Tell your doctor or nurse if your child has fatigue. You can do many things to help your child fight fatigue

• if the red blood cell count is low, your child may need a blood transfusion
• offer healthy foods if your child's diet is poor. Try to make each snack as nutritious as possible. Talk to your dietician for ideas
• avoid caffeine
• take frequent naps
• regular bedtime routine (8 hours sleep each night)
• daily physical activity 
• talk with your doctor about working with a physiotherapist to make an exercise program to Increase your child's strength and endurance
• send your child to school for half the day instead of all day. 
   

Many things can cause fatigue:

• cancer treatment (surgery. chemotherapy, or radiation)
• low blood counts
• poor nutrition
• fever
• paín
• changes or decrease in sleep
• worry/stress
• trying to do too much. 

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the head, neck or stomach can cause nausea and vomiting.

These treatments can irritate the stomach lining or trigger the nausea and vomiting centre in the brain.

Medicines to help decrease nausea and vomiting are usually given before chemotherapy or radiation.

Some chemotherapy medicines cause more vomiting that lasts longer than others. The type and amount of anti-nausea medicine will be based on your child's treatment plan and reaction to the treatment

Some ways to help decrease nausea and vomiting include:

• eat small meals or snacks
• eat foods that are easy to digest (biscuits, rice, jelly)
• take sips of cool clear liquids
• do not eat fried, spicy, or very rich foods
• eat food in a room that is free from cooking or other smells
• rinse your child's mouth after vomiting.   

If your child has diarrhoea (frequent, liquid stools), tell your doctor or nurse the colour, amount, and number of times in 24 hours your child had diarrhoea. Some ways to help decrease diarrhoea include:

• eat a soft, bland diet (toast, soup, rice)
• eat small amounts of food more often, instead of large meals
• do not eat spicy, fried or fatty foods
• avoid juices, milk or milk products (ice cream, cheese)
• do not eat food high in fibre (fruits, vegetables, salad)
• limit high-sugar foods (juices, lollies)
• try Gastrolyte ice blocks which are available from pharmacies - store in freezer. 
   

Fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea can cause dehydration, especially if your child cannot drink to replace the fluid that is lost.

If your child has the following symptoms, they may be dehydrated. Call your doctor if they have 

• dry skin or mouth
• no tears when crying
• small amounts of dark-coloured urine, then your child may be dehydrated
• if your child wears nappies, count the hours between wet nappies. 

• if your child is vomiting or has diarrhoea, give your child a small amount of fluid every 30 minutes.
• give your child foods that are easy to digest like rice, toast, or soup
• offer your child cold foods that do not have strong odours. 

Your doctor may also prescribe medicines to decrease vomiting and diarrhoea.

Vincristine and other medicines, like pain medicines, can make your child constipated (have hard, less frequent stools).

Encourage your child to drink water several times each day. If your child is not able to drink a lot of fluid, try foods that are high in water (lettuce, fruits) to help decrease constipation.

Give your child foods that are high in fibre (fruit, vegetables, salad, and whole grains). When starting a high-fibre diet, do it slowly (5-gram increase per day). A fibre supplement may also help.

Your doctor may give you a medicine to make the stools softer. Do not use enemas or suppositories without talking with your doctor.