Photo: Creakyjoints.org
I have been seriously fatigued for over six months. On a recent blood test my hemoglobin was low for the fifth time and we decided maybe this was the moment for another transfusion.
On Wednesday I received two bags of blood through a five hour process.
With this transfusion I didn’t get the rosy cheeks and instant increase in energy; which I was excitedly anticipating.
For the last couple of days I have been analyzing my body trying to see why I was still fatigued. On one hand I still want to sleep, or at least lay down the moment I’m done breakfast. I’m just so tired.
But on the other hand on my last two walks I had no difficulty walking up the hills. My breathing was not laboured in any way.
This seemed like a true paradox. How can I be so fatigued I just want to be forever horizontal or sitting and at the same time I can book it up a hill with little effort.
This took me three days of thinking to figure it out. My body has energy but my brain is in a cumbersome fog.
The brain fog (it’s real) is also referred to as chemo brain.
And today the paradox was deciphered.
Now I just need to put a really big fan on the right side of my head and blow the fog out my left ear. Either that or I do some more research on ways to mitigate this fog.
Oh and another factor may be the ongoing pain. Finally gave in and took hydromorph tonight. It certainly doesn’t help with the fog, but is truly needed if I want a decent sleep.
I’m hoping to dream of fans, windmills and foghorns tonight.