Out of Sorts

I’m so out of sorts today.  Not too sure why although if I don’t perk up I’ll be blaming the Thalidomide.

I’d put feeling unenthusiastic about things on and off for the past few weeks down to being anemic but after getting two units of blood on Saturday I didn’t get the usual ‘blood rush’. Then I had cause to look up the side effects of Thalidomide as I’ve experienced the occasional slight trembling in my hands – as I was in the kitchen when it happened on Sunday night I was in the vicinity of the meds. It turned out that this was one of the side effects of Thalidomide along with depression, confusion, mood changes and anxiety. The shaking affecting more than 1 user in 10 and the other affecting 1 to 10 users in 100 which is also the rating for feeling weak, faint or unsteady, lack of energy or strength, low blood pressure (which are all grouped as one) I’ve just noticed and since I don’t actually feel depressed (just can’t be ars… bothered) maybe this is more suitable. I generally give drug leaflets a quick scan but only read them in detail if I have any specific queries.

I haven’t even got the enthusiasm for being crafty today – I made a buddy yesterday and have a ton of knitting/crocheting to do but just cannot be bothered.

I got up this morning to stay up at about 8.15 (I’d gone back to bed at 7.00 after I’d been forced from the bed by a bursting bladder), but nodded off briefly on the settee not long after, made myself take Bud for a short walk in the wood, decided five minutes moving some leaves off the front would make me feel better – and it did a bit along with out of breath. Other than that I’ve made three cups of herbal tea, watched the TV, stroked Bud and read a few blogs. That’s it.

A friend did point out to me last week that people without cancer have their off days and I did have a busy day yesterday. B dropped me off at the Royal, I had dialysis, our neighbours collected me and I got home at 12.20, I took Bud out for ten minutes, I drove myself to Armchair Yoga for 1 pm, I whizzed home for just after three, made chilli and rice for an early tea (which should have been Spaghetti Bolognese but between us, B got the bags out of the freezer but I directed him to where they were, we ended up with two bags of mince so I had to improvise), had a shower while it was cooking, got dressed as a friend was calling to pick me up at four to go to the Blood Support Group (the meeting started at six, and is about forty minutes drive away, but Chris didn’t want to drive in rush hour traffic and we did get slightly mislaid so it took an hour), I ate some tea, threw up, couldn’t manage the rest, off we went (and I didn’t even pick up my knitting on the way although we might have got more mislaid if I had), then on the way home we called for chips and got back 9.10, briefly spoke to Auntie Ann who’d only got back from her Norwegian Fjords cruise yesterday, ate my chips and fish cake (which stayed down) and went to bed five minutes after Chris left at 10.10 pm – my which time I was just about staggering and didn’t even have the energy to move the plates from the sink, where Chris had put them, to the dishwasher – something B picked up on this morning.

And B’s alarm went off half an hour ago so I’ll have to get up the enthusiasm to make lunch and I don’t even feel like eating – chewing takes a lot of energy! I think I might just be tired as I haven’t even really spoken to Bud today and there’s not been much smiling going on. Gosh, darn side effects leaflets.

Oh, and I did get a call about four free massages at the local oncology centre starting a week on Friday at 3pm, which is also the date of my next blood clinic appointment so I’m sure will cause B some sort of issue but what the heck.

Haemoglobin – 10.8 (up from Saturday)

Platelets – 225 (up)

Neutrophils – 0.8 (0.1 down)