RADIATION – It is a relief to be able to say that I feel virtually no direct impacts either when on the table, or after, daily radiation treatments. I am up to treatment 22 out of 30. My lungs and chest feel clear and healthy and I do not have shortness of breath or any other symptom of advanced lung cancer. Had I not had those unexplained vomiting events months ago, or delayed visiting the GP, the nasty tricksy cancer cells would have been multiplying and spreading until some ominous symptom like a bad headache or coughing fits troubled me to see the doctor. Like so many people with adenocarcinoma, a scan at that later time would have revealed Stage 4 Advanced Lung Cancer. I feel incredibly fortunate, (in a “woe is me”, kind of way, lol). Of course, that is not to say that radiation leaves my untouched. As reported multiple times, fatigue gets to me and I sleep, sleep, sleep after treatments. I also have the oesophagitis that niggles and some times I need to spit out something from my mouth and start the swallowing process again. I have come to understand that I am better at dealing with pain that can be hit with pain killers than I am at suffering through mild, but debilitating side effects like unrelenting nausea and constipation/diarrhoea. (🥴🤢💩 Too much detail Den!) The things you learn about yourself.
CHEMOTHERAPY – The first 5 days after the Chemotherapy Cycle 2 infusions (14 – 18 Oct) knocked me around a lot this time. By the weekend (Saturday 19 Oct and Sunday 20 Oct) the days were virtually write offs focused on getting through some way. I could manage only minimal communications and fussed about the nausea, constipation, and diarrhoea that consumed my waking moments. Thank goodness for radiation induced fatigue which pushed me into deep sleep most of the time. I would wake and dear David would try to encourage me to eat and drink (“Food is medicine?”). I would try to accept his administrations, but not really with any grace – poor David.
Monday (21 Oct) and Tuesday (22 Oct) were a little better but nothing seemed to be able to eradicate the feelings of being bloated and unwell. The doctors, nurses, dietitian, allied practitioners, were as much at their wits end as David and I were. We were advised to try anything and everything to find some method of relief that worked, or worked well enough, for me. The medicos are concerned that the nausea could stop me eating, cause weight loss, and thus have bad impacts on treatment plans. (In fact, nausea is the number one side effect that patients report as the reason for stopping treatments!) I can certainly understand the feelings of my fellow patients.
Wednesday 23 October I woke up feeling miserable. I told David that I felt like something had changed. I could not say what had changed – just that “something” felt different. We had a 20-30 minute walk together and, as usual after any kind of mild exertion, I rested when we returned home. David had some things to do that day so I asked my sister to take me to the hospital for the treatment. (Thanks Lynden!) While I was waiting for my treatment time I needed to go to the toilet. I shuffled to the bathroom with the sunken heart of a man who hoped for much but expected little. My body had something else in mind. Unexpectedly, the heavens parted (metaphorically speaking), and a large bowel movement occurred. Hallelujah! Sweet joy in my heart and an empty rectum. Yes, small pleasures, but as Nancy says in the musical Oliver – “who could deny us these!” heheheheheheheee
Michele van der Sander says:
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