Hello
I have just had my last chemo postponed as my counts were too low. I was really looking forward to this one as normality (ness-ish) was beckoning on the horizon but twas not meant to be.
I was told to rest, rest, rest but is that it? I don’t want to have to eat platefuls of raw liver (if I don’t have to) but is there anything else I can do?
Thanking you a resting Nardy
x
same problem Nardy
I aksed if i should rest more and my onc said it wouldn;t make any difference!
i started a thread about honey and poeple have added thoghtful tis on ther e- might be worth a read
blooming irritating isn’t it?
love FB XX
I’ll check out the honey thing (it sounds better than my raw meat suggestion).
Funny, my chemo nurse said just to rest, that was it. And today I have taken him at his word and am ignoring
the wardrobe, chest of drawers, washing, cleaning etc that need my attention and have buried my nose in a book and my laptop.
Sorry for you. I don’t have to have Tax but it can’t be nice waiting when all you want to do is get it over and done with. Patience is a virtue that I am sadly lacking.
And today I have noticed some brave and noble stubbly hair growth on my smooth Malteaser like head only to know that it will fall out again with my next and hopefully final cycle. But it is reassuring to know they are still there and just resting.
I can’t wait to be hairy again! How I want to look like a yeti!
love and thanks
nx
Hi Nardy
I have to say that one benefi of the delay is that my digestive system has got bak to normal - was beginning to worry if it could!!! at least I’ve got that benefit while I’m waiting
cheers
FB xxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,
How you made me laugh Nardy - hairy as a yeti! Goodness how you will regret that remark if it comes back to bite you on the bum. How I chuckle!
I’ve read so much about diet and this cancer/chemo stuff: I was a professional chef for years and have retained a passion for food and cooking etc, so it came naturally. I forget all the details, of course, I can’t hold a single thought in my head for longer than a second or two, but my take is that cell growth needs protein, trans & sat fats block something or other, dead calories are a crime against your immune system, all the usual.
I haven’t eaten processed food beyond things like dairy (cheese, milk, ice cream etc) & the ham/bacon family for a long time, but I was in London for academic research for a fortnight a few years ago, living in hotel accommodation (if I go for longer I always go self-catering or stay with family) and I came back with a blistery body rash that was diagnosed as reaction to an E-number. I couldn’t be bothered going through the tests to find out which one - simpler just to avoid where poss. Finnish ham & bacon doesn’t do it to me - luckily. So anything processed is ‘right out’. ‘E’ for eject.
Even though I ate pretty well before, I have still made some solid changes for the chemo duration. I haven’t liked fruit since leaving Australia 30 years ago, where it was more or less picked when ripe and then sold. Now THAT’S fruit. So I’ve barely eaten it. Now I’ve swapped my toast & topping breakfast for a lot of smoothie made with different fruit every day - always some raspberries & blueberries - live yoghurt, oat bran & wheat germ, linseeds. Instead of going for a buttered cracker & cheese when I want a snack (I’m not a big sugar person) I’ve installed a range of bottling jars filled with all sorts of goodies like almonds, apricot kernels (supposed to be good but no more than a couple per day), brazil nuts, sesame seeds, dried fruit - eat as much as you like. At least 2 litres of my 3 litres of liquid a day is white tea, green tea or cammomile, mint or rosehip. No coffee - never been a huge fan unless it is very good.
The protein part is assisted by litres of strong chicken stock made from old boilers (being careful not to confuse this old boiler with the winged variety), frozen in packs so it can be micro’d & poured over a bunch of chopped greens (sprouts, rocket, whatever) whenever I want something hot and comforting. At least once a day. Cold snack food is bags of alfalfa, pea & bean sprouts which I take in small handfuls, wrap in rare roast beef (from good deli) with a smear of horseradish or garlic mayo; a quartered carrot dipped in sesame paste; chick-pea and coriander salad in a bit of wholemeal pita with diced tomato & sesame paste. Lots of oily fish - salmon, canned tuna (can’t afford fresh tuna in Finland), mackerel, last night it was frozen black pomfret from Thailand which son cooked in red curry with okra & tomatoes (under supervision), served with sesame bok choi - very good too. All savoury stuff is loaded with garlic & all the other onions - ginger & chillies make frequent appearance. Veg has replaced sat-fat and I chew it and chew it and chew it. I’m even getting to like it. (I made that bit up.) They say that wheat-grass juice is a good one, but I’m not prepared for that bridge too far. White flour & its products have been banished and sugar limited to manuka honey (superstition, in my opinion, but we need a bit of that) and very high cocoa-fat choccy in small pieces late at night if really required.
This might be a case of too much information, but the bowel action has been magnificent and, after the effects of cortizone wore off, I have not had even my usual, occasional indigestion - think creamy pepper steak, salad & fried spuds followed by apple pie and ice cream. Think that surge of acid from sternum to throat. I’ll see what it all does to my first white blood cell count in a few days. It’s certainly been a distraction. As has been writing this post. Now I’m hungry and shall go downstairs and put together last night’s leftovers with a lot more green veg as a fish stir-fry/soup type affair. Rib of beef in red wine for dinner. With orange yam, brocolli & green beans. Surprisingly, I have lost a kilo or so, though I never stop eating.
Cheers all!
M-L
I am salavating… wondering what I can concoct from my fridge and I can tell you - nothing like that!!!
Your home sounds like a top class restaurant - do you take bookings???
lol
Anita xxx
Wow M-L, thank you so much.
You have really adapted to a healthy and fresh food regime. (I do have to confess that my absence on-line was due to buying ingredients for Borough Market Chocolate Brownies, which are now cooling in the kitchen).
I guess I do eat healthily but there is a lot more I can do. I particularly like the chicken stock idea and I can see ways on how I can introduce that into my diet.
I live by myself and sometimes buying lots of fresh products is a waste as I can’t get through them all but perhaps I just need to be a little more inventive with them. Your email has certainly given me lots of food for thought (ahem).
I quite like wheat grass… a quick shot and lots of goodness but I must admit I only have one on the rare occasion which is why the novelty hasn’t worn off.
I can’t do without my wine though although I’ve heard that this can be beneficial to ones diet (depending on what you read). But I am nowhere near my 3 litres a day even with the wine drinking.
Right, think I’m going to make a nice thick chunky soup and try and ignore the brownies.
Thank you for such lovely long and informative email. Showed mum and she made notes :-).
And I know, a yeti is probably a step too far but it’s my razors faults. They smile at me and remind me of hairier days… (I still wash my hair tho even though I don’t have any, I like the process and of course the smell).
x:-)x
Snap Nardy
I had my chemo delayed yesterday, cos my white count was too low. Asked the oncologist if there was anything i could do/eat to increase them., and she said diet doesn’t boost up your white count, and also to rest. So i have been reading that to generally strengthen your immune system, lots of green veg, and protein with low fat ie turkey. So i am overeating big time and am hoping that when they re-test me tomorrow, i will be okay to take my first taxotere.
I have been doing the wheat grass shot thing too, from go-go juice, and i think it gives me more energy.And again smoothies like emelle. The only bad thing is all the sugar from the fruit seems to make me super hungry, so i look like a fat baldy!! But if it helps okay. I can diet when i have some hair and the chemo is done.
Chat soon
Hello all
Just thought I’d give a quick update. I now have my last chemo under my belt. Fec, can now fec orf! (sorry).
Had it administered 3 hours ago and not feeling fantastic but can see the light. More surgery et hormone therapy to follow but it does feel good having this particular finishing line in sight.
Hope yours is a goer too Anjana and hope you are ok to M-L.
x
Yep i was lucky to have my chemo yesterday!! But not in the same shoes as you, you lucky yeti, the last chemo!! Well done. Hope you are coping okay with it. I feel okay today, but last time the pain kicked in the following day, so will wait and see.
Good luck.
Hi Anjana
Glad you got your shot. And surprisingly am feeling great! This is the first time ever. I’m not sure if the travel sickness bands my mum strapped to me have got anything to do with it but me and my OH even went out for lunch today! Really!. Normally I am in bed for 5 days moaning and a-groaning (in my best yeti fashion).
It might be worth trying out the bands, Boots and Superdrug sell them.
Good luck to you, hope the pain isn’t too bad,
xn
Rosebud454
Hi all, just seen your threads. I bought a juicer and started juicing lots of fruit and veg - good for when not feeling v. hungry.
Also took selenium with vit a,c and e and co-enzyme Q10 and vit c. My doctor also told me he knew of one lady who used to drink a guiness - or was it
mackeson every day and she never missed a chemo. It certainly seemed like a good idea, so I did too when my count was low one time. I used to drink it
when pregnant as its supposed to contain iron, so figured it couldnt do me any harm.
Best wishes
Rosie.
Hi Ladies
Laughter is suppposed to be one of the best things according to my chemo nurse so sort out the good dvds and have a good chuckle
Karen
Hey Rosie…
Guinness, now there’s a good idea. It’s loaded with B vits.
I’m rather lucky that my mum’s a homeopath and also knows a lot about dietary support and she suggested I get on the coq10 asap yesterday.
I’ll be taking a list of everything I’m planning on using with me when I have my first chemo. I don’t know when I’ll next be seeing my onc, I didn’t get the feeling that he had time for my pesky questions so I’m hoping the chemo nurse will have a bit or I’ll just have to wing it. I must admit that I really got the feeling that me needing chemo at this time is all a bit of an inconvenience for them. Hope next visit is a little better 