pelvic radiation

[cjmillus]

please tell me about your experience with pelvic radiation

[Blue_Hawaii]

Hello cjmillus

My journey with PRD

I was difficulty digestion my food, late 2008

Finely the consultant, that my small bowl was damaged, it was like a lot of rubber bands stuck together

March 2009 I had small bowel bypass

Since then I was a real journey trying to sort out a diet that suited me, a dietician could not help at the time

I was constantly on antibiotics for the next 10yrs which wasn’t doing me any good

My mood swings were up and down,

My thoughts on on tying to killing on my way to work, at that time I was working as a carer in a lovely nursing home.

I kept going to see the GP, asking for help in the end she told me about Wessex cancer centre near me.

They gave me strength to keep speaking out the GP for help

I’ve got sciatica nerve damage, the pain never goes away

Right hip replaced in 2020 , thinking the pain would ease , it hasn’t

Malabsorption is a real problem

I’ve have B12 injection every 8 weeks

Finally I was diagnosed with PRD in 2019

I suffer with bacteria overgrowth

I’m really grateful to PRDA for their support, even though the lockdown

They have given me a purpose

On a good note, my voice not been destroyed

kind regards Wendy

[Blue_Hawaii in reply to Blue_Hawaii]

Hi cjmillus

I was in a bad place on Sunday when I wrote about my life living with Pelvic Radiation disease

Do not have suicide thoughts any more

I have great support and people understanding what it is like going through life with this disease

It doesn’t stop having bad days

I’m back smiling.

Thank you for listening

[Celticgirl1888]

Hi my husband had pelvic radiation to the prostate bed after a recurrence of prostate cancer. He had 33 sessions and finished in October of last year.

He was ok until March of this year when he started having rectal bleeding whenever he has a bowel movement, he also has urgency and can have a bowel movement 7 times a day.

He has been told this damage is radiation bowel proctitis, caused by the radiation to the pelvic area.

He also suffers from radiation cystitis and has pain on passing urine.

The radiotherapy has also left him with a weakened bladder so he now has some leakage which he is unable to control.

All if this is as a direct result if the radiotherapy, however a price worth paying if it has killed the cancer.

Unfortunately there is no way of telling at this stage , it’s a case of wait and see.

But in his case the dude effects of the pelvic radiation have been considerable.

Hope this is of help.

Jan

[Warham]

My experience with the treatment was actually a positive one. Daily radiotherapy over 30 days for anal cancer, burns that were dealt with well by my CNS and a specialist burns unit and remarkably quick recovery.

Problems didn’t surface until several months later when my bladder started to bleed uncontrollably and I was hospitalised due to blood clots blocking my urethra. That was brought under control but I now dealing with sexual problems, anal stenosis, urinary and bowel urgency and now, two and a half years on, bouts of fatigue have started.

The main problem for me is that these are treated as separate conditions - not holistically. My oncologist is brilliant when it comes to treating cancer but at times seems in denial about the long term effects.