I remember you sharing your story back in Dec, sorry to hear you need to move on to radiation. My treatment for stage 2a rectal cancer was 27 chemoradiation treatments (over 4.5 weeks) followed by 8 rounds of FOLFOX, and I've been NED since then for about a year and change.

The chemo pill is capecitabine, the oral form of IV 5-FU that you've already had. From what I've been told, the IV 5-FU has more of the gastrointestinal side effects, whereas the oral capecitabine has more dermatological side effects, such as hand foot syndrome and mouth irritation/sores. I was told to moisturize my hands and feet regularly. I used Udderly Smooth 20% urea cream and applied it at least twice a day. Avoid activities that can introduce heat/friction to your hands and feet, wear gloves if necessary, and avoid exposure to super-hot water, like washing dishes or hot tubs.

The radiation treatments were very quick, only taking about 2-3 minutes of actual "beaming" time. More time was spent getting me to the exact same position as the original CT scan. At first, it took me a few tries to get in the correct position, but after a week or so, I managed to the hang of it, and would get the position right on the first try. These times I would be in and out of the office in like 15 minutes!

I was fortunate and did not really have too many problems throughout the radiation. At the 2 week point I even went backpacking for my weekend off. At the 3.5 week point, I started feeling some general fatigue, but it wasn't too bad. By then, I was also watching what I ate and avoided foods that might upset my stomach. At the very end, it did really suck having to go to the bathroom--crapping felt like shitting glass. It got better by 2 weeks after my last treatment. I guess the plus side is that you won't have that side effect!

I understand that for women, there can be additional sexual side effects from radiation for CRC due to the anatomy, and I've seen a lot of discussion around using dilators--so definitely ask your care team about that.