Connect
Comment receiving replies
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Some of what you're doing sounds like myofascial release, which I have tried, and was temporally related to hematochezia which turned over the course of a day into a frank GI bleed that landed me in the hospital.
I have tried acupuncture and wasn't able to stay the course, although it was early on in the course of my illness. I hated the Chinese herbs and disliked intensely the fact that I was supposed to have faith in the acupuncturist, for the therapy to work (I suppose that's my western medical training at play screaming "placebo effect"). My only other experience with the therapy was for a horse that had a spinal cord injury. Again I was supposed to believe that the animal communicator thought it was working. It did not help the horse objectively, and eventually I had to have him euthanized. I might try giving your suggestion of acupressure a try, since I've seen a massage therapist for more than 2 decades, and she has been able over that time period to reduce the amount of tension I carry in my muscles as my baseline (as does my full brother). She has a wealth of knowledge in her own muscular system and brain acquired through more than 30 years of practice.
Replies to "Thanks for all the suggestions. Some of what you're doing sounds like myofascial release, which I..."
You know…that’s actually the next thing I was going to suggest…seeing a massage therapist! They can be so helpful during all the treatments for cancer. Even when I was staying at Mayo for my transplant, several times there was a massage therapist who came to my room to work on my neck and back to keep me comfortable. I could just feel the tension sliding away. Alternative medicines can go a long way in keeping us healthy in conjunction with our great doctors.
Myofacial release is exactly what I was talking about. It has made a huge difference in my ability to pursue my hobbies without having neck spasms for days later. That’s where the acupuncture has helped the most, long term. I have a fabulous massage therapist whom, I swear, has magic hands. She specializes in MF release. But sadly, the benefit of the deep tissue massages are fleeting.
So I tried acupuncture and that allows me to live pain-free for about 6 weeks before tension starts creeping back. I know it doesn’t work for anyone. I went into it with very low expectations and was really surprised by the positive and lengthy outcome. For me, I honestly feel it’s much more than a placebo effect since I really didn’t expect it to work at all. 😅
I really hope your side effects from the chemo subside soon. Maybe scheduling a nice massage wouldn’t be a bad idea…
Connect
The next two questions are very dependent on my husband as caregiver. He is very strict about what he'll feed me; it seems healthy, so even though it's a limited diet, I think I'm eating okay.
I do have a couple of OTC products containing menthol, and briefly I thought one of them gave me some relief from the "chemo feet" problems. However, it has turned into another frustrating exercise, since so very little seems to stay fixed for very long.
I've had a recent ultrasound and the ultrasound technician knew from asking me a few relevant questions that it would be negative for blood clots.
The only symptom that might conceivably be called shortness of breath (a fluttery feeling in my chest) usually dissipates if I can find something to alleviate my anxiety. My vital signs are always within normal limits when checked at all my various medical appointments so I'm not concerned about heart failure. The edema I have in both lower legs follows on horse riding related injuries of many years' standing (pins in one ankle; a missing divot and tissue damage to my right thigh where a horse stepped on me.