29/09/20 Fatigue

Little doubt in  my mind that the fatigue - and having done some research I think I can now safely call it that rather than just tiredness - is slowly getting to be more of a problem.  It's at its worst over the weekend, which links it to Wednesday's and Thursday's dex disappearing from my system. I must ask Dr.Ch about splitting the dose e.g. Wed and Sunday in the hope of avoiding the "dex crash". OTOH I might end up with two of them a week...

This comes from the American National Cancer Institute website cancer.gov:

That fits me pretty well, when it's at its worst. And we could add side-effects of treatment to the list of causes.

Light drizzle all day today, which (yet again) has interfered with exercise plans. However, I now have to get around the back of the computer to replace a USB hub which I suspect is failing. Had to replace the other one a month or three ago, and that was successful. The amount of furniture-shifting involved will just have to be an adequate substitute for a good walk.

UPDATE: USB hub transplant accomplished. All OK so far...

28/09/20 Complications with GP

Complications, complications... I had an appointment at 15:00 for a 'phone conversation with my GP - the regular prescription review. But instead the phone rang at 13:00 and I found myself talking to the "lead clinical pharmacist" at the surgery, who did the review. It seems that she's now doing them all, instead of the doctors. The only issue concerns the 40mg Furosemide (diuretic) which I now take 3 days a week to keep the ankle & foot oedema (probably caused by steroids) away. Last time I found the 20mg didn't have any effect but 40mg daily was enough to banish the swelling (which was bad enough to make putting shoes on near-impossible). It's vanished off my repeats list but I added it as a "custom" item to a prescription renewal that I put in online last night. Now I have to wait around for a call from reception to book a time for a 'phone call from my GP about it. Result: two phone calls where it might have been just one, and I have to hang around at home because I don't really want to take that kind of call when I'm outside with traffic noise and all that. But it's a much better day so I may just go out anyway...

UPDATE: Much better day and have been out round the local triangle. No incoming call from the surgery but I 'phoned AXA to check they're OK with another PET/CT scan, which they are.

27/09/20 (2) Dex crash

It's been an unproductive weekend, as the "dex crash" - if that's what it is - has hit hard. I've been flat out too much of the time and haven't found the determination to get outside for some exercise in this unpleasant weather. Easier to stay inside and do nothing. Well, a bit of cooking and a bit of paperwork, but not a lot else. But inevitably, at a minute or two short of midnight, I'm starting to wake up and feel a bit livelier. Been like that all my life and not going to change now! But I need to find a way to fight this tiredness / fatigue / whatever it is that hits particularly hard over the weekend, although not usually for both days.

27/09/20 Complete immunological remission

 A short quote from my haematologist's most recent letter to my GP:

"he continues in a complete immunological remission"

and long may it last....

Weather still foul today. That'll be at least three days without a decent walk, although I did manage a short one yesterday (in light rain and howling wind).

25/09/20 (2) Weather forecasts

Very disappointed in the BBC, and not for any of the usual reasons. The one time I trust a same-day forecast (see image in previous post) they get it completely wrong. We've not had more than a drop or two of rain since about 9 this morning so could have gone out, although it's cold with a strong blustery wind so wouldn't have been very pleasant. Will try for an expedition tomorrow.

25/09/20 Dex night and bad weather

Went to bed 02:00 last night, read for half an hour (much interrupted by Blue head-butting my Kindle) and slept through to 06:30 before waking in that dex way that says there's absolutely no point trying to get to sleep again. So four hours altogether, which is not too bad for a dex night.

The plan was to go to Great Notley Country Park for today's exercise but the forecast is for rain all day (and cold as well) so we may have to settle for something quick and local if there's a break in the weather.

Things look a little better late afternoon, but that's Tesco food delivery time as well as my regular backgammon commitment so won't be able to go out then...

I've just put a new set of batteries (2 x AA Duracells) in the digital thermometer. As that's been used pretty much daily (and sometimes several times day) for a year, can't complain too much.

24/09/20 Self-checks

Slept OK last night (dex#1), just waking up half an hour before the alarm. I have an ominous feeling tonight (dex#2) may not be as good...

Had a short walk in Oaklands Park this morning before Sue went off to a socially-distanced six-person session with one of her wind bands.

I've mentioned that I take my temperature every morning (except the few when I forget) and I also check blood pressure regularly. This evening was 101/63, which my chart tells me is "Ideal Blood Pressure". Long-term average is around 110/70, also "Ideal" - and that's without any of the blood pressure meds that I used to take until two or three years ago. Other routine but occasional tests are blood sugar and oxygen saturation (because one of the signs of COVID is reduced oxygen without the expected breathlessness - although I haven't heard much about that one for a while now).

I do wonder whether the people now rushing to get their stem call transplants done are paying much attention to the six-month period when their immune systems are rebuilding to full strength at the time when the infernal virus is surging again. I wouldn't want to take the risk of a transplant for quite a while yet, although I realise that going ahead may be more urgent for some people than for others (and I'm in a good position to delay for as long as possible).