Rude Awaking
Comments
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He is recovering from cancer
Cancer treatment, especially ours, chemo, radiation, and surgery is said to be the most brutal behind anal cancer, no pun intended. Internally his body is dealing with the effects of all the toxins in his body, chemo and radiation, and trying to recover. His red and white blood cells are in turmoil and still not back to normal. We haven't even gotten into the myriad of possible side effects and don't know if his thyroid levels are up to normal yet. He is insane to even contemplate being around drywall dust as you don't want this showing up in the lungs on a scan. At 4 months post just walking short distances can drain his energy levels. This is a time to heal and recover. He can visit with his friend but hanging drywall? Please slap his friend upside the head for even asking a recovering cancer patient to hang drywall. His lack of energy after that exertion is right where it should be and he should be fine as long as he isn't hanging drywall again.0 -
No, no more work for him forratface said:He is recovering from cancer
Cancer treatment, especially ours, chemo, radiation, and surgery is said to be the most brutal behind anal cancer, no pun intended. Internally his body is dealing with the effects of all the toxins in his body, chemo and radiation, and trying to recover. His red and white blood cells are in turmoil and still not back to normal. We haven't even gotten into the myriad of possible side effects and don't know if his thyroid levels are up to normal yet. He is insane to even contemplate being around drywall dust as you don't want this showing up in the lungs on a scan. At 4 months post just walking short distances can drain his energy levels. This is a time to heal and recover. He can visit with his friend but hanging drywall? Please slap his friend upside the head for even asking a recovering cancer patient to hang drywall. His lack of energy after that exertion is right where it should be and he should be fine as long as he isn't hanging drywall again.
No, no more work for him for awhile. It's funny you seem to think your fine while chilling at the house. He is happy and full of energy doing little tasks, like cooking dinner, dishes, and cleaning up. I guess he thought he was good to go. Nothing like a false sense of well being to set you straight. I have heard many peolple continue to work during and after treatment. I dont know how they did it????0 -
doing laundry nowarndog64 said:No, no more work for him for
No, no more work for him for awhile. It's funny you seem to think your fine while chilling at the house. He is happy and full of energy doing little tasks, like cooking dinner, dishes, and cleaning up. I guess he thought he was good to go. Nothing like a false sense of well being to set you straight. I have heard many peolple continue to work during and after treatment. I dont know how they did it????
little tasks? Housework is doing to me what the cancer hasn't. Still have to make dinner. I don't know how folks work through this, they are truly strong people. Enjoy him home while you can. Sounds like a good guy!0 -
Agree
arndog,
I agree with what RF mentioned above. Hanging drywall is no easy task and I am sure your husband felt good working, but the aftermath isn't worth it. I have done the same thing, thinking that I am back to normal and over do it one day and pay for several days later.
Your husband being only 4 months out of treatment is itching to get back to normal, but as RF stated, our bodies are still dealing with the remains of the treatments and they can be in our bodies for roughly 1 year, according to my Radiation Oncologist.
If your husband feels he needs to get out and give someone a hand, he sould let them know that he will be limited on his energy. That is hard to do at times, we get moving and it feels good to accomplish something. Each time at the beginning that I did 8 hours work, I usually slept for 12 hours afterwards. Hopefully in the future he will pace himself and he will get more energy as time passes. Also, as RF mentioned, keep an eye on his (TSH) Thyroid levels during his bloodwork. If he is fatigued allot, this may be one of the problems.
My Best to Both of You and Everyone Here0 -
I CAN RELATE
I too had the same problem when I was out in my yard doing some work trimming back shrubs and trees. I yacked right in my front yard and it continued for the next 12-18 hours.
My body just was not ready for that kind of work.
It will get better, i promise. I will be one year from treatment next month and there is no physical labor that I cannot do. it may take a little longer than before, but I can do it.
Tell hubby to hydrate hydrate hydrate.
Best!!
Mike0 -
I don't know how people
I don't know how people worked through treatment either. There was no way I could have, but my job was very long hours, very physical and dealing with the public constantly. Cancer knocked me on my ****. I went from working 48-65 hours a week to barely being able to keep a house clean, and I'm over two years out. During treatment and for quite some time afterward it was all I could do to feed myself, take a shower and make it to the bathroom. It effects different people differently. It's not uncommon, and pretty average that he could be out of work for 6 months.0 -
Hydrationluv4lacrosse said:I CAN RELATE
I too had the same problem when I was out in my yard doing some work trimming back shrubs and trees. I yacked right in my front yard and it continued for the next 12-18 hours.
My body just was not ready for that kind of work.
It will get better, i promise. I will be one year from treatment next month and there is no physical labor that I cannot do. it may take a little longer than before, but I can do it.
