[2020-09-03] Pill nausea and a funny little pillow
I'm not one for taking medications. Before my diagnosis, I took Tylenol for the occasional headache, and antibiotics for infrequent infections. So it's been a huge shift to be on so many drugs—Dilaudid, Tylenol and Advil—for 7 days around the clock.
As an infrequent drug taker, I had never heard the term pill nausea, which a helpful friend who also had a hysterectomy mentioned today.
I googled pill nausea and came across the Harvard article What to do when your medication causes nausea. It notes that nausea is one of the most common side effects of taking medication. The article recommends taking medication with a light snack, such as crackers, toast or yogurt. My friend also proposed yogurt when taking pills, which she found helpful after her surgery.
The article further suggests "avoiding fatty or fried foods, which take longer to digest and may increase the risk of nausea; avoiding lying down flat when resting; and taking a medication at bedtime, to 'sleep off' potential nausea."
Sleeping on my flat mattress may also be part of the problem. In the hospital, I slept with my bed on an incline. I seem to do better during the day, when I doze in a partial sitting position on my couch. That's where I retreated last night at 4:00 a.m. to eat a homemade bran muffin before taking my next dose of medication. Fortunately, I managed to go back to sleep.
My friend also said, "I found holding a pillow on my tummy felt good."
Fortunately, I have just the thing. The mom of an extended family member recently sent me the pillow pictured below, saying: "Sometimes we just need a funny little pillow." She said it could be tucked behind your neck, under a knee, under an arm.
The peanut pillow—as I call it—is quite magical. It does fit great behind my neck when I nap on the couch. It sits well in my lap to prop up my cell phone as I reply to emails and texts. And, as I write this post, it is firmly pressed against my tummy, where it is providing relief—both physical and emotional.
My niece had also suggested a pillow, but I was thinking a big pillow, and so couldn't quite wrap my mind around the concept. My funny little pillow is the perfect size and shape.
One of the many advantages of sharing my story is the helpful suggestions that come back. Thank you for those. Once I get to chemotherapy, I'll need them all the more.
