Symptoms are appearing as predicted. I can only get liquids down. No solids. If I try to eat without a dose of oxycodone the pain is too intense. Not eating or eating significantly less than normal is dangerous as the chemo and radiation feed on the body’s reserve, including on the protein from muscle. I feel pretty good but the oxycodone makes me really tired. (Perhaps the chemo is a culprit to.) It is hard to understand why people are so interested in this drug. As far ias I can tell, it’s primary side effects are constipation and drowsiness and it doesn’t really get me high. I say good, easier to get off it when this is over.
Radiation side effects also include dry mouth. I woke in my sleep with a completely dry tongue. Quite the bizarre sensation. I never had a leather tongue before. It’s important for teeth not to be dried out. There’s danger in weakening these.
Food wise, the most offered alternative to solid food is boost or ensure two corporate products. Horrible taste and an example how these horrid products have seeped into the medical system instead of rich recipes of broths and proteins. Every doctor/nurse has said boost, ensure. I’m following a regiment of soups and liquefied solids. I’m waiting to try a product called benecalorie which adds calories to dishes. I’ll also dry double milk, where you mix regular milk with dried milk.
I’m reeling a little bit. There are a lot medications to keep on all with different consume times. Then there are the extra things: benadryl because I react to the dexamethasone (a steroid to keep my nausea down); for consitipation laxatives, stool softener; for mucous from milk products I use mucinex. For cancer and pain medications there’s several drugs during chemo week primarily for nausea, then there are the pain managers like gabapentin, oxycodone and lidocaine. I can hardly stand the lidocaine. The oxcodone does a fair job at helping me swallow the food. I’m in 16 out of 35 days. Not quite the half way mark. This is my second chemo week too. This time around with the chemo I only seem really tired. I’ve pretty much slept all day yesterday and all day today. I keep trying to get up and get going but I find myself drifting off to sleep rather than making the motions for a walk.
Looking at the photo below, I don’t really look sick, right?
