Post Hospital!

[DALederle]

I think I've discovered a knew mental health problem.
Post Hospital Stress Syndrome or PHSS!
While in the hospital I had trouble sleeping at night. Everything was wrong as I lay there trying to drift off to sleep. Most night I only dozed and won't finally fall asleep until it was time to get up. Then all day long I'd want to to go back into some nice REM state to finish my sleep, but of course the staff and doctor kept bothering me. I've noticed this problem the last few times I was in a hospital, but not as bad as this time.
Coming home I expected things to get bettter once I was back in my own house and asleep without all the hospital noises.
But now, after almost a month since I came home again, I'm still bothered by the pattern. Falling asleep each night is hard.
I go to bed about 10 to 10:30 but then lay there until 12 or later. Then I wake up several times because I'm not in a deep sleep but just dozing. With luck I do fall asleep by 3-4 but that means I'm sleeping until close to noon each day. It was 11:30 a.m. today. Though today I'm feeling rested. Some days I don't feel rested even after all that sleep.
Has anyone else had this kind of a problem or is it just me! I have so many odd ball quirks in my life that I tend to think that I'm the only one this happens to. Like with my allergy to Blue Jeans. No one else I know is bothered by that. Does any know a cure for this!
I really want to get on with my life and get some things done.

Dennis A. Lederle

Live Long and Perspire!

[STEVIE]

I have had similar problems but for different reasons. On my doctor's recommendation, I tried a "sleep hygiene" regime. Just put that in as an internet search. I didn't follow all the suggestions but, the one that really worked was a cup of tea, out of bed and no T.V, alcohol or smoking.
I think the main thing is not to try to stay in bed and force sleep to come. There are also meditative breathing excercises which help to relax you and encourage sleep.
Good Luck.
Steve.
p.s. glad you now seem to be well on the mend.

[Kirbstone]

Dennis,
Delighted to see you're really on the mend, despite your residual sleep problems.

Medical cap on here, and I'll quote an esteemed colleague who was a Prof. of image diagnostics. He travelled a lot, suffering from serious jet lag until he decided to make use of the natural sleep hormone, Melatonin. Quite unlike 'sleeping pills' (barbiturates and the like), which are essentially sedatives with associated side effects, Melatonin is naturally secreted from the pineal gland deep in the brain center, following a circadian rythm which peaks after dark until midnight and is responsible for inducing natural sleep.
Ageing and malignant disease have both been shown to depress production of melatonin, frequently resulting in altered sleep patterns, which I suspect describes the present problem you have.
You are probably on medications and it would be best to discuss this with your local medics, but in general the administration of Melatonin in sustained release tablets...1 to 2 mg daily, perhaps more for your body weight, for three weeks may well improve the quality and duration of your sleep, with no unwanted side effects.

There is also an unexplained immuno-enhancement effect associated with ingestion of Melatonin, which inhibits tumours &c.

Worth considering, I'd say.


Tom K.

[DALederle]

Tom:
I've taken melotonin for years. That was one of the problems. They didn't let me have it. I wasn't able to get anything the docs considered "herbals" which really took out a lot of thing I rely on now. Fish Oil, Gloucosimine, etc. So that probably added to my in hospital woes. I've had a life long problem of extreme anxiety over being in a hospital or even going to a doctor. It all just scares me, totally.
But there's now good news. After increasing my pre-va-cid anti-acid pill from once a day to twice I finally got a full nights sleep the last four days in a row.
Wow! What a difference.
Went to a movie Saturday and out shopping yesterday.
The movie was "Real Steel" which was a comic/sci fi film. My wife and I enjoyed it a lot, despite the critic one star rating. Nothing you had to take serious. But good fun anyway. I like the idea of robots beating on each other instead of people. I favor robot in combat too.
Yesterday went to Office Max and then to Denny's for a late lunch. Took half my senior's Club Sandwhich home with me for dinner last night. But it felt really good to get out again. I even drove yesterday.
Now I have to call around and make follow up doctors appts.

Dennis A. Lederle
Live Long and Perspire!

[Mod note: Duplicate of this post deleted - Ian.]

[DALederle]

The doctors are now telling I had better go throughsome more radiation as well as chemo therapy.
It seems that there is a 60-70% chance of the cancer in my esphogus to return. A biopsy of lymph nodes taken during the surgery showed I had cancer in 2 out of 5 nodes. So they want to preventy the return of more major cancers. I am now not a good candidate for more surugery too.
Don't know that I like these options all that much.
My Oncologist is already talking about "quality" of life as opposes length of life issues.
So now I have something new to mull over.
I'm really worried about the side effects of chemo/radiation. I've not heard anything good about this kind of thing. I'm already weakened after the surgery and just don't seem to be getting much stronger. Usually I can shake things off and get a few days in a week were I'm feeling good and active. Now I seem to be tired all the time. God help if I get into treatments and they weaken me.
Well, only time will tell!
Checking on the radiation this Thursday!
I guess there's always hope!

Dennis A. Lederle
Live Long and Perspire!

[straightfairy]

I hope you get better, but I'm not surprised you're not improving when you're so tired all the time.
Might I suggest that you make yourself even more tired?
Set your alarm for (say) 10am so that is the latest that you wake up, even if you have only had 5 hours sleep.
Don;t allow yourself to sleep during the day.
By the time you go to be you'll be REALLY tired, and should sleep no problem.

[DALederle]

Just finished my first full week of chemo/radiation. So far so good. Just some minor tummy upset and a feeling of being tired a lot.
They have a new way of doing chemo and I'm one of the first, arounf here to use. Instead of injection, etc. I take pills. It's bunches of pills twice a day. It's a lighter dose then the infusions. My other health problems make the other way a little dicey.
The radiation is a piece of cake, so far.
Hope I can manage to have good holidays this year.
Don't want to spend all month to tired to do anything.

Dennis A. Lederle
Live Long and Perspire!

[r.m.anderson]

Well I can image that with you living in the vicinity of the 'Windy City' you are always trying to
punch an air bag out of the way.
I presume that the doctors have run a check to see if you are anemic (iron poor blood - low red
blood cell count). Being close to your age I recall one of the TV commercials of the early 50's
was for "Geritol". I am troubled with this problem and taking Ferrous Sulfate tablets that really
don't help the stomach. It is that or take two cans of 'PopEye' spinach or 4 ounces of liver daily.
I love snakes better than I like liver !
But I am not a doctor nor do I play one in real life.
But I can prescribe a dose of 'Good Cheer' and wish you the best - so take two of these emails
and don't call me in the morning for I too am a late riser.

"Regards"
rma