Talk Cancer

Question:

Four years ago I had cancer surgery resulting in removal of my entire rectum and part of my colon. I had a temporary ileostomy that was reversed after about three months. Since then I have suffered greatly from what I understand is called low anterior resection syndrome – very frequent (sometimes over 50 a day!) and sudden bowel movements. My doctors have no solution and I have been able to find very little information to help me deal with this debilitating condition. Does anyone have any information of advice that the could share with me? BD

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Four years ago I had cancer surgery resulting in removal of my entire rectum and part of my colon. I had a temporary ileostomy that was reversed after about three months. Since then I have suffered greatly from what I understand is called low anterior resection syndrome – very frequent (sometimes over 50 a day!) and sudden bowel movements. My doctors have no solution and I have been able to find very little information to help me deal with this debilitating condition. Does anyone have any information of advice that the could share with me?

Ahh, yes. In the colorectal cancer newsgroup run by ACOR, this is called MPS- multiple poop syndrome <wryly. I can’t remember any of the advice offhand, but several members of the list had strategies for reducing and regulating the number of bowel movements they had. I suggest joining the group then going through the archives. You can join the group at: http://www.acor.org Michele

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