This weekend (after session 15) was hard.
We went to friends for dinner on Saturday night - a well-planned mid-treatment evening with two really supportive couples who are really helping. The meal itself was perfect .... Nutritionally balanced and able to cool down to toddler temperature (goats cheese tart, salmon fillet with lovely veg, mascarpone ice cream). The friends hosting had bought several different types of fizzy water and so I was able to vary my drinks, just like they were doing.
My husband and I managed to stay until 11.30 although by all accounts the other 4 stayed up much later and consumed a lot more fluid!
I came home with a loaned jar of blackstrap molasses because my latest side effect (of pain relief rather than of radiotherapy I think) is constipation.... And by this evening we were at several days worth. The bad news is that double Lactolose and blackstrap molasses weren't able to provide immediate relief on this little problem. I felt as though I couldn't get any more food inside me so not only did I eat at toddler temperatures, I are toddler sized portions.
Sunday was Mothers Day with the clocks having gone forward the night before. Now, I am very sorry but there is something fundamentally wrong with the calendar planning this year. Why do mums want to have one hour less of their special day, and feel shattered all day too?!? So I am going to plan a second Mothers Day for our family later in the year ... Maybe when the clocks go back! However, on this occasion the clock change did t make much difference because I had MAJOR fatigue on Sunday. I woke up for one hour for breakfast in bed and to receive my beautiful artwork that my daughter had made ...... Then I needed sleep and slept until 1pm. I did manage to wake up in the afternoon and then after a few hours awake and a gentle stroll in our lovely woods, I dozed on and off for the rest of the day. My husband ended up doing everything today ..... Including cooking a chicken pie for tea. So, as you see, I am still managing to eat (and there had been a little progress on the constipation front).
Earlier today I managed to get up with my daughter to help her get ready for school, had a lovely long bath and went for treatment. My friend (a different one to Friday) drove me today and mum arrived back around 2pm.
The main side-effect is fatigue .... I had a snooze 2-4 and could easily have had more but am determined to be awake when my daughter is here .... Because I know fatigue well enough to know that no amount of sleep will take away the tiredness. I am taking in more sleep but and determined to have some wakeful time - even if it is only 5-6 hours of family time per day.
A summary of side effects and medication at this stage:
Cocodamol (500mg paracetamol and 30mg codeine) - 4 times p day
Ibuprofen (400mg) - 3 times per day
Nytol - 2 tablets at bedtime
Lactolose - 10ml x 2 per day
OralNurse flavourless toothpaste - 3 x per day
Pink tablet mouthwash- 3 x per day
Gelclair mouth coating gel - before meals each day
Oralieve - dry mouth gel - as required
(And in the store cupboard - morphine. However I feel as though the pain has plateaud for the time being. )
My double vision persists so I have no motivation to knit, sew or make clothes at the moment. It doesn't matter though because I just want to rest. Resting is good and the best part is that I don't feel lazy, and nobody else thinks I am being lazy.
How lucky I am to have wonderful family and friends helping out.
Hopefully, I will write again tomorrow.
Xx
FormerMember
Hi hunny. You must sort your constipation out. It is likely the co-codamol that is the cause. I just have to look at it and it makes me constipated! If its been a few days lactulose won't do the trick. It's works by pulling water into the stool to make it softer and easier to pass, but if you are backed up it won't prompt the bowel into action. Try Laxido and also Fybogel. You can take these together. The Laxido is the laxitive and very effective. The Fybogel should help keep everything moving so to speak! You may have to play around with the doses to see what works for you. If you take morphine it will probably do the same, so have laxitives to the ready. My onc put me on Oxynorm as he said this was less likely to cause constipation. I had no probs with this one so might be worth asking about it. Keep strong hun, you are over half way now :-) And resting is good. I am 5 months post and still suffer from fatigue and have to pace myself, so get all the rest you can xxx
