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Melissa Waller
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VIDEO - HERSTORY: Melissa Shares How Lung Cancer Medications Changed Her Lifestyle

Melissa describes how her lifestyle has altered since she started taking lung cancer medications.

Melissa:
It’s changed in many, many different ways and, because we are constantly changing the medication, my body is constantly reacting in different ways. Whether it makes me sick or whether it makes me really tired, it’s never known until I actually take the medication.

Number one, it’s changed my lifestyle because I constantly have to remember to take my pills and it’s hard to remember when you have to take them several times a day and there’s about 20 different prescriptions that you need to take.

Yeah, I do have a pill jar and I do have a little spreadsheet, but when you are out and about you are running errands and doing those sorts of things, unless you actually have them in your purse, you forget to take them and it’s challenging.

Another thing is the medications make me drowsy. I’m tired a lot of the time and somebody may be talking and I’ll fall asleep right when they are talking and just start snoring, or I may start sleep talking. I do that on many occasions. I am sure my family could tell you some funny stories.

Another thing is as far as going to the bathroom, opiates make you really constipated. So, they have to give you more laxatives and stool softeners so, that’s really changed my life in a lot of ways. So, the biggest thing, though, is probably driving. I could probably go out on the roads and drive and have no problem if I am awake.

But the biggest thing is, we have to be cautious because if I did get in a car accident then, I could be charged potentially like similar with a DUI, because I am on prescription drugs and I am on a lot of them that are pretty hardcore. So, that’s probably the biggest thing and I have lost my freedom and independence that way. I have to constantly rely on others to drive me around, which really is horrible. I have a nice little fun convertible and, you know, in the spring time and fall, it’s great to drive around and I don’t get a chance to use it now, so.

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