Last Updated: March 11. 2011 1:00AM Dr. Paul Donohue: your Health 
Dear Dr. Donohue: I had prostate cancer two years ago and went through 42 radiation treatments. The result of this is colon and rectum damage. I passed lots of blood, and still do. I am told there isn’t much treatment to help this problem.
What is your opinion? Is there any medicine that could help?
P.S.
Dear P.S.: your complication of radiation therapy is called radiation proctitis (prock-TIE-tiss). Only a thin layer of tissue separates the rectum from the prostate gland. some radiation is bound to pass into the rectum and damage the rectal lining. That causes pain and bleeding. It appears within six weeks of treatment and lasts for a year or so.
However, chronic radiation proctitis appears nine to 14 months after treatment. The lining of the rectum is quite severely injured, and the rectum is scarred. some blood vessels are lost. others become fragile and bleed. Diarrhea, rectal pain, loss of rectal control, bleeding and bowel obstruction are some of the possible complications.
If stool has become hard and difficult to evacuate, stool softeners are helpful. if the rectum has become so narrow that stool cannot exit, a doctor can dilate the rectum with balloons. Rectal enemas containing prednisolone (a cortisone drug) along with oral sulfasalazine often bring some relief. Hyperbaric oxygen has been used. however, the equipment needed to administer oxygen under pressure isn’t widely available. Surgery might be needed for symptoms that are not improving.
The doctor who was in charge of your treatment ought to know what is available in your area.
Dear Dr. Donohue: I was surprised to find a topic in your column that relates to the work I do.
A reader, identified as A.S., shared that she had been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and was having problems obtaining the medication her doctor had prescribed. The problem was that out-of-pocket costs were too expensive for her.
I work for a charitable organization that provides financial assistance to people in her situation, and her illness is one of the diseases we support. Our address is: Caring Voice Coalition, 8249 Meadowbridge Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23116, 888-267-1440, caringvoice.org.
D.H.
Dear D.H.: Thank you for your letter. I was unaware of your organization. I will mention it as many times as I can. Illnesses covered by Caring Voice are alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, chronic granulomatous disorder, complex partial seizures, Huntington’s disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, infantile spasms and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Dear Dr. Donohue: my son is due for surgery on an umbilical hernia. I am worried. I’d like to know more about it, including recovery time. he lives on the West Coast, and I live on the East Coast.
Dear A.D.: all hernias are a protrusion of abdominal tissues or abdominal organs through a defect in the abdominal wall. The abdominal wall includes muscles and ligaments. Umbilical (bellybutton) hernias are common in infants. They often correct themselves. Umbilical hernias that develop in adulthood require surgery if they are large or painful. The operation should not take your son off his feet for any length of time. unless he does heavy physical labor, he might be back to work in two or three weeks.
Write to Dr. Paul Donohue at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from rbmamall.com.
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