Another month has rolled around and at times like this you sit back and appreciate just what has happened in the last few months.
I took the opportunity to read back over some of the old posts and as of today, I would have to say it seems we have turned the recovery corner. Not saying we're on the home straight by any means, but even me in my pessimistic / anxious state can see how things have improved over the last week or so.
My throat is still sore, but I am drinking lemonade and water quite comfortably now. If I've said this before sorry, but the texture difference between water and lemonade means they deliver different sensations when you drink them. Water also doesn't seem to stay as cold for as long as the lemonade does - end effect is you need to make an adjustment when you go to drink them.
Pain seems to have stabilised to where the only morphine top ups are when I go to bed (to get me through 1st stint), followed by another one at 2am for the next stint. Unless I've been overdoing things, then it is a whole new ball game.
Last night was I hope a turn for the better as well. Normally I'm up every 2 hours to empty the bladder. Last night it stretched out to 4ish and that meant more sleep, so I do feel better this morning.
Coughing of phlegm continues, but also at a much lower output. Another positive step.
Have found that after feeds, meds, etc I can't just get up and move around. To do so induces some unpleasant reactions, so now I just sit down for a few minutes, then go about my business.
What else. My lips still get really dry. We're applying Vitamin A cream a couple of times a day and that seems to help. Of course don't do that overnight, so they dry out again.
My energy levels still tend to spike a bit and I'm still coming to terms with how to manage that without getting over-tired. If I do push the limits, then things fall off the rails for a couple of days, so trying to avoid that happening as it undoes all the previous good work. Have started logging into work and checking my emails, etc. Baby steps I know, but at last feel like I can contribute something. Hope to increase that over the next week or so, but again mindful of not overdoing it.
My afternoon naps have also undergone a change. I used to actually go to bed for a couple of hours and found I would wake up still feeling tired. So now I snooze on the couch and that has a much better outcome. Could be something to do with sitting more upright, but whatever the reason, when I wake up I actually have some new found energy, albeit small amounts.
So, there you are. Pretty much up to date again.
Had an appointment with Tatiana, my GP on Wednesday. More a case of bringing her up to date with where I was at and what I'm currently taking, etc. No real issues there, but the issue of my swollen ankles was discussed. Backing up a bit, the specialists have been asking if I have any chest pains or swollen legs/ankles and up until now the answer has been no. Over the weekend I noticed my ankles were a bit swollen. Mentioned this to Tatiana and it seems it is a side effect of the cisplatin. It apparently screws around with the heart muscles a bit and this is one side effect. I'm now keeping a record of my fluid throughput for 3 days and then have to get it to her for review. In the meantime, I keep my feet elevated whenever possible/practicable.
Also had an appointment with the dietitian and speech therapy people on Wednesday afternoon and overall they are both happy. Weight has gone up a couple of kg since I finished treatment and we're all happy about that. Shirley the speech lady was happy with my swallow action and we talked at some length about getting me more into taking food orally. While I managed a "massive" 1/4 ice cream slice, we obviously need to get beyond that and will start to experiment with other things like jelly, scrambled eggs, mashed potato, dairy foods and see just what we can achieve. Again, agreed approach is baby steps with not overdoing it or setting me back by pushing the process along harder than I'm comfortable with.
(As a result of the busy Wednesday, Thursday was one of those days where we battled to get things back on track. More top-ups were required, extra tired, etc)
Today is Heather's last day with me. Heather is my home care nurse who has been with me for the last month and during that time I've certainly turned some corners. Having her here for some of the scary bits has been really helpful and I'm not too proud to admit there were times there when I'm bloody glad someone with medical training was here for me. Thanks for everything Heather.
Ciao for now
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