Hello fellow travellers,
I'm not sure how I got to this point. Week 3 has been a blur in some respects. I thought I was managing until Wednesday. Then the bowel department gave me a good kicking. It all seemed to pile on within 24hours of the treatment. It's been agony ever since. I've not had any constipation, just hovered on the right side of diarrhoea, but it's been the constant toilet activity that has made me so very miserable, as well as extremely sore, with blood quite apparent.
I've had numerous reviews with the team and all are very kind, though some advice has been somewhat conflicted: some want me on codeine and some have thought it wasn't right for me. I've controlled things with the horrible diet up to the weekend, but my Saturday evening pasta didn't hang about, shall we say, and it's been dreadful ever since. This morning I sent in 2 boiled eggs. Don't have a verdict yet, but hope it might have calmed things. Now, is this too much information?
Med-wise I have Flamigel which is OK I find, but not brilliant. I'm using an oatmeal moisturiser all round for general skin support. And they also recommended Preparation H for those old pesky haemorrhoids. Stings like hell on application, but then does calm things somewhat. I also continue to use Strata XRT daily before each treatment in the hope it will offer some protection from the radiation. I'm also trying to keep up with a rolling paracetamol/ibuprofen schedule - every 2 hours! - but that, not surprisingly is rather hit and miss. I started off wanting to avoid opiates at any cost, but feel I'm now at a threshold and will likely accept a low-dose one and then have to take stool softeners to overcome the side effects. Sounds so bonkers and counter-intuitive to my thinking, but I think many of us will probably get to a point where we just cave in. I think I'm there.
On a slightly more positive note, the mouth ulcers at last faded and the irony is that I can now eat, but have little inclination to do so. Great isn't it? But more chemo soon, so maybe they'll be back before I know it?
Finding the prospect of Week 4 filling me with dread. I just can't imagine how I will get through it.
Gritting my teeth,
love to you all,
Rainie
xxx
