Hospice holiday...

Sounds very 5* Toni (Toni8776), it’s good to get the message out there that palliative care & hospice isn’t just for end of life care.   I hope that you manage to get your pain under control quickly & you enjoy your break in the lap of luxury. ️

Nicola

Hi Toni8776 sounds like a really posh hotel! Pre the Big C, I thought that if you went into a hospice you wouldn’t come out again. Not so at all, like you say they are used to get pain under control or for respite care. Hope the pain relief gets sorted out. Bev x

Feeling blissed out on oxycodone:)  A wise doctor this morning advised me to take the drug more often rather than keep fighting the pain (which I’ve been doing out of habit & stubbornness) & accept more guidance about treatment.

So I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders, & at this moment there’s no pain at all.  And when it returns, press the buzzer & hey presto, more drugs.

Wish you all a good night’s sleep xx toni

Sounds like good advice  night night. Xx

Hi all, a little update...

Last Friday they were short staffed at the hospice & had to move all 1st floor patients up to the 2nd floor.  My new room’s loo was out in the corridor & shared with the patient next door - not a great idea when I need to spend a long time there most visits!

So I came home, with painkillers & a new laxative (the last one had been too strong, I’ll spare you the gory details)

A couple of days later I started going for walks again, 8-10k steps/day but not pushing it any more - feels so much nicer.  I passed an empty hairdresser Wednesday & had my first cut in 2 years.  Totally loving cooking my own food, baking my own bread & doing my own chores again.

I’m learning how to adjust the doses of painkillers & laxatives.  And if I need them, my community palliative care team are there for me...

Be well  xx  toni

Hi Toni (Toni8776),

Great to hear you’re feeling the benefits of your little holiday. It’s also good to hear you’re getting out & about but as you say be careful not to over do things. 

It seems that medication is always a juggling act, I’m afraid it’s one of those things that one size doesn’t fit all & it’s sometimes ever changing also especially where our bowels & the softeners or loperamide etc., are concerned but I’m sure your learning the signs & how to manage them. 

Enjoy being home & doing your thing. 

Nicola 

Thanks Nicola Nikki65,

You’re so right about the juggling act, they call it trial & error but I think they should rename it ‘trial by torture’

But, as the cliché goes, it’s a marathon not a sprint.  Tokyo Olympics here I come...

Have a good weekend  x  toni

O

Thanks Marie, the hairdresser was up for taking breaks when I needed to stand up - we only needed one break cos he worked so fast.  Or he was desperate for the money  xxx  toni

Hi my dear, it was probably a mixture of both haha. So jealous of you getting your hair done mine is a bit of a mess, roots down to my ear holes but having said that I think the Lord I still have it. I can't go to the hairdressers yet as I have to go to the loo without warning still. I'm seeing the oncologist on Wednesday so I'm going to ask if I can see a dietician as maybe they can give me some advice on my urgent toilet jogs. I've been out twice and took 2 anti diarrhoea tablets which have worked but I'd still be worried. Anyway I'm going to risk my 19year old daughter to just trim the bottom and hope that she doesn't get a bit scissor happy. At least I don't need my bikini line doing Radiotherapy has seen to that (ooo err Mrs). Xxx Marie