Fatigue

Fatigue is more than just being tired. Your spouse may simply not want to get up, and any amount of activity can wear him or her out. The severity of chemo and radiation-induced fatigue depends a lot on the individual and the treatment. The fatigue may be especially bad when treatment is just beginning.

How to deal

  • Be sure your spouse gets lots of rest. Even though it may get frustrating when your spouse falls asleep at 7 p.m., or tells you he/she just can't go to a family outing that was planned days ago, or can't finish a nice dinner you cooked, remember that your spouse truly can't help being this exhausted.

  • Know you will need to take on more of the household chores. There may be times when you feel like you have to do it all. Asking for help, even with the little things, can drastically reduce your burden.

Practical tips

  • Proper nutrition for your spouse is vitally important during this time. When your spouse is too tired to even chew, high-calorie protein shakes require much less effort to consume.

  • High-calorie protein shake recipes are available in Recipes/Nutritional Aids.

Dizziness

Dizziness can be caused by a number of different things. For Kara, YCS board member Matt's wife, electrolyte imbalance, anemia and low blood pressure made the dizziness worse. Dizziness tends to be even more of a problem in the middle of the night when blood pressure is low.

Practical tips

  • Have your spouse get up slowly. If they are lying down, have them sit up for a few minutes, then stand for a minute, then start to walk. No rushing!

  • Keep your floors picked up; eliminate things to trip on.

  • Watch for sharp corners. There is a lot of child-safety equipment that can help to shield sharp corners.

  • Strategically place things to grab hold of, such as chairs, when crossing a large room.

  • Install hand rails in your house. This can be particularly important in the bathroom.

  • Follow your spouse very closely when going up stairs.

  • Communicate with your spouse, and if he/she begins to feel dizzy, RUN to catch him/her.

  • Realize that a sudden fall may indicate more than the "usual" dizziness. If it seems extreme even within cancer treatment, call the doctor - something else may be wrong.