Its been bloody hot here in the UK the last week or so (though it feels like forever). A heatwave, and as a country we are not designed for it. Our houses are built to retain heat, not cool down, so every night it feels as though we are sleeping in an oven.
Last night it was impossible to sleep, and I woke up feeling like I had the worst hangover. It was really unpleasant.
My cat, a nice long hair burman, is struggling, unable to work out where to lie. She is just desperate for someone to turn the temperature down. My children are both home and over heating. And worst of all, my wife really struggles in extreme heat.
Of course for most people, heat exhaustion and heat strokes are a concern. The body reacts by pumping more blood to the skin, making the heart work harder and harder. We can feel dizzy, and fatigued, and probably get a headache and stomach ache.
Now couple that with a weakened body, and you can see my concern. My wife is fatigued at the best of times, so by getting hot and even more tired she will be worse. She has stomach problems, and struggles to find things to eat most days, and in the heat is finidng this even trickier. And we dont want to risk an illness, sickness or itherwise that could clear out the fluids in her body.
She has a limited palate for drinks, and isnt a fan of water (it was the one drink she sipped during the first rounds of chemo, and like carrots she now cannot stand it). And then to top it off, she had a splenectomy and various other organs removed many years ago (detailed in this old post https://mywifehascancer.blog/archives/50), so cannot easily cope in extremes.
What can you do? We have fans (lots of fans) in every room. We have a huge amount of ice sat in the freezer. We usually sleep in seperate rooms, but as luck would have it, this week by mother-in-law is staying, and so I am in the same room as my wife (hence last nights terrible sleep). We ensure she has small amounts of food to eat, little and often. We try to keep her out of the direct sunshine.
This is no more than most people do, but for us the worry is more tangible – we have been through many health scares, and know how quickly things can go south. A heatwave could be the tipping point where her hear decides it has had enough. I hope not, and we are doing our hardest to make sure we keep her temperature down and ensure it doesnt.
For a quick update, following my last blog (https://mywifehascancer.blog/archives/936), Ive started reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (available to buy here from Amazon https://amzn.to/406TbS8). This may be a self help book, which is not my usual style, but my mental health is not the best, and this is helping me to understand how to focus on the important things, and not waste time on the less important things.
It is a long road, but I am finding it useful. I am refocusing my to do list in work, and not sweating the small stuff, while focusing on the things that are really needed. I have realised that life is about making choices, and we make choices everyday, so I am learning how to make the choices that make me happy. Hopefully this will help to make me a better carer and husband.
Thanks
Thanks for reading, and if you like what I have written, maybe consider funding some of my coffee or beer habit.Thanks for reading, and if you like what I have written, maybe consider funding some of my coffee or beer habit.