Haemorrhoids

 

A royal pain in the ass. (forgive me)

 

Haemorrhoids (which are also called Piles) are swollen veins in the last part of your back passage, the anus. They can be inside the back passage, or more often, they will protrude outside the anus. If they become inflamed or irritated they can bleed, and will usually be uncomfortable or painful.

 

They are mostly caused by straining when you go to the loo or by very loose stools (diarrhoea). Chemotherapy and haemorrhoids go hand in hand, so be prepared to ask the nurses for something to stop the pain the minute they appear, otherwise they will just get worse.

 

Particularly when I was receiving my stem cell transplant, I had lots of problems, and it was one of the most common problems talked about by patients in the waiting room. (Fascinating conversational stuff, I’m sure you’ll agree)

 

Some people are initially embarrassed to ask for any help when this problem arises, and the only advice I can give is ‘get over it’. The nurses and doctors have encountered this problem with most chemo patients and won’t think twice about it. They may need to look at them, and you will have to lie on your side with your knees up as far as you can get them. 

 

Watch out for them and have the cream and suppositories ready.

 

Back to the homepage or Hit your ← return key to go back to the page you came from.