do remember the 1st 2 weeks of very painful clustering, but they gave me strong pain killer and told me to try to time things around that. But it hurt like craz...

Isn't it sad that health insurance is what drives so many of the important decisions about our life? I am concerned that is I were to retire I would not be able to get insurance I can afford because of this preexisting condition. Glad to here things are settling for you. Susan This is the reason my...

Hello Steve, Mike, Did your surgeon say no to enemas because it was too soon after reversal when you asked? I know there needs to be a healing period. I was almost a year and a half after reversal when I began doing them. I am on that LARS page and there are some that were given the okay or surgeon...

I was instructed to do two fleet enemas a couple hours before the sigmoidoscopy.

I also do daily tap water enemas. There are many with very little or no rectum left that do this. It is a very easy process, takes me about 30 minutes every morning and gives me 24 hours free from the bathroom until I do again the next morning. Doing the daily enemas to me is less maintenance than a...

My doctor gave me Premarin to help plump the tissue. My tissue became so thin that just using rough toilet paper could cause mild bleeding. The Premarin has really helped with that. I use it on the external area mostly.

I had a 4mm nodule show up on a scan 2 years ago. My oncologist and pulmonologist both said too small for pet scan to pick up or to biopsy. Pulmonologist said it would have to at least double in size. I had 3 repeat scan within the following year with no change in size. The last scan in May, the rad...

Mike, I had surgery to remove scar tissue 4 weeks after my resection for a blockage. I went into the hospital had an ng tube inserted and waited a week to see if it would resolve itself. My surgeon decided to remove the scar tissue and reverse my ileostomy at the same time. That was 3 1/2 years ago ...

I am the developer (CRP) of the lowrectalcancer.com web site. The site was developed to give people like yourself an option to a colostomy and LARS. I have been doing a "daily enema" since 1997 (almost 8000). When I originally posted on Colon Talk there was little interest in the daily en...

It will get worse, it is cumulative. I really didn't notice any issues until the last two weeks. The skin does become sore. My biggest issue was I felt like I was passing glass when I urinated. I had to use lidocaine to numb the area every time i went. I don't know if you're a man or woman. If you a...

And yes I am in the US

Annie xxx Annie, I had a complete response according to scan but no biopsy. My oncologists, 1st and 2nd opinion, both recommended surgery and follow up chemo. According to them, they scans don't pick up cancer cells until they a certain threshold. I didn't want to take any chance of any of those st...

This is great news that your tumor is gone. My sigmoidoscopy also showed no tumor after finishing chemo/radiation, only scar tissue. I was never offered wait and watch but was told I may not need to do chemo after depending on pathology after surgery. Pathology showed clear margins, no lymph nodes, ...

Wishing for good news. I understand the scanxiety I also get it.

I was also 2a rectal cancer. I did do 6 rounds of Xelox after surgery. I had chemo/radiation before chemo and a sigmoidoscopy showed only scar tissue left and pet scan showed no cancer before surgery. My surgeon suggested depending on pathology after surgery may not have to do chemo. The pathology d...