It's the end of Steve's first week on the new clinical trial.
We've been watching for side effects, but otherwise carrying on with whatever we've had to do...three days going to hospital and, around those appointments, more planting in the garden, including bulbs to enjoy in the spring (always optimistic!) and a day trip to London in the car to help our son move some large and bulky things from his house share to new accommodation....quite a demanding day, with no opportunity to eat properly.
Steve has felt tired...but then so have I...so whether his fatigue is a side effect of the trial drug or activity it's difficult to say. Probably a bit of both.
What has been noticeable is the gurgling noises coming from his stomach. Quite musical and rhythmic - more Philip Glass than heavy metal, even though its quite loud! We have just spoken to Finn, the trial nurse, and it seems to be quite common amongst those on the trial. We will have to stock up on stomach calming medicine now this seems likely to continue....
Another noticeable thing is weight loss. Steve's weight has now dipped below 60 kilos. When he was first diagnosed in 2009 it was about 70 kilos.
Steve knows he needs to keep up his calorie intake, so has also been doing some research on food to eat to combat weight loss due to cancer, by eating good stuff rather than empty calories. The "Bristol approach to Healthy Eating" has been helpful in this respect. You can download the booklet from the Penny Bronn Centre website. Seeds and nuts to snack on, plus calorie dense foods like oily fish, avocados and coconut milk will be added to the shopping list, as well as the stomach calming medicine!
The booklet also highlights the benefits of physical activity - supporting bone and muscle strength, energy levels and psychological health, as well as helping maintain a healthy weight - so we will have to figure out an easy way to incorporate 30 minutes of physical exercise into our daily routine. Time to borrow a dog for walks, I wonder?
Tomorrow is the start of cycle 2, and an early one for us - 8.30 am at the Early Phase Clinical Trails Unit. More of that in my next post....
We've been watching for side effects, but otherwise carrying on with whatever we've had to do...three days going to hospital and, around those appointments, more planting in the garden, including bulbs to enjoy in the spring (always optimistic!) and a day trip to London in the car to help our son move some large and bulky things from his house share to new accommodation....quite a demanding day, with no opportunity to eat properly.
Steve has felt tired...but then so have I...so whether his fatigue is a side effect of the trial drug or activity it's difficult to say. Probably a bit of both.
What has been noticeable is the gurgling noises coming from his stomach. Quite musical and rhythmic - more Philip Glass than heavy metal, even though its quite loud! We have just spoken to Finn, the trial nurse, and it seems to be quite common amongst those on the trial. We will have to stock up on stomach calming medicine now this seems likely to continue....
Another noticeable thing is weight loss. Steve's weight has now dipped below 60 kilos. When he was first diagnosed in 2009 it was about 70 kilos.
Steve knows he needs to keep up his calorie intake, so has also been doing some research on food to eat to combat weight loss due to cancer, by eating good stuff rather than empty calories. The "Bristol approach to Healthy Eating" has been helpful in this respect. You can download the booklet from the Penny Bronn Centre website. Seeds and nuts to snack on, plus calorie dense foods like oily fish, avocados and coconut milk will be added to the shopping list, as well as the stomach calming medicine!
The booklet also highlights the benefits of physical activity - supporting bone and muscle strength, energy levels and psychological health, as well as helping maintain a healthy weight - so we will have to figure out an easy way to incorporate 30 minutes of physical exercise into our daily routine. Time to borrow a dog for walks, I wonder?
Tomorrow is the start of cycle 2, and an early one for us - 8.30 am at the Early Phase Clinical Trails Unit. More of that in my next post....
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