Big Steve Big C

Tag: side-effects

  • Still here, still waiting, still sleeping

    Not much happening at the moment so I’ve not had much to write about. This “radio silence” leads people to worry about me. I don’t want people worrying unnecessarily so here’s an update.

    Since my 3rd immunotherapy treatment I’ve still got off very lightly. Fatigue has got worse, getting occasional hot flushes and some minor aches in my elbows, wrists and knees. All manageable.

    I think my body is getting used to the 120mg of morphine a day as I’m getting an occasional twinge of pain in my chest. Nothing major but I’m hyper alert to any changes in my body currently. It could also be down to me not taking paracetamol regularly any more. Maybe I should rectify that 😏

    I’m getting so much sleep at the moment that you wouldn’t have though it possible to still be tired but I am. I think its because the quality of sleep is very poor still. Keep waking, turning. I’m having some very vivid dreams too. Almost nightmarish occasionally but not quite but I’ve woken a few times quite upset what I’d been dreaming about.

    I’m trying a weighted blanket to see if that helps. I’ve heard good things. I’ve found already that you get what you pay for as the first one from Amazon that arrived yesterday is going back. Not much good when it deposits a fine grit over everything 😳 New one, slightly more expensive on order.

    I’m still getting out and about, either to Drs, pharmacist, for a walk. I was able to take the dogs on a flat 2 mile walk a few days ago. Easy. Then another walk over the weekend had a small hill. Not so easy. Puffing like a steam train when I got up to the Wellington Statue in Aldershot

    I’ve been humbled by some of the feedback on my blog, from all over the world too! Lots of people relating to my story and lots of people complementing my writing style. I’m just being honest. I’m not comfortable talking to strangers or even friends sometimes but I can write and find it much easier to express myself in the written word.

    Thank you to everyone reading and commenting. Your support means a lot to all of us in #teamdavis

  • Fatigue isn’t the same as just being tired

    The biggest side effect of my illness currently is fatigue. I’ve never experienced anything like it even though I’m someone used to having naps and enjoying sleep but also experiencing being tired through not getting enough sleep in the past.

    This is not fatigue.

    I can only describe it as constantly having a phone battery at 5% and running in low power mode. Everything is an effort, almost in slow motion. I feel drained all the time, despite eating and drinking I have no energy. Despite sleeping for what seems like 99% of the time I’m still tired.

    I’m constantly told “its you’re body repairing itself”, which I guess is partly true. It not a great feeling though.

    I’m now struggling to make it more than an hour or so without some sort of nap and when I do have a nap I have to make sure I set some sort of timer for 30 minutes to wake me up. This is so I don’t lose hours by falling into a deep sleep. I did this a few weeks back, went for a nap at about 4pm and despite waking briefly a few times was in bed until 8am.

    And I was still tired after that!

    In an effort to control my sleeping patterns I’m now going to bed very early, usually by 9pm. The amount of fluid I’m drinking each day, combined with the fact I only currently have one functioning kidney means I visit the bathroom at least 3 times a night (that’s not helping the sleep either!) and then I wake around 8am.

    I’m informed that some of the fatigue is down to medication, some is due to the illness but some is also down to lack of fresh air, lack of exercise over the past few weeks. So I’m now making an effort to rectify some of this.

    I’m trying to get out walking most days. A few weeks back I managed just over half a mile and was a wreck. This weekend just gone I managed a mile at almost normal walking pace while holding a conversation. Progress is progress but I’m still a way off being able to take the dogs out for 3-4 mile walks.

    I hope the fatigue eases but compared to some of the possible side effects I could be suffering from I’ll take fatigue every day.