![]() Take multiple short naps or breaks, rather than one long rest period.Plan your day so that you have time to rest.Some things to try to help you cope with fatigue: Not everyone feels the same kind of fatigue. This type of tiredness does not always go away with rest. It can be due to the disease, chemotherapy, low blood counts, lack of sleep, pain, stress, poor appetite, along with many other factors. Fatigue (tiredness)įatigue, feeling tired and lacking energy, is the most common symptom reported by cancer patients. Call your doctor if you feel as though you may faint, your heart is beating very fast, or you feel short of breath. Make sure to eat well-balanced meals and talk with your doctor about what type of diet may be best for you. If you are anemic try to get as much rest as possible and limit how active you are. You may feel tired, short of breath, week, dizzy, faint, or like your heart is beating very fast. Anemia is when you have not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. Red blood cells can also be affected by some chemotherapy drugs. Easier bruising or longer bleeding time after a minor cut is normal. If you notice unusual bleeding, including blood in your urine, stool, vomit, or bleeding gums, notify your doctor. Low platelet counts can also result from chemotherapy. Do not eat raw food, seafood, meat, or eggs.Wear protective gloves when gardening or cleaning up after others, especially small children.Avoid standing water-birdbaths, flower vases or humidifiers.Avoid contact with animal litter boxes and waste, birdcages, and fish tanks.Use lotion or creams to soften and heal your skin if it becomes dry and cracked.Take a warm (not hot) bath, shower, or sponge bath every day.Use an electric shaver instead of a razor to prevent breaks or cuts in your skin.Be careful not to cut or nick yourself with scissors, needles, or knives.Do not cut or tear the cuticles of your nails.If you have a catheter, make sure to watch for any signs of irritation or infection around the site.Stay away from children who recently have received “live virus” vaccines such as chicken pox and oral polio, since they may be contagious to people with a low blood cell count.Go to the mall or movie theaters when they are least likely to be busy. Stay away from people who have illnesses you can catch, such as a cold, the flu, measles, or chicken pox.Be sure to wash them before you eat, after you use the bathroom, and after touching animals. Sometimes the cause of an infection may not be known. Most infections come from bacteria normally found on our skin and in your mouth, intestines and genital tract. Raising the white blood cell count greatly lowers the risk of serious infection. These medicines are called colony stimulating factors. There are medicines that help speed the recovery of white blood cells, shortening the time when the white blood count is very low. The doctor will check your blood cell count often while you are getting chemotherapy. This happens because most anti-cancer drugs affect the bone marrow, making it harder to make white blood cells (WBCs), the cells that fight many types of infections. Chemotherapy can make you more likely to get infections.
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