Second Chemo Cycle
After a slight delay, I started the second cycle of chemotherapy on Friday (14 September). Fortunately, my blood counts recovered enough from Monday to Friday to reach a level where I could get treated. So far, I seem to be handling this cycle better than the last one.
One key change is that I’m getting a lower dosage of the 5-FU (Carboplatin dosage unchanged). This has made quite a difference, as the side effects have been less severe. In addition to the lower dose, I’ve also tried to minimize the impact by drinking a lot of ice water, as I read that coldness in my mouth during the infusion (over 4 days) could help. It seems to be working. This time my lips are still moist and not cracked, rather than being dry and bloody. There are still some side effects, so while there is less pain in my mouth and I’m able to eat more, I still have trouble eating some meats. My appetite is a less than a few days ago, so I’ll need to make sure I get enough calories not to lose too much weight. Things are likely still going to get worse for the next few days before they get better, but hopefully it won’t be too bad.
Another change to what I did last time is that I’m getting the neulasta through an “on body injector.” Instead of going back to the hospital to get a shot, I got a little device that sticks to me stomach and will release the drug at an appropriate time. Last time with the shot, I didn’t experience the bone pain side effect, so hopefully this method will not result in any, either. The blood count got a big boost last time, though it didn’t seem to last too long.
One last comment about the infusion. On Friday, I actually got a very nice room - a corner room with a view of the lake. It was a clear day, so I could look out and see what I was missing.
View from my treatment room at Northwestern
Besides the treatment, this has been a pretty uneventful week. We didn’t eat out much but did cook a few things at home. One of my favorite dishes to grill are lamb popsicles with fenugreek cream curry. This is one of the signature dishes of Vij’s, a highly regarded Indian restaurant in Vancouver. It’s surprisingly simple to make, especially considering how much flavor there is. I cut back on the mustard in the marinade, as I knew that could be a problem, and only made half portion of the curry, but otherwise made the recipe as normal. This curry passes the “is it worth the pain” scale that I’m now employing. (More spicy foods are still too painful to pass the test at this time.) Even if I couldn’t slather on the curry as much as I normally do, I was able to enjoy the flavors in moderation. The lamb chops were tender enough that I could eat them straight off the bone, which I’ll consider a success as well.
Here is a link to the recipe: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/recipes/