Week 3: Beginning of Changes
Well, I knew things had to change at some point, and they started in week three. The week started off well, but I'm now noticing more side effects and changes in my mouth. The good news is that my energy levels are still only modestly affected. I'm fortunate to be doing better than others at this stage.
On the bright side, the week started off with meeting friends for a dim sum breakfast. After dim sum, I finished another cycle of radiation and then had some time before the chemo infusion. Aiday and my friend Al accompanied me to chemo, and we decided to take a walk on the Chicago Riverwalk. On the way back, we grabbed a fried chicken sandwich from Do Rite, and I was in the middle of eating it when I got called back to see the PA. Thus, my weigh-in numbers may have been slightly inflated. I felt good enough to work out 3x so far this week - tai chi, yoga, and a more intensive weights class.
Me and Al on the Chicago Riverwalk. You can sort of see the port on my right side
In terms of eating, my taste is starting to change, and it now takes more effort to eat. Surprisingly, I noticed that spicier foods tastes more spicy than I remembered them. I thought the opposite would be true - that my taste buds would be dulled and I'd need more spice to taste it. In fact, what's happening now is that my mouth is hyper-sensitive. I didn't think this would ever happen to me, but I now prefer blander foods over spicy foods. Spicy foods are just difficult to eat at present. Similarly, I feel more sensitive to acidic foods. That's a problem since most of what I enjoy cooking has some level of spice associated with it.
The other major change that's starting to happen is the increased effort and greater discomfort in eating. This is related to the dry mouth that's setting in and a relatively mild case of thrush. The radiation is starting to kill the salivary glands, and my saliva is drying up and becoming thick. Foods I normally love to eat now require a lot more effort. Starchy foods like bread, muffins, rice will have to be eaten with liquids (think Kobayashi-style hot dog bun eating technique). The other issue that my appetite may be waning a little. I'll have to make sure I don't lose too much weight this week.
This week is marked by increased consumption of milkshakes, smoothies and juices as part of my diet. I still have plenty of my own ice cream for milkshakes, so I'm looking forward to that. Aiday has been making delicious and nutritious vegetable blends with her juicer. A weekly trip to stock up on vegetables at Stanley's is going to part of the routine going forward.
Besides the dry mouth, the other significant change is the increased skin sensitivity. My neck and face is now slightly redder. I'm still able to shave (my potential beard growth is down to <4 weeks, to the benefit of everyone). I am taking more precautions with sun exposure, so this sun cap will be with me anytime I'm outside.
If you have any good recipes for nutritious and non-spicy soups or smoothies, I'd love to try them.