Fatigue/long term side effects
Hi there everyone
Forum Discussion
With a child that age and a single parent, you're going to be shattered without the lingering effects of bc. Is he/she eligible for kindy/preschool - if so, get there. If not, investigate whether your local kindy has occasional care (something like pre-kindy but not as regular or structured). I know that at that age, mine were bored. Also investigate local groups (and they'll have different regional names) like Music and Movement, Play Group, Kindergym. We had a wonderful local off-the grid playgroup set up just for exhausted parents where the carers and members would take the child over to the play area and hand you a cup of tea and cake. I went to that one for 7 years and only missed a day when I was in hospital. And if you have to and have them to call on, ask for help from friends and family but if you can be sassy enough - on a regular basis so you know where you are.
Unfortunately, ABC in their wisdom changed the time of PlaySchool a number of years ago but we taped it to suit. It really was the best babysitter as it was so interesting for that age group and actually floored us with some of the questions that came out of it - the forerunner of interesting discussions in the car and around the dinner table. If you're having trouble with quiet time (include in that, nap time for Mum) there was a CD we found very useful - Baroque Masterpieces - no singing and apparently some of the pieces have been show to have a calming effect on the brain. It certainly worked for our 4 yo at the time. When she was overwrought she would ask for the "fairy music" as she called it. My son, on the other hand, loved his K-nnex and Lego. When his brain started spiralling, by that age he had learned to pull out his Lego and construct. My youngest would just pull her "blue" rug over her head and was "not there". They're all different.
A lot of what I have said is about managing this pre-school period with your child, not about fatigue post-breast cancer treatment as I'm not yet in a place I can talk about that. However, this time is exhausting anyway - your child, delightful as he/she is, is bored and demanding because he/she is ready to burst out into the world. Come school time you won't get the fabulous amount of time back that you thought you would but it will be manageable.
If you think the fatigue is more than that, I would see your GP - there might be other strategies.
Unfortunately, ABC in their wisdom changed the time of PlaySchool a number of years ago but we taped it to suit. It really was the best babysitter as it was so interesting for that age group and actually floored us with some of the questions that came out of it - the forerunner of interesting discussions in the car and around the dinner table. If you're having trouble with quiet time (include in that, nap time for Mum) there was a CD we found very useful - Baroque Masterpieces - no singing and apparently some of the pieces have been show to have a calming effect on the brain. It certainly worked for our 4 yo at the time. When she was overwrought she would ask for the "fairy music" as she called it. My son, on the other hand, loved his K-nnex and Lego. When his brain started spiralling, by that age he had learned to pull out his Lego and construct. My youngest would just pull her "blue" rug over her head and was "not there". They're all different.
A lot of what I have said is about managing this pre-school period with your child, not about fatigue post-breast cancer treatment as I'm not yet in a place I can talk about that. However, this time is exhausting anyway - your child, delightful as he/she is, is bored and demanding because he/she is ready to burst out into the world. Come school time you won't get the fabulous amount of time back that you thought you would but it will be manageable.
If you think the fatigue is more than that, I would see your GP - there might be other strategies.