It was a busy week last week, all the way up to Sunday. All good fun but tiring. Today Deb is at work, so I'm relaxing, hoping to be fit and ready for tomorrow's toddler watching...
It's also the first day of a drug cycle, the first of five days of high-dose chemo tablets. This time -- I hope -- the side-effects will be under control!
Sunday evening: take some anti-constipation stuff. I'm assured that it has no side-effects. Plus, take a tablet to prevent another fit. This tablet has tiredness and irritability as side-effects.
btw: The oncologist, DrT, was unusually helpful last week! Rather than waiting for specific questions -- she asked if I wanted to take Dex again, to counter tiredness. And she said that I should have called her when I last suffered serious side-effects... It had never even crossed my mind that she was a doctor that I could call, for out of hours advice!
Monday morning, 3am: I take an anti-vomit tablet which has constipation as a side-effect. I've tested both options... No tablet and the chemo does make me vomit. All morning. With this tablet: no vomit just constipation. So this time I also take the anti-constipation, morning & evening.
3:30am: Half an hour after the anti-vomit tablet I take four chemo tablets. They are supposed to stop the tumour regrowing -- but there is no guarantee. Only vomiting -- at this high dosage -- is guaranteed!
Then I go back to bed for a couple of hours.
In case you are wondering: The chemo must be taken on an empty stomach, and at least an hour before eating again. The anti-vomit should be taken at least half an hour before the chemo, to allow it time to get the stomach settled. So 3am is a convenient time to start.
Monday breakfast: Another dose of the anti-constipation stuff. Plus another anti-fit tablet. Breakfast... and no feelings of nausea, no urge to vomit :-) On the other hand, constipation always takes a few days to be noticeable.
Still, one day with no problems. Only four to go!
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As Deb left for work this morning, she seemed sad. Worried about me. She does like to get an email at lunch time, to reassure her that I am still okay. Fall unconscious in just one fun run and Deb thinks that I could fall over anytime at all ! Mind you, that risk of falling unconscious again is why I take the anti-fit tablets.
Anyway, this morning it seemed to me that Deb was worried. Or possibly tired and worried. After forty years married I claim some expertise in mood recognition.
So I spent a lot of today worried that Deb is worried. Sigh.
Now Deb is home from work -- and seems to be less worried -- thank goodness !
It's just as well I send Deb out to work a couple of days a week. It gives me time to worry without worrying Deb. And it gives Deb something to do other than worrying about me... All good :-)
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
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"You're only young once but you can stay immature forever" … per Ginger Meggs
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Mate you will rattle like a tablet bottle. Cheers Col
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