Any body every go through a Colonoscopy while recieving radiation treatments?
I am well on my way to completing my radiation treatments, with only 14 more to go. However, this past weekend, I failed to comply with the diet, hydration, and food intake as recommended by the program. I got a lot of exercise skiing, and being such good conditions and the opportunity to ski with some other skiing fanatics, I did not eat or drink much during the day. Each evening I ate a good meal and tried to make up for any deficiency in liquid intake. However, several concerns arose. On Saturday evening, I had a small amount of bleeding from my rectum. In addition, I became very "plugged up". The urge to relieve myself was very much there, but I could not other than the release of some gas and some schrapnel. This has continued all Sunday night, and Monday day. Extreme pain with trying to "relieve myself" and usually only mildly successful. On Monday, the radiation Oncologist listened to my report and tried to complete a digital rectal exam. I believe due to the extreme pain from the past few days, the trauma from the treatments, and a natural reaction to prevent things that don't belong from going someplace I don't want them, the doctor could not conduct the exam. In 20+ years of working, this is the first time the doctor claimed she was unable to complete this examination. This led to the desire to order a colonoscopy.
I tried to explain to the doctor that I thought the problem could be stemming from my poor adhearance to accecptable behavior over the weekend, and a few days of proper diet and hydration will go a long ways to correct these issues. I have not committed to having the procedure yet. Any thoughts, or similiar experiences?
My appologies for the graphic nature of this post, I am as embarassed to write it as you are to read it. However, imagine my embareassment in having the rectal exam. My doctor asked if it would be OK if a new student nurse was to follow my treatments and assist. I agreed, up to this point, all anyone had to do was align radiation machine, watch a computer monitor during treatments, and conduct some interviews with vitals once a week. Well, my doctor is on vacation, and the doctor filling in is a she. That, and a new student nurse did not help in relaxing me for my rectal exam. I now understand the problems women have in going to their doctors!
I have not had a really easy time of relieving myself throughout these treatments. My PSA was detected rising again during a routine cholesterol screening. My regular doctor is internal medicine, and was more concerned with my cholesterol than my PSA. He insisted I reduce my cholesterol or he threatened my with medication. I agreed, and got on a low cholesterol diet. Well, for anyone that isn't aware, a low cholesterol diet and the diet for radiation treatments are mutually exclusive. However, I tried to comply with my cholesterol diet during the early days of the treatment, and a lot of my problems may have originated from this diet. I have since tried to comply with a more radiation friendly diet, and still watch cholesterol, but I believe I am still complicating the issue.