Phew! It’s been a rough day, so far, blogees (those who read your blog?). I slept v. badly for a couple of hours or so during the night (between 2 & 4 a.m.) during which I had a really twisted sort of dream that I do not care to discuss.
Sadly, my dream did not include this image.
When I woke up, I couldn’t get back to sleep because everything was itching. It’s as if I’d had a mad rush of histamines coursing through my entire body. Everything except my mouth itched. Maddening.
(And I take allergy meds every day.)
Finally got back to sleep at some point after 8 a.m. and slept until 10:30 a.m. And now, ladies and gents, I’ve a headache and I’m queasy and burning due to a bout of good ol’ Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Sometimes my plumbing doesn’t like me.
It’s sort of like I have a hangover but didn’t have any fun getting smashed.
Ah, well . . . Here’s a cute aaaaawwwww-inducing pic for you.
Sleeping Koala (Photo credit: Jill Clardy)
More later, my dears. Everything needs to settle down. Love y’all.
the armitage effect 
This may be TMI, but G-d, managing the bowels, in my case, someone else’s. Who knew? I feel like I’m stuck in some weird ping-pong game between Immodium and Senokot, between BRAT and high – fibre, and all the time trying to guess what I need to put in which slot to get which result and usually being wrong. You seriously have my sympathies. This month has absolutely taught me to be grateful for my own relatively unproblematic excretory system.
Thanks, Serv. I am really grateful that it’s not worse–Crohn’s or Inflammatory Bowel–but it can be very frustrating and debilitating. I have a big jar of fiber supplement. I have Activia yogurt. I also have Immodium and Pepto-Bismol. I try to eat healthy stuff like fresh fruit and salads and multigrain products and then sometimes they turn on me.
I have gotten an upset stomach from bread and water. Literally. There have been times when I couldn’t leave my house or the office b/c I couldn’t stray from a bathroom. I have noticed when my sleep is really screwed up episodes of IBS typically follow. So I should have expected it. Anyway, thanks again, and my empathy to you and your mom. Being a caregiver–when you aren’t accustomed to the role–can be a daunting challenge. Hang in there.
Re. managing oncology gut, the opiates slow it down, so Senokot is typically prescribed with them, but most of the chemo and radiation therapy causes the runs without that. The best solution I found was coffee followed by water and exercise, as much as tolerable. That spurs peristalsis, but without the painful cramping or explosive runs that Senokot causes. Then the next dose of opiate pain meds slows things down again, hopefully until the next morning. Add immodium (loperamide 2 mg) if the bowels are still in an uproar. Sometimes, Align, a probiotic supplement, can help, but it has to work uphill against the general chaos.
Thanks, Leigh, for the expert advice! Afaik, she’s not getting or taking any opiates. I think this is a combination of the chemo meds and her own natural reluctant bowels. My suspicion is that she’s not drinking anywhere near enough despite my constant urging. Will check out align. She’s eating probiotic yogurts with prune fillings atm.
Always good to get advice from someone who has been there. I hope your mom finds some relief, Servetus.
There must be something in the air because i have been having issues as well….since we are all sharing TMI facts! ;). Sorry you are feeling so crappy (no pun intended) & hope it is short lived!
Thanks, hope you feel better soon, too. Maybe this will be a relatively short-lived bout of it. *crossing fingers*
Definitely hoping for brief, with minimal if any aftereffects. Take care, dear. Damn BRAT diet, electrolyte replacement drinks, soda crackers and gingerale, etc., but what choice do we have when it hits?
Get well soon, dear Angie! Take care! I’m not feeling great either so I decided to rewatch the 8th production vid! Good for one’s psyche!
I re-watched it, too. It’s really a very uplifting and positive experience. And I had to watch Richard jumping in the background a couple of times. And the fish in the barrel. Boyish, mischievous Richard is good for the soul, too. 😉
Hope you feel better quickly, Angie!
Tell Guy it’s time for him to take care of YOU for a change. 😉
{{{hugs}}}
Angie, I hope you get well soon, Angie.Do like this coala,try to relax a lot. Btw, I adored your comment about Richard to have the perfil of a greek god, the beauty of a Adonis and the soul of a poet. This is really a poetry. Take care!
Angie.
Sorry you’re doing poorly. I hate it when my body refuses to behave normally. I’ve recently read about some people with IBS doing well with a one meal a day plan, but I’m sure you’ve tried everything already — best wishes.
Thanks, Bev, I have tried various things but nothing seems to consistently work. I know it could be worse, and I try to remind myself of that.