Sunday 5th June, 2011
John's been feeling ill for a few days now and it's not getting any better. The biggest of his problems is dry retching/heaving. Every time he stands up he gets the urge to be sick but nothing comes up except a lot of clear fluid. It's wearing him out and the anti-sickness tablets don't seem to be helping.
Another problem is that he suffers from constipation which makes him very uncomfortable.
He also has a lot of pain and spends most of the day either lying on the bed or propped up on the sofa looking like a little ghost. He's lost so much weight that I'm almost afraid to touch him and he's very wobbly on his feet.
I couldn't stand it any longer when he started heaving again this morning and decided to try to ring somebody. We're waiting to be assigned a Mac Nurse but haven't heard anything yet so I tried NHS Direct. The recorded message said that they were extremely busy and there might be a four hour waiting time for somebody with experience to phone us back, so I gave up on that one and phoned the Oncology contact number, even though he's no longer having chemo. (We will be seeing the Registrar next week for the results of his CT scan after the last bout of chemo.)
I listed his symptoms to a young nurse who took notes and said she would phone me back. So here we are waiting!
Not sure why I wanted to write this down but it does help to get it off my chest.
Madge x x x x x
Whatever cancer throws your way, we’re right there with you.
We’re here to provide physical, financial and emotional support.
© Macmillan Cancer Support 2025 © Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland. A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales company number 2400969. Isle of Man company number 4694F. Registered office: 3rd Floor, Bronze Building, The Forge, 105 Sumner Street, London, SE1 9HZ. VAT no: 668265007