Transcendental bowel movement

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Ulendon
Posts: 55
Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:36 pm
Facebook Username: Amira A Sofer

Transcendental bowel movement

Postby Ulendon » Tue Dec 31, 2019 2:06 pm

"There's three things in this world that you need: Respect for all kinds of life, a nice bowel movement on a regular basis, and a navy blazer."
-Robin Williams in The Fisher King (1991)

I honestly don't know of a delicate way to share this information, and I really feel like I need to share it, so I'm just going to lay it out there.

So for the last few months before my diagnoses my bowel movements had become irregular, multiple, and varied. I've pretty much felt like I needed to poop constantly. It eased a little with the removal of the polyps during colonoscopy but I've still had to poop a little every time I pee (which is a lot). I haven't wanted to strain so have just been going with the nugget of poop each time method. I wouldn't say I've been constipated per se because I think the texture is fine, I just have a hard time being productive.

I'm 4 treatments into radiation and it seems to be getting a little worse, though luckily I haven't had diarrhea from the chemo. I really have felt like it's a mechanical issue since the tumor is circumferential and constricting my rectum.

So the reason I feel the need to share is that I ordered a squatty potty knock off on amazon for $12 thinking it was worth a shot and holy CRAP. I mean like angels shone down. As soon as I put my feet up on it the express way opened up. No straining, no discomfort, the MOST satisfying bowel movement I have had in like 6 months. Maybe it's just my conformation and tumor but it made things so much more comfortable and productive. It's the first time I have felt like I was able to fully evacuate my bowels in ages. I think that's the happiest poop I've ever had.
43 F
DX: RC
Tumor Location: Mid
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Tumor size: 5cm
Tumor Grade: T3b
Clinical: Stage IIIC (cT3, cN2b, cM0)
Suspicious local regional lymph nodes and 1 Extramesorectal lymph node
CEA 3.2 12/4/19
Margins: clear
MSI: intact

11/25/19 colonoscopy
12/2/19 MRI
12/3/19 CT: no evidence of distant spread
12/6/19 Surgery consult: LAR
12/11/19 Oncology: RX: Xeloda, Radiation x28
12/13/19 Radiation Oncology consultation, scan, tattoos

12/26/19-2/5/19 Xeloda, Radiation x28

boxhill
Posts: 789
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:40 am

Re: Transcendental bowel movement

Postby boxhill » Wed Jan 01, 2020 8:56 am

If there's one place you can always talk about poop, it's a CRC support group! :)

Congratulations and Happy New Year!
F, 64 at DX CRC Stage IV
3/17/18 blockage, r hemi
11 of 25 LN,5 mesentery nodes
5mm liver met
pT3 pN2b pM1
BRAF wild, KRAS G12D
dMMR, MSI-H
5/18 FOLFOX
7/18 and 11/18 CT NED
12/18 MRI 5mm liver mass, 2 LNs in porta hepatis
12/31/18 Keytruda
6/19 Multiphasic CT LNs normal, Liver stable
6/28/19 Pause Key, predisone for joint pain
7/31/19 Restart Key
9/19 CT stable
Pain: all fails but Celebrex
12/23/19 CT stable
5/20 MRI stable/NED
6/20 Stop Key
All MRIs NED

User avatar
susie0915
Posts: 945
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:17 am
Facebook Username: Susan DeGrazia Hostetter
Location: Michigan

Re: Transcendental bowel movement

Postby susie0915 » Wed Jan 01, 2020 10:36 am

I love my squatty potty. I also have one that folds flat that I travel with.
58 yrs old Dx @ 55
5/15 DX T3N0MO
6/15 5 wks chemo/rad
7/15 sigmoidoscopy/only scar tissue left
8/15 PET scan NED
9/15 LAR
0/24 nodes
10/15 blockage. surgery,early ileo rev, c-diff inf :(
12/15 6 rds of xelox
5/16 CT lung scarring/inflammation
9/16 clear colonoscopy
4/17 C 4mm lung nod
10/17 pel/abd CT NED
11/17 CEA<.5
1/18 CT/Lung no change in 4mm nodule
5/18 CEA<.5, CT pel/abd/lung NED
11/18 CEA .6
5/19 CT NED, CEA <.5
10/19 Clear colonscopy
11/19 CEA <.5

Ulendon
Posts: 55
Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:36 pm
Facebook Username: Amira A Sofer

Re: Transcendental bowel movement

Postby Ulendon » Wed Jan 01, 2020 4:00 pm

I just ordered the travel version!
43 F
DX: RC
Tumor Location: Mid
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Tumor size: 5cm
Tumor Grade: T3b
Clinical: Stage IIIC (cT3, cN2b, cM0)
Suspicious local regional lymph nodes and 1 Extramesorectal lymph node
CEA 3.2 12/4/19
Margins: clear
MSI: intact

11/25/19 colonoscopy
12/2/19 MRI
12/3/19 CT: no evidence of distant spread
12/6/19 Surgery consult: LAR
12/11/19 Oncology: RX: Xeloda, Radiation x28
12/13/19 Radiation Oncology consultation, scan, tattoos

12/26/19-2/5/19 Xeloda, Radiation x28

Basil
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:33 pm

Re: Transcendental bowel movement

Postby Basil » Wed Jan 01, 2020 10:49 pm

My wife (no cancer for her) bought in of these. I was like WTF is that? She explained. I tried it but it didn’t do anything for me. And I lost 90% of my rectum in LAR.
40 y/o male (now 46), kids 11 & 14.
Dx 3/16/17, rectal cancer s3,t3,n1,m0
PROSPCT trial (FOLFOX in lieu of chemorad)
FOLFOX 4/5/17 - 6/26/17
LAR 7/31/17, temp ileo
pathological complete response
Adjuvant chemo cancelled (IDEA Study)
Ileo reversed 9/25/17
NED
1 year scans - clear
2 year scans - clear
3 year scans - clear
4 year scans - clear
5 year scans - clear (considered cured)

Ulendon
Posts: 55
Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:36 pm
Facebook Username: Amira A Sofer

Re: Transcendental bowel movement

Postby Ulendon » Thu Jan 02, 2020 1:36 pm

Basil,

Maybe it is because I have not yet had the surgery. I wonder if, after the surgery, that muscle (puborectalis) doesn't work the same way or at all?
43 F
DX: RC
Tumor Location: Mid
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Tumor size: 5cm
Tumor Grade: T3b
Clinical: Stage IIIC (cT3, cN2b, cM0)
Suspicious local regional lymph nodes and 1 Extramesorectal lymph node
CEA 3.2 12/4/19
Margins: clear
MSI: intact

11/25/19 colonoscopy
12/2/19 MRI
12/3/19 CT: no evidence of distant spread
12/6/19 Surgery consult: LAR
12/11/19 Oncology: RX: Xeloda, Radiation x28
12/13/19 Radiation Oncology consultation, scan, tattoos

12/26/19-2/5/19 Xeloda, Radiation x28


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