After three weeks of Revlimid and dexa, holiday or not, my body naturally felt the effects of the meds. I was very conscious, on the last day of Revlimid, a warmish feeling in my tummy as though I had consumed a lot of chilli and for a good part of the afternoon it felt “fiery” and cramp-y. And the next two days, I had better be near “comfort” facilities … I really don’t need to be too descriptive.
Therefore, holiday or not, we mm-ers have to be very cognisant of the effects of the medications. I must say that even on a low dose of 10mg of Revlimid, its potency is strong – as much as I had to bear with the side effects I hope that it is doing a good job in battering those myeloma cells! The principle of cause and effect!
In reality, it can be quite an inconvenience but we must mark out those days when we need to do what we have to do and be where we have to be, so that we are not caught in embarrassing situations. I realised that at the end of a Revlimid cycle, I need to consume plenty of water – LITRES and LITRES. Dehydration sets in and my fingers have the shrivelled look, the throat feels parched – the body signals to drink, replenish with lots of fluid and also to flush the system (of all the “dead” myeloma cells!!! – I imagine that is what should happen after 3 weeks of Rev??)
Holiday or not, do not forget to drink, drink and drink lots of water. And plan for days to rest. Fatigue does set in at the end of the cycle. The tiredness is real and is not just from doing the “touristy” stuff, it is from the meds. We cannot and should not push our bodies to take extra strain unless we provide for enough time to rest and recover. I know my body won’t allow for it. There were days when I choose to stay in and not take in the sights. I can be very happy to just do my knitting or read the Kindle.
I got a Kindle at the start of the holiday and have read 2 books! What an achievement. For the last number (?) of years, I could not get my mind to concentrate and could barely pick up a book and had put it down in frustration. But remarkably, this time with the lightweight Kindle I have re-discovered the joy of reading.
Now the fact that I read 2 books, only mean that there was quite a bit of “rest” time. That was at the beginning when both P and I were down with the cold bug.
Holiday or not, dexa-down day will not be any different. It was a driving day, moving from Nuremberg to Stuttgart. I had heightened senses of my surroundings and did not like the “stimulations” on the autobahns – the fast cars overtaking on the left, the numerous large trucks on the right. I tried closing my eyes to shut off the visual effects. Ha…some of you may think of me as timid but really it truly is the dexa…it causes very unexplainable and unpleasant sensations.
My friends may think twice to go anywhere with me after reading this…. I can be an inconvenience. Maybe that is why there are not many invitation??? Ha. Sometimes out of the kindness in their hearts, our friends decide what is not suitable and hence make the decision for me. I rather and hope they continue to consider me as “normal” and let me decide what I am able or not able to do. When I get tired, I usually will exit earlier, I know when to stop and what is beyond me…. I think.
So, fellow mm-ers planning to go for a holiday somewhere, do not go overboard doing all the sightseeing. If you are on maintenance, remember to provide rest for the days when the side effects are more severe. There will be “good” days – live it up and on the “bad” days – be cool and do something quiet. Always remember to carry with you, a large bottle of water and keep good hydration. Have a course of antibiotic on hand, should you catch any “bug” along the way. Remember to enjoy. I did.