Early Christmas present

Hi @AnnC76, I echo everything that @Erica has said. Please use the forum for support and the support line. Are you getting any support? This would be a lot for anybody to manage so just want to check you are being taken care off to :wink:

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Thanks @Erica and @Nichola75. Sorry I didnā€™t reply sooner but I had trouble navigating the website and couldnā€™t find my original post.

Iā€™m not doing too well at the moment. Iā€™ve had a recurrence of the cramps and diarrhea and feel shaky and feel like my head is too heavy. Iā€™ve tried to stay hydrated but still feel a bit rough. All this Christmas food around and I donā€™t fancy any of it. Just forced myself to make my o/hā€™s favourite pigs in blankets. It was an effort but he enjoys my home made ones more than the turkey and I wanted to please him even though he said not to do it as I was feeling rotten.

If I can just get past Christmas without giving up Iā€™ll seek medical advice after. I could phone my Emergency hospital number but the last time I did that they just said to pack an overnight bag and get someone to drop me off at the hospital. Then they kept me hanging about all day, took some blood, did a rectal exam, chest X-ray and told me to stop taking the chemo pills and to see my haematologist.

Weā€™ve gone up to Tier 4 here in the South so I really donā€™t want to end up in hospital.

xxxx

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Hi @AnnC76, I am really sorry that you are still feeling so rough.
I realise how bad you feel if you are off your food !!!
It sounds a very sensible decision to seek medical advice after the holiday period and I keep a diary in such circumstances just in case a cause and effect can be seen.
Perhaps if you really feel that you need to seek medical help before then it might be worth doing so, I think hospitals have learnt a lot about separating Covid patients from other patients now.
I hope your pigs in blankets are appreciated, I bet they are lovely.
Please do let us know how you get on and please try and get a bit of ā€˜meā€™ time over the holiday period.

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Hi @AnnC76. Itā€™s good to hear from you. Well done for cooking when you feel so poorly. Iā€™m sure your other half will appreciate them. I echo what @Erica says, please donā€™t leave seeking medical attention if you start to feel worse. Hopefully you wonā€™t and can try and enjoy the festive period! I also hope you get your tastebuds back. Whatā€™s your favourite Christmas food that might tempt you? Please take care and keep posting X

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Hi @AnnC76. Just wondering how you are feeling now? Did you have to seek medical advice?

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Hi AnnC76
Now that Christmas is over I hope you are feeling a bit brighter.
My friend with CML was on Imatinib like me but it did not suit her, like you. She had a second chemo which stopped working and then a third which has been great for her. It has been good for several years. I feel sure that they will find the chemo which is the right fit for you.
Hereā€™s to a brighter and healthier New Year for you.
Grandma Jo

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Hi @Nichola75 @Erica and @GrandmaJo Sorry itā€™s been a while again. I donā€™t get email notifications when anyone replies so I tend to forget to come and see. Hope you all had a good Christmas and NY x I managed to get through it all but since then Iā€™ve had a miserable time with the constipation and stomach cramps and no, I still havenā€™t sought any help. Trying to keep on top of it with more fruit and fibre, probiotics, more water etc. and taking maintenance doses of Movicol but it doesnā€™t seem to be working very well.

I just canā€™t bring myself to make that phone call. This COVID thing seems to be spiralling out of all proportion and Iā€™m terrified of being asked to attend hospital. I just have this feeling that itā€™s not safe and theyā€™re so overworked that I donā€™t want to add to their problems. Itā€™s a sad old life when happiness is being able to go to the toilet without pain :laughing:

I have to go for my BCR/ABL next week and a mammogram 2 days after (I had breast cancer 2 years ago) and Iā€™m stressing about that.

Oh well, just soldier on and hope for the best. Take care everyone xxx

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Hi @AnnC76 . You sound like you have had a really tough few weeks. Itā€™s hard enough with all off the restrictions, but add feeling poorly to the pot and that equals added worry. I am concerned about your pain though. Is it something you can mention when you go to the hospital next week? I have been for blood tests and a scan during COVID and felt really anxious. However, everything was really safe and it made me feel better about attending next time. Would you at least give our support line a call? They may be able to help?

Please keep us updated on how you are X

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Hello @AnnC76 , I have messaged you directly, I hope you donā€™t mind. If you want to talk anything through on the phone with us, one of us could give you a call, if you think that might help at all?

Weā€™d so encourage you to talk to a member of your healthcare team about not only what youā€™re experiencing physically, but also, all of these understandable worries you have. Itā€™s so important that theyā€™re aware of everything thatā€™s going on for you.
Itā€™s so understandable that youā€™re so worried about going into hospital, but itā€™s so important that people attend hospital when their healthcare teams say the need to. We have some information around safety measures that can be taken when going in to hospital, in case you find it useful at all - https://bloodcancer.org.uk/support-for-you/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-blood-cancer/your-blood-cancer-treatment/ Iā€™d really encourage you to give your hospital a call to see what their doing on a local level too, to help keep people safe and reduce risk of transmission.

Weā€™re all here for you so please do keep sharing how youā€™re feeling

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Hi @AnnC76, you really have been through a horrible time and we are all here to support you through it.
Yes, you managed to get through Christmas it really can be such a difficult time.
I feel concerned for you having had the constipation and stomach cramps and pain going to the toilet and I have a sort of feeling that you know you need to seek help.
That is what a medical team is there for, it might be your GP, consultant or CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist). I was always one for saying that there is always someone worse off than me, they are so busy, I wonā€™t ring now because ā€¦ but I also know the relief I feel when I have made that call.
It is no wonder that you are feeling stressed because you have also got 2 other appointments coming up.
When I go to hospital I mask up and I make sure I social distance and I have found that my medical team are masked up but I would ask them to if they werenā€™t and it has been OK.
@Nichola75 and @Alice_BloodCancerUK have given you such good advice, you have had the courage to post and be honest on this site, that is perhaps the first step, you are doing brilliantly.
Take lots of care, stay safe and please do use this forum as support and to let us know how you are and how you get on at all your medical appointments.

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