Immediately alarming was that I have become pretty darn unable to control my bladder sphincter muscle. As I said to the nurse, "It's not 'Uh oh, I need to go!' -- It's 'Oh no, I'm going!' " Another nurse who had been through chemo said, yup, that's a common side effect from Cytoxin. It's quite demoralizing, truthfully. Makes you feel like a real old person toddling around the nursing home. I girded my loins (!) and went to buy Poise.
I think another unpleasant symptom is from the shot for white blood cell support, which works on the bone marrow. It is making my knees and shins hurt. Like wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night ache. I've been taking Naproxen and Ibuprofen, but it doesn't seem to really make a dent. I feel like I've developed arthritis overnight. I'm really toddling around!
Not so bad is the headache that comes and goes. No worse than your garden variety headache, and doesn't effect me much. The acid stomach is also unpleasant but not that bad. It isn't nausea, but more a stomach ache. I drink a lot of water, and eat bread and crackers, which do help. I'm trying to remember to eat several small meals a day, but that just isn't my routine.
I do hear that these effects lessen the further from the treatment you get. So, hopefully they will be on the wane by middle of next week. 'Cause I got things to do! (As always....)
Those of us who heard about chemo side effects in the olden days think to ourseves: "Oh right -- nausea -- heard about that. But they have good drugs for that now, right?" Then I find out that these days the side effects are alarming things I had NOT heard about. Indeed, between the Poise and the instant arthritis, it could make a person feel suddenly about 100 years old. Deep sigh. Do keep us posted as the symptoms change.
ReplyDeleteIf it helps I've been peeing a little every time I cough for years - I hear it's a side effect of menopause (or bad behavior with boys depending on who you talk to). Mi-Del makes some amazing and powerful ginger snaps which I use for seasickness - you might try nibbling those every now and then. Take care! Tara
ReplyDeleteOh dear, Tara -- I guess in the interests of solidarity or bonding or something, I need to confess that SOMETIMES when I cough or sneeze, I too pee a little -- maybe I am lucky that it is not everytime! Sounds like MaryAnne's symptom is more severe, though. On the other hand, she can look forward to this symptom ENDING once she's done with chemo. Whereas I am apparently stuck with my symptom as as a result of being old. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOf course now somebody is going to tell us to do Kegel exercises. http://www.kegelexercisesforwomen.com/
I will admit that I have not tried Kegel exercises. Does somebody want to tell us that Kegels work? At least for this garden-variety post-menopause symptom? Maybe they don't work for the chemo-related symptom.
I'm sure Kegel's work - just as well as any other excercise regime I start.
ReplyDeleteI'm 65 and I've had Door Key syndrome for a couple of years now. That's where one is out running an errand, returns home, realizes that I need to pee badly and wind up wetting my pants just as I get to the door. The advice that my gyn gave me was to 1)practice the Kegels until I was able to squeeze and release rapidly for a minute or more before I even get out of the car, 2)take several deep breaths, and 3)think of anything else but the need to go. Remarkably even just 10 sec or so of the Kegels, a few deep breaths, and turning my mind actually works. You can feel the urge to go fade as this happens. It's enough to get me into the door and to the bathroom. I also find that a visit to a bathroom when I'm out, whether I feel the need to or not, usually results in some urine release there and less pressure when I get home.
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