A Bit O' Nausea

It's just there, at the edges of my ability to perceive nausea.  Not horrible enough to make me barf, but kind of like a warning that it could get there, if I don't watch out!


Happily, I'm still at the salad craving stage, so I had one of my favorites this evening.  I don't even want to know the nutritional value.  I am eating it, and that's good enough for me.  It's from Wendy's, of all places.  It's their Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad, and I love it.  It comes with two things of dressing, so I only use one, and that's plenty for me


El Pollo Loco has a Mexican Caesar Salad with cilantro dressing and cotija cheese.  Oh yeah, now that one is definitely my favorite.  Hits me right in my Latina heritage. :D  YUMMY!


It's weird that I can be nauseated and still eat.  But of course, I have to eat, and I have to eat good stuff.  Good nutrition will help me maintain strength, be able to heal, and frankly just deal with all the chemo by-products.  I stopped taking a bunch of supplements when I got the cancer, especially the ones with HUGE pills.  I can't get them down.  I was thrilled when they came out with the tiny Krill Oil caplets.  I'd been taking fish oil for years, on the advice of my primary care doc, but those giant 'softgels' I just could not swallow any more.


So, now the only nutritional supplements I still take are Magnesium, which I take for lung function, the krill oil, B6, which helps to keep the Hand-Foot syndrome at bay, Turmeric, because I heard it was a cancer cell killer, and if all I get are placebo effects from it, I'm happy with that.  I should probably look into a good multi-vitamin that's not ginormous.  Maybe if I feel well enough, I'll take a trip to Sprout's this weekend.  I need to get more of my Xylitol mouthwash, in any event.


Tomorrow I must remember to drink even more than usual, since the iodine is very hard on my kidneys, and gods know I don't want kidney failure as my next 'challenge.'  Oh lord, it's after ten PM and I am still up.  My doggies are ready for bed, so I guess I should end this and get some sleep.  


Be well, all.  

I am the Epitome of Compliance

I think I must be every doctor's dream patient.  I am compliant ... obsessively compliant.  I may be naive, but I figure if a doctor tells you to do something, you should do it.


For years, I monitored my breathing with a little contraption that measured peak expiratory flow and Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second. (FeV1)  I had data out the wazoo, and trending charts back to 2003. :D  Ok, granted, that kind of fell by the wayside when I got this cancer, because it was all I could do to cope with THIS.


But now, I can obsess about new things, i.e. how much water I am drinking, getting those eight Xeloda tablets down every day, and the two B6 and the Turmeric (which are kinda hard to get down.  Stop making HUGE capsules, people!)  All these things I write down as I take them, keeping my date book by my bedside.  Yes, the glucose levels are recorded there as well, and I am happy to report that this morning I was down to 113.  The decadron has definitely left the building. :D


Oh, and the lotion and emollient thing!  According to the Patient Information sheet my oncologist gave me on Xeloda, I need to put an emollient on my hands and feet five to six times a day, and especially before bed.  I love the Emu oil, I have to say.  You use so little, yet it stretches one slight pump of the bottle to both hands and feet.  No scent, thank the gods, and it absorbs quickly.


One of the common side effects of Xeloda is mouth sores, so of course, you have to pay extreme attention to your dental hygiene.  Because I tend to get very dry mouthed from the chemo, I use a moisturizing mouthwash from Spry that contains Xylitol.  The Patient Information said that I should avoid Citrus fruits and juices, tobacco, and... NOOOOOOOOOOO!... spicy foods.  Dr. Fastenberg assured me that that part didn't apply to those of us of the latina persuasion.  If you grew up and grew and immune to it, eat it. ;)  Phew!  Dodged that bullet. 

In any event, today I feel pretty darned good.  I feel strong; much stronger than yesterday.  If I can get this chemo regimen through to completion, and it works to at least control this cancer, I will be so very happy.  


Here is Jane on a hunt for squash.  We put a basket up on the wall for the neighbors behind us and then she returns it empty with a sweet thank you note.  It's good to share. :)


Well, I'm taking each day as it comes, keeping on top of side effects as best I can and hoping this is the one that does the trick.


Love to all!

The Pink Walker

For some time, now, I've had a pink Rollator that my sisters found, brand new, in a local thrift shop.  I used to use it for work, because though I have a rather splendid handicapped parking spot, (Thank you, Judy Smith) it's still a LONG walk from that spot up to my desk.  The walker has a seat, and a place to put stuff, like your purse and your laptop, because with my lungs, I can't carry much at all.

Since I've been doing the chemo and the radiation, I've mostly relied on my hecho en Mexico cane, that I love dearly.  But today, the walk from the parking lot into the building and down the hall to the PHLEBOTOMIST (oh yes, I still love that word!) was exhausting.  I felt like crying.  So, I decided it was time for the walker to make its appearance once again. 

So we got it into the back of my Equinox and Nancy and I headed to Ironwood for this afternoon's radiation.  And may I tell you how much happier I am using it again.  It's like an old friend.  It just makes me feel more secure, and with that handy seat... YAY!

Another exciting aquisition was some Xylitol mouth spray that I used just prior to radiation, and it was FABULOUS!  I didn't panic from my dry mouth or try to swallow convulsively.  Believe me, when it comes to radiation, you want to be very still.... so as not to move and get zapped in the wrong bits.  This would be bad.  Very bad.  Because you know, there are A LOT of VERY IMPORTANT bits in my chestal area. You know, lungs, heart... things like that. :D

Oh boy, tomorrow is marathon chemo day, but with my handy netbook, I'm sure the time will fly!  And two more radiations until the weekend... wooohooo!  I takes my excitement where I can gets it, these days. ;)

Hugs and kisses!