The sh*t hits the fan

... or another title could be "Just run with it" or "Sh*t happens (a lot)" ...

TMI ALERT

My mom was not prepared for the diarrhea that came today- Taxotere day 7. As my mom said, "It's like there's no faucet!" She's feeling pretty miserable and I feel helpless.

They say the worse part of the cycle is day 4-9 when the blood counts are the lowest. I also realize I'm not the only one. I hope she gets better soon.


Here are some foods to eat to stop diarrhea.

Day 6 on Taxotere #1

Mom came home last night - exhausted. I spent a good amount of time massaging her feet as she slept on the couch. I hope fatigue is the worse of the side effect. I know she'll feel even worse if she loses her hair. Work literally wipes her out. Those poor feet, standing up, walking the entire day, wiping down tables, carrying trays of food. I hope that the amateur massuise in me helps reinvigorate her tired legs.

They say if you have no appetite, try eating a smaller meals more frequently. Yesterday, after work, she  bought half a pound of a rack of lamb (@ $21 a pound @ Wegman's no less) and I boiled some watercress. Then a half hour later, she had some "gwey fa fun" - chinese pasta in the shape of flowers with some dried shrimp for flavor. I then washed some blueberries and plums for her to eat. She ate as though it's a chore, knowing she needs to but not feeling satisfied by the taste of the food.

My mom's health affects us all. A deep sadness because of the situation and sadness for the way our lives have changed so much. Just learned that my brother did not do well on his exams. Won't tell mom since she knows how much he's been studying. My brother tells my mom that when he achieves his Doctorate in Physical Therapy, she needs to be there. It's not a choice. She needs to be there. I think these things planned in the future help my mom keep going.

I can't imagine people who've been on chemo continuously without breaks. At the same time, I wonder if that's what kept them stable or disease free for so long. There's no clinical research to show maintence chemo makes a difference in overall survival, but at the same time, everyone's different. You follow the wisdom of the doctors you trust and essentially, your life is in their hands.

Dinner: tomato & egg stir fry and fishball watercress soup

Mom gets home soon. Made dinner and hopes she'll eat it. She's developed an aversion to eating meat so I made up the following dishes, accompanied with quinoa, a rice substitute. My cooking skills are very "meh." Maybe it's because I'm not a picky eater. However, my mother's taste buds are a little bit more refined.

Fishball watercress soup is very simple to make: watercress, ginger, and fishballs. It's sorta like a Chinese person's "chicken soup" -soothing and comforting. Next on the menu is tomato and egg stir fry. I added the eggs after so it didn't turn out as pretty as the picture below. Should have used this recipe before taking a stab at it myself.

Update:  Mom came home from work and was extremely tired. Had to rest before eating and after she ate, went straight to bed. She said the dishes turned out ok, but her lack of appetite makes it difficult for her to enjoy food. Sometimes this is very disheartening to see her so tired and I hope she feels better soon. Spent some time giving her a nice foot rub.

tomato and egg stir fry

fishball and watercress soup

The value of neuroprotective strategies

Chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity: the value of neuroprotective strategies

Above is a link to a free article from the Netherlands Journal of Medicine through PubMed regarding the efficacy of various strategies to combat nerve pain. While there definitely needs to be a bigger study regarding the value of these supplements, calcium/magnesium infusion, amifostine, gluthatione, glutamine, acetyl-L-carnitine and erythropoietin have been shown to help.

My mom has been taking 10 grams of l-glutamine for seven days starting on the first day of treatment (though in trials, patients have taken 30 grams/day). Since the effects are cumulative and she's only had one treatment, there are no dramatic side effects so far and I'm thankful for that. Just fatigue and loss of appetite.

Juicing Red Cabbage

Ready to juice carrots, cabbage, beet, asparagus, apple, celery

Not long after my mom was diagnosed, we started juicing. There's so much literature on the benefits of it, but we're also careful to not overdue it because of the sugar content. Of course some people only juice vegetables and drink green juice, which is an option, but just not for us. We drink a large glass of the concoction once a day and that's enough for us.

We use a masticating juicer which churns/ chews the ingredients leading to much less pulp. While the pulp is dry, the prep time is at least 20 minutes. That's because we pretty much have to chop everything into bite-size pieces. Through trial and error, we've found what fruit and vegetable combination worked best for us in terms of the health benefits and taste. The main juice ingredients are carrots, an apple, half a beet, celery, and asparagus. Most recently, we added red cabbage because it serves as a digestive aid. The amino acid called glutamine that is prominent in cabbage has a cleansing effect on the entire digestive system.

Cabbage juice has been known to heal peptic ulcers, but if you've ever tried cabbage juice alone- well, it's kinda yucky tasting, bitter with an unpleasant after taste. As a result, I've added either tomato or blueberries to counter it and the yucky cabbage is concealed. We also add kale or spinach when it strikes out fancy...and kale like cabbage is certainly not my favorite vegetable.

Has it made a difference in my mom? I really can't say though I'd like to think it has. In any case, perhaps it gives us a sense of control, a way of being proactive in the face of something deemed uncontrollable. In addition, there are very good benefits to these ingredients:

• Celery: vitamins B1, B6, B2 and C within the stem
• Beet: vitamins A, B-1, B-2, B-6 and C, as well as folic acid, potassium, calcium, iron and fiber.
• Asparagus: lots of vitamins including vitamin C, iron and calcium.
• Carrot: beta-carotene, Vitamin A, and Potassium
• Apple: helps with memory
• Kale: vitamin K, A, C, and Calcium
• Blueberries: Vitamin K, Manganese, Vitamin C, Calcium
• Tomato: lycopene, Calcium, potassium and Vitamins A and C
• Link to Benefits of Juicing Red Cabbage

 

The Day After Taxotere

Mom was able to go to work today- the day after treatment, without any noticeable symptoms. She was told to take Decadron, a steroid, for 3 straight days starting with the day before chemo. So today is her last day on Decadron. I hope she'll hold up tomorrow.

Third times the charm?

It's 1:34am. In 12 hours, my mom will be in the infusion room getting Taxotere aka Docetaxel for the first time. This will be her third chemo regimen. She's already has Folfox and Cisplatin/Irinotecan. For days, I've researched the possible side effects and reactions this drug may cause. I've learned that 200-300 mg tablets of Vitamin B6 help to combat nerve pain. L-Glutamine powder (two spoonfuls) also helps reduce fatigue and joint pain. Curcumin, PSK mushroom supplements have also had favorable results when used in conjunction with the drug, according to medical journals. Aside from fatigue and joint pain, hair loss is common, but I don't think that can be helped. People have also recommended submerging your fingertips in ice to combat fingernail loss, as well as sucking on ice to prevent mouth sores. These side effects seem very unpleasant, but it'll be worth it if it works. Keeping fingers crossed and hoping Baby Jesus will be on my side.