Tell hubby to hydrate hydrate hydrate.
Best!!
Mike
I agree that it is important to stay well hydrated before, during and after the "physical" activity, regardless of what it is. Lack of hydration can cause people to repeatedly vomit thereby causing more dehydration problems.
As for the work itself? I remember after radiation therapy, it took me almost 10 months to get to the point that I didn't wear myself out doing active, physical work of any kind. Before that, I would pay for it dearly. Work one day, be in bed the next 3 trying to recover.
Tell him to rein himself in on the heavy activity. It's not that he won't be able to start up again one day, it just takes time.
Peace,
Teresa0 -
Too much too fast
We all learn the lesion that we must take it slow and build up out body little everyday. As soon as I felt good I was off to change the world but that did not last too long. Your body has been at a stand still for many months and the treatment has affected every muscle and joint in your body. Start by working one hour a day then build up to two and more as time goes on, soon you will be able to handle it. But remember you will never be as you once were so take it easy and enjoy the rest of you life.
Hondo0 -
I am one of those people whosweetblood22 said:I don't know how people
I don't know how people worked through treatment either. There was no way I could have, but my job was very long hours, very physical and dealing with the public constantly. Cancer knocked me on my ****. I went from working 48-65 hours a week to barely being able to keep a house clean, and I'm over two years out. During treatment and for quite some time afterward it was all I could do to feed myself, take a shower and make it to the bathroom. It effects different people differently. It's not uncommon, and pretty average that he could be out of work for 6 months.
I am one of those people who worked through radiation and chemo, at least part-time (I didn't work during the surgery phase). I went back to work full-time a week after finishing radiation. But I have an office job and a work schedule that allows me to sleep in an coast into my work day and I was very lucky that my side-effects were minimal after 42 radiation treatment. I'm tired when I get home and can't imagine doing more physical work. I get tired grocery shopping.0 -
Did not
I did not get back to being the same as before treatment/fight. Even now 15 plus years later I feel like I am 85-90% of what a 54 year old should fee. Mind wants to go, go, go but the rest of me just can not keep up. Stay out of dusty area's, hot area's, heavy air and as a reminder stay out of the Sun for some time. Sun is just more radiation and I found very early on in recovery it also can take one down very quickly.
Us men just want to feel like a man again, give it time and take baby steps and you will be there. Just not fast enough as you would like.
John0 -
Ugh!sweetblood22 said:I don't know how people
I don't know how people worked through treatment either. There was no way I could have, but my job was very long hours, very physical and dealing with the public constantly. Cancer knocked me on my ****. I went from working 48-65 hours a week to barely being able to keep a house clean, and I'm over two years out. During treatment and for quite some time afterward it was all I could do to feed myself, take a shower and make it to the bathroom. It effects different people differently. It's not uncommon, and pretty average that he could be out of work for 6 months.
I don't know how people work through treatment either! I had only radiation, no chemo, and I was so tired. The last 9 days I worked I had to cut back to 5 hour days. I also missed 2 complete days because I was too sick to go in from it. Yesterday was my last radiation treatment (YAY!) and I am working an 8-hour shift at one job and a 3-hour shift at another. As a single woman, I have used up all of my PTO for the surgery and these last 2 weeks of treatment. I am weary but gotta make the house payment, right?! If it weren't for the grace of God, I would probably have just laid down and given up a long time ago!! At least now I'll know what to expect now.0 -
Totally Agree
With everything the others here are telling you....
We guys are stubborn, and if I remember correctly, yours might be a little more than others, LOL....
I also was one that worked through most all of my treatment, but......
Everything I do is computer related, and I worked from home and on my schedule, connecting to my work computers. I didn't return to the office for about two months post treatment.
I did maintain a big yard mowing, hedge trimmer, weed eater and blower up until about mid point on the rads (late May, early June) in Florida. But the heat finally did me in. Like your hubby, I thought I was going to pass out and was weak for days....decided to let the local lawn man do it for a few months.
It's tough and does take a big hit on the body.
He (more than likely) will figure out eventually...., LOL, in his case more than likely trial and error, what his limits are.
Thoughts and Prayers,
John0 -
Yes, I am glad you sharedrobertjuy said:I told my wife your story
She stopped working so much and went to lie down. She's two days out of round two of Chemo. Hearing your story woke her up and made her see that her mind may want to move fast. But the body wants to rest.
Yes, I am glad you shared our story. My husband is still hurting and not feeling well. We have both learned that the body requires way more time to heal. Tell her to just roll with it and just take advantage of the down time and rest. Tell her, to believe it or not, the family will be just fine and the bills will get paid!!!0
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