Damned if you do, damned if you don't
Throughout my diagnosis and treatment journey, I've been forced to handle a lot of "between a rock and a hard place" scenarios. Usually, I've come out okay but not unscathed. The latest in a long series of these is today's eating issues.
That's right, just after I talk about the stent and all its glory, I start having stent issues. It started in the morning where something just didn't feel right in my sternum (where the stent is, roughly, placed). It felt tight when gas would try to pass through, uncomfortably so - like something was blocking it. I threw up a little bit of breakfast after coughing from discomfort. I thought that might have fixed it.
It didn't.
The day has worn on and I've thrown up some food, and kept others down - so I'm staying hopeful that it's more the medication and cancer just playing up. Motility issues cause my stomach to empty slower than usual, so if food sits in there too long, I feel sick and want to throw up. I take medication for this but then the medication affects the bowels, which then also make me feel sick.
Damned if you do.
If I don't take the medication, then it's misery abound with food sticking around, constant burping and just major bloating and discomfort.
Damned if you don't.
"They" say to use fizzy drinks like Coke to unblock your stent. The only time this has 'worked' is when I had an actual tumour blockage and the Coke caused a backwash effect much like projectile vomit into my mouth. You know, food was stuck around the tumour, fizzy drink couldn't get it past so it caused a geyser instead.
FUN STUFF.
Not to mention the gas from the drinks make me feel sick now. I already feel full after eating only a little - so gassy drinks are not a great idea. They make my tummy feel 10 times bigger than it is if I drink them. So I only drink little cans or take sips and give the rest to my husband.
I'm hoping a walk later will make me feel better. I've also taken some medication for nausea, hoping I keep some food down today. Let's hope the blockage fixes itself and isn't tumours. It's hard to tell because I've just finished chemo and who knows what the chemo has done to the tumours? It could have shifted the stents and not in a good way.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
That's right, just after I talk about the stent and all its glory, I start having stent issues. It started in the morning where something just didn't feel right in my sternum (where the stent is, roughly, placed). It felt tight when gas would try to pass through, uncomfortably so - like something was blocking it. I threw up a little bit of breakfast after coughing from discomfort. I thought that might have fixed it.
It didn't.
The day has worn on and I've thrown up some food, and kept others down - so I'm staying hopeful that it's more the medication and cancer just playing up. Motility issues cause my stomach to empty slower than usual, so if food sits in there too long, I feel sick and want to throw up. I take medication for this but then the medication affects the bowels, which then also make me feel sick.
Damned if you do.
If I don't take the medication, then it's misery abound with food sticking around, constant burping and just major bloating and discomfort.
Damned if you don't.
"They" say to use fizzy drinks like Coke to unblock your stent. The only time this has 'worked' is when I had an actual tumour blockage and the Coke caused a backwash effect much like projectile vomit into my mouth. You know, food was stuck around the tumour, fizzy drink couldn't get it past so it caused a geyser instead.
FUN STUFF.
Not to mention the gas from the drinks make me feel sick now. I already feel full after eating only a little - so gassy drinks are not a great idea. They make my tummy feel 10 times bigger than it is if I drink them. So I only drink little cans or take sips and give the rest to my husband.
I'm hoping a walk later will make me feel better. I've also taken some medication for nausea, hoping I keep some food down today. Let's hope the blockage fixes itself and isn't tumours. It's hard to tell because I've just finished chemo and who knows what the chemo has done to the tumours? It could have shifted the stents and not in a good way.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
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