Seeing more folks with neuropathy and axial pain in the 48–72 hours after infusion, I’ve been keeping sessions to 10–15 minutes of low-force, sidelying work plus paced breathing, which seems to dial down evening pain without wiping them out. How are you pacing manual care and gentle movement in that window, and what pitfalls have you run into when fatigue spikes or blood counts dip?
I split it into two micro-sessions in that 48–72 hr window: 8 minutes of low-force sidelying/manual, then 5 minutes of supported breathing and ankle pumps at home a couple hours later. Biggest pitfall’s been orthostasis when counts are low, so I go seated and use a strict ‘stop at 2/10 heaviness’ rule; if they’re on steroids that day, I skip any cervical work. Think simmer, not sear.
I’ve had good luck keeping it to 12 minutes in that 48–72 hr window and adding 60–90 seconds of seated heel‑toe rocking before they leave; it reliably softens that evening axial pain without the crash. If fatigue spikes or counts are down, I switch to a quick “breath‑only” check‑in and defer even feather‑light work until the next day.
On day 2–3 after infusion, I keep it to 8–10 minutes of gentle skin-stretch and rib glides in comfy sidelying, then one minute of ‘slow exhale longer than inhale’ to prevent the woozy rebound. Pitfall: oxaliplatin folks flare with cold, so I keep everything room‑temp and skip cooling; quick sit‑to‑stand first helps me decide if I finish seated, @msmith77. It’s like dimming a light, not flipping a switch.