I am having TC in Feb. I wanted to know what I should eat now to get me started? What will I have to avoid? I know you feel pretty sick, so I will probably not have issues with what to avoid...but what should I try to eat to make this experience less harmful?
Are there some good foods that pack a good punch i should be aware of?
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated...
Peg, don't assume you'll feel sick, OK? It's not a given. Some women feel vaguely queasy; some are fine; some feel quite nauseous, and there's no way to tell ahead of time. But TAKE THE DRUGS they offer you, OK? This is no time to keep a stiff upper lip.
I assume you've read our chemo series, but if not - start here, OK? Basically, don't eat any of your favorite foods, for fear they'll no longer be your favorites, post-chemo. Chew ice chips the first 5 minutes of the infusion to lessen your chance of mouth sores. Also to help prevent sores, lay off the super-spicy foods, anything that'll possibly irritate your mouth. Crackers are always good; ginger has been proven to quell nausea, so sip ginger ale or ginger tea.
Beyond that - once you go through the first treatment, you'll know bettr what to expect. Good luck - PJH
Pfft... who's PJ kidding?! Eat your favorite foods because they're probably mac n' cheese and like... something horrifically fattening anyway right?! I think chemo is the perfect diet plan... you'll NEVER eat something you yack up on chemo ever again. EVER. Hahha. I say use it to your advantage. WHY couldn't I have eaten chicken tika masala before my first treatment... but noooooo I just had to have a low fat hand roll. Lame. I'll never eat anything seaweady related again. I can't even think of sushi without dry heaving. Oh wait... there I go, just typing that last sentance.
Okay so... don't drink Ginger Ale unless it really has ginger in it. Because the canadian dry stuff is just pure sugar with no ginger in it at all. Sugar is bad at the best of times. Suger is super bad for cancer. That stuff feeds on glucose exclusively. Your body converts nearly everything to glucose anyway because its energry right... but don't dump gasoline on the fire. Also avoid grapefruit, it is a blood thinner. Same goes for garlic, caffiene, booze and ginko biloba. Some things that are high in iron aren't great for certain chemotherapy agents. You're going to get a packet of what things you can't take when you go to your first treatment.
As for trying to prepare your body for chemo... wanna borrow my books? I have a lot of UCLA Mary Hardy cancer nutritionist approved supliments. You're welcome to my treasure trove of pills young lady.
Merry Christmas!
Thank you again Racuh!
Everything I have been reading about chemo diet is normal stuff, "eat a balanced diet or fruits and veggies" blah blah....
I AM SO HEALTHY! I eat a balanced diet all the time! Sure I like sweets, but I never over do it. I won't be insane if I go off sugar, that's fine. But I read this one pamphlet and it just says eat vegetables, and fruits several small meals a day.
Okay, will do. Let's get together and look at the booty of vitaminavegimens you have!
Love Peg.
And my fave food is actually tofu steak with asparagus....so I guess I won't make that for a while....
As PJ says, be sure to take any anti-nausea meds before you feel sick. Stay away from food smells if possible. Out of my eight chemo treatments, I actually vomited on treatments #1 and #3. I was queasy on treatments #2 and #4 of the Adriamycin/Cytoxan, and I wasn't nauseated at all on the 4 Taxol treatments. I've heard other people say they didn't feel sick at all. Some people do have lots of trouble with nausea, but fewer now than in the past because the new anti-nausea drugs are much improved. In general, follow what your body tells you sounds good, except for water. The C in your TC will probably make water taste metallic, but drink it anyway to help minimize side effects. Good luck!
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okay! real ginger, real ginger tea.
I am not assuming I will be sick, but I always have pretty powerful side effects if ever i take stuff. My body is pretty sensitive to drugs. I hope that you are right! But I always prepare for the worse so the reality never seems so bad...
Let's hope that will happen in this case too! Thanks PJ!