Slow and Steady

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My chemo chapter will last approximately 3 months, if all tracks to schedule.  I basically will be immunocompromised so unable to fight infection at this time.  After finishing this treatment it may take another 30 days for my immune system to recover.    I have yet to find out if I will need a surgery following chemo or if I immediately graduate to radiation.   Surely, I will know by end of this month and will let you know!    Basically, this is going to be painstakingly slow.   There is no choice but to take this slow and steady, just like the story about the Tortoise and the Hare.

Nutrition is important during treatment but the challenge is your mouth feels like medicine mouth.  I am sure I have chemo breath.   The thought of food is nauseating.   Cancer can change the way you eat.   Ok, if it eliminates my addition to chips..hats off to cancer!  I haven’t even thought about Miss Vickie’s chips til I typed this.  I feel nothing!  This from a person that swore that Chips would chant my name from the pantry…and I would subconsciously go into a trance and rip into and inhale that bag.    These are definitely early days so I don’t want to draw any conclusions!   I think your body may tolerate different foods and nutrients differently after cancer treatment.   I will let you know.  Hard to tell right now.

food

Weirdly, when I picture something that I may want to eat, the thought is absolutely revolting.   That said, once I actually take a bite, I am always surprised that it tastes good.   Very strange for someone that loves their groceries.   For example, Mike asked if I wanted a fudgesicle yesterday and I debated, thinking, it would cause me to be sick.     He decided to hand me one anyway, and before he had the wrapper off his, mine was gone.   Ok, so some things don’t change, I think I got frostbite on my tongue from eating it so fast.   The coldness sort of got rid of my medicine mouth flavors.

I was reviewing some tips that are good for anyone dieting, that is ill or is in a cancer way!

  1. Eat several small snacks or light meals rather than 3 large meals
  2. Avoid spicy foods
  3. Have quick and easy snacks e.g. boiled eggs, carrot sticks, hummus dip, crackers & cheese
  4. Eat every few hours and don’t wait til your hungry.  Hungry?  What’s that?
  5. Exercise lightly or take a walk before meals to increase your appetite
  6. Drink lots of water and fluids between meals

What a difference a day makes!  The good news is that the ping pong pain that I experienced a day or so ago has settled down.    Thank goodness because that was debilitating.   I basically took extra strength Tylenol every 3.5 hours.   It finally petered out yesterday morning.     It was like clockwork, the pain would wake you up as soon as the Tylenol wore off.   I felt I was eating Tylenol like chiclets.   Just like a drug addict, I would try to line up the arrows on the bottle in the middle of the night with little success, was frustrated and resorted to turning on all lights to get that darn bottle open.     I am still popping the occasional Tylenol but thankfully not like an addict looking for their next fix.    Every day seems different.    Today felt tired and wiped out again with absolutely no energy.  I also find I am getting winded quickly.

I may make tomorrow a movie day!  Also don’t be surprised if I go radio silent for next couple of days…well, at least, til St Paddy’s Day!  Hopefully, I won’t feel too green to celebrate that day!  How fitting that March break lines up with my recovery period?!   For those working, enjoy the reduction in people and car traffic during this time!

Enjoy March Break!

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2 Comments

  • Day by day Annette… and like the tortoise you will win! Speaking of Tortoise, remember that crazy tortoise shell I had at my house growing up? It use to lean up against a plant, and like that tortoise shell don’t forget that you can lean on your friends. You don’t have to do this alone. ❤️

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