NHMike wrote:My tumor shrunk 90 percent after chemo and radiation but it still remained so I don’t kno that there was a real option besides surgery.
I’m definitely feeling the LARS pain though. I will get to trying the enemas.
susie0915 wrote:NHMike wrote:My tumor shrunk 90 percent after chemo and radiation but it still remained so I don’t kno that there was a real option besides surgery.
I’m definitely feeling the LARS pain though. I will get to trying the enemas.
Enemas are becoming more and more accepted and recommended. Irrigating stomas has been practiced for years, rectal irrigation is really no different. I don't know if you're interested Mike, there is a LARS support group on facebook. Alot of good advice and ideas shared. There are some from here that have joined. It's Living with Lower Anterior Resection syndrome.
Lowrectalcancer.com explains the entire process and premise behind enemas for patients that had rectal cancer
susie0915 wrote:NHMike wrote:My tumor shrunk 90 percent after chemo and radiation but it still remained so I don’t kno that there was a real option besides surgery.
I’m definitely feeling the LARS pain though. I will get to trying the enemas.
Enemas are becoming more and more accepted and recommended. Irrigating stomas has been practiced for years, rectal irrigation is really no different. I don't know if you're interested Mike, there is a LARS support group on facebook. Alot of good advice and ideas shared. There are some from here that have joined. It's Living with Lower Anterior Resection syndrome.
Phillypatient wrote:Thanks so much for the website Susie. I will certainly do some research. It's ironic that a cure for something that would eventually kill you leaves one wishing one would rather not be alive.
Soccermom2boys wrote:I am thinking I would rather still have the surgery because my tumor literally was up against the anal sphincter and it didn’t shrink enough to warrant no surgery and I also therefore needed to have a permanent colostomy. I know, most people would try just about anything to not have an ostomy and I completely understand the reasoning, but while I have to make changes in other ways (dealing with a pouch on my abdomen), it in no way hampers me from being out and about all day and doing all of the activities (running, swimming, biking, riding roller coasters, etc) I did prior to surgery. It is a new normal for sure, I don’t want to say it is sooooo easy, but honestly it is not that bad if you are years later from your surgery and still having troubles with frequency, etc., this is a better alternative for sure. And as for farting—my ostomy pouch has a great filter and so it is rare for any smell to filter through it. I have a colostomy (less maintenance than an ileostomy) which I believe is more typical for rectal cancer patients that have to have a permanent ostomy.
For my body, radiation was honestly not all that helpful in that I didn’t get a great amount of shrinkage of the tumor, but I sure got loads of other lifelong issues from those zaps. If only there was some magic ball out there that could tell you in advance how your body would react to each component of rectal cancer, then you could pick what worked best: I’ll take the surgery with a side of chemo, but hold on the radiation, please.
Swirdfish wrote:I guess its a real dice roll. I had ULAR surgery, and although I have some issues with reoccurring toilet visits and sometimes urgency, its far between. My surgery was awhile ago, and I think my body is still adapting to this day and improving. But this I can live with very easy.
I feel for the people who are experiencing issues. Its not a nice experience when your out, and your clenching and a toilet is quite some distance away. I've had to sacrifice a few pants before.
Also does anyone else think their farts are worse? Becoming a real issue at home and work? I just pretend I don't notice, but this can and will clear out rooms.
Soccermom2boys wrote:I am thinking I would rather still have the surgery because my tumor literally was up against the anal sphincter and it didn’t shrink enough to warrant no surgery and I also therefore needed to have a permanent colostomy. I know, most people would try just about anything to not have an ostomy and I completely understand the reasoning, but while I have to make changes in other ways (dealing with a pouch on my abdomen), it in no way hampers me from being out and about all day and doing all of the activities (running, swimming, biking, riding roller coasters, etc) I did prior to surgery. It is a new normal for sure, I don’t want to say it is sooooo easy, but honestly it is not that bad if you are years later from your surgery and still having troubles with frequency, etc., this is a better alternative for sure. And as for farting—my ostomy pouch has a great filter and so it is rare for any smell to filter through it. I have a colostomy (less maintenance than an ileostomy) which I believe is more typical for rectal cancer patients that have to have a permanent ostomy.
For my body, radiation was honestly not all that helpful in that I didn’t get a great amount of shrinkage of the tumor, but I sure got loads of other lifelong issues from those zaps. If only there was some magic ball out there that could tell you in advance how your body would react to each component of rectal cancer, then you could pick what worked best: I’ll take the surgery with a side of chemo, but hold on the radiation, please.
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