I do seem to have balanced my drugs! Temo to fight cancer, Kytril to counter the Temo vomit, Macrovic to counter the Kytril constipation. I survived my drug week with my digestion relatively intact. Woohoo :-)
One of those -- possibly the Temo -- makes me very tired. DrT asked if I wanted to go back on Dex. That's Dex for dexamethasone, not dex as in dexamphetamine... I think. Mine is definitely not an illegal drug, it does something useful... and it is also a minor "upper", a drug to keep me wide awake. It also increases the appetite. And needs an anti-dex tablet (Apo-something?) to counter the nasty effect of dex on the stomach.
Enough!
I said no to dex. I'm happy to sleep -- though I hope that extra fitness will counter that. A bit. I don't want to take two extra tablets. It's only one week in four of chemo. It's the digestive effects that upset me most -- and I seem (from one week's test) to have that under control. No more postings from the toilet! And perhaps one less blog reader... :-)
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What I want to do is, to remember how I felt at the end of the drug week. Why? So that next month, I will know whether I end the drug week feeling better or worse... or much the same. So:
Friday morning I knew that I would not be able to stay awake all day. Soooo tired. Friday is swimming lesson morning for our grandson, my job is to watch the clothes, then watch the toddler while Deb gets changed. I stay awake for that -- it's great fun, very entertaining to watch toddlers having a great time :-)
Deb does ask, Did I enjoy watching the mothers in their bikinis? If only I had brought my distance glasses, I reply. (Heh, my eyes are not really that bad, I enjoyed it :-)
Then I am dropped at home before lunch...
Where I sleep... never do get round to making lunch. Just sleep some more. Most of the afternoon.
Saturday morning I wake -- feeling even worse. Not only am I tired -- I have a vague headache. The sort I sometimes get from being too long in the sun. Except I have not been in the sun. Last time I felt like this -- I ended up in ED with an inflamed brain lining...
I lie awake thinking very gloomy thoughts.
Out of bed for breakfast and to do a load of washing. Gradually feeling better. Out for coffee & cake, I have iced coffee as a thirst quencher but have no appetite for the cake.
Home, lunch, sleep -- and I wake up feeling even better. I still take it easy -- but continue to improve.
Out to an orienteering event, to do a short course with Deb's sister. She is there to enjoy the event... and to catch me if I collapse. Reassuring for me, possibly even more reassuring for Deb :-)
This week the walking -- all 3km of it -- is no trouble. Past weeks I have struggled to keep up a reasonable pace, I could feel myself wanting to slow down. (Hmmm... this week's actual pace was slow -- but it *felt* fast. And I didn't feel the need to slow down.)
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So: I seem to have reached a balance between vomit, nausea, diarrhea and constipation. That's good. My appetite is weak but not weak enough to make my pants any looser. Pity :-(
I'm knackered by Friday, worse on Saturday morning then rapidly recovering after Saturday noon. Good enough.
My fitness is fractionally better. I can walk 3km without wanting to slow down at the end. So...
Cradle Mountain Trail Run -- here I come :-)
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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Yay cradle mountain. Cheers Col
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