Rectal tumor, constipation, bowel impaction (partial), burning pain

Hello everyone,

I am writing this to ask for help for my elderly mom with a never ending burning pain in her bowels for 3 months and we can't stop it whatever we have done so far.

My mom is 85 year old. I am taking care of her as her youngest son. 3 months ago she started to complain she could not sit on her back as it hurts, so she either had to lied down or stood up.

Then I noticed in her diapers that her poo was like tart and then she was colonoscopied and diagnosed with rectal cancer 3 months ago, with the tumor starting from the 5th cm from the entry contuinued until the 10th cm of the colon and covering all the mucosa in between.

After that, she was referred to the oncology and was given radiotherapy and chemoterapy together (in the form of pills) for 25 days and she is now in waiting period for 1 month, which will be over in 10 days. (And we do not know what they would do when go to hospital again.)

All through these 3 months, she has had this never ending burning pain in her bowels. The radiology doctor said the burning pain will ease after the radiotherapy but it did not, on the contrary it has increased. (She thought the burning was caused by radiotherapy, but actually the pain was there even before the radiotherapy started.)

By the way, mom was said that the tumor had narrowed down the bowel, so she should not become constipated and she has currently a lot of poo waiting in her bowels. She can't have a normal poo for a long time. It is like a few liquid drops. She was advised to take laxatives every day around 10 ml.

The radiotherapy doctor said she should not lose weight, which she already has.

She was also given laxative more than the regular amount by a gastroenterologist last week (25ml) and on that day 7-8 hard pellets came out but after that she had a small amount of liquid poo in every 20 minutes, which continued for 5 days. So I didn't give thelaxative because I was afraid that she was losing a lot of water becuse of this days of liquid poo. (I don't know if those pellets were all there was in the bowel, or if she has still more of them in her bowels)

And yesterday I started laxative again, this time only 10 ml, and no pellets came but poo because liquid again in the form of a few drops. and it continued for a day with drops every 20 minutes. So I think that was not enough to bring out solid stool in the bowels.

So, we are in a dilemma, because she must eat regularly but if she eats to keep her weight, she adds up to the current stool waiting in her bowel, because she can't have a poo, although she eats well.

If she eats only liquid food to avoid constipation, she loses weight and the doctor does not want this.

If we give enema to remove the constipated stool, the enema does not get inside fully and squirts back while you squirt it in, and does not stay inside, and doctors do not advise to use enemas often as it might become ineffective over time.

If we use laxatives every day, they cause a every 20 minute liquid drops of poo rather than a full emptying, and I feel afraid that she might be dehydrated after such a long period of diarrhea. (Some say this is not diarrhea but overflow because of the constipated stool)

Also because she pushed so much in the toilet to bring out the facecs, her hemorroids became painful, and 4th degree level, which caused another problem. However, they are fine now.

By the way, the burning pain continues. the oncologist prescribed some lidokain oinments but none of them worked. The burning has always been there and it is actually what makes mom suffer the most. She can't sit, lie down, walk normally.

I took her to algology (pain doctor) if he could stop burning pain. He prescribed some pills but they make her dizzy and confused. So I can't use them either because she may have a fall, which may further worsen the situation.

So, now we have been using a strong painkiller (tradomol) which is said to slow down the bowels, too. But if we don't take it, she suffers from burning severely. If we use it, her bowels may be slowing down, which might increase constipation. And this is another worry for us.

We are stuck. We do not know what to do. We should do all of the following without interfering with one another:

- eat liquid food mostly but not lose weight,
- relieve the burning pain but not by slowing down the bowels,
- use laxative but not sure how much becuase 25 ml caused 5 days of liquid poo, and 10 ml did not bring any solid poo.

Anything which seems as a solution for a problem acts like an obstacle against another solution.

And we do not know what we can do? We are stuck in between. Can you please help my elderly mom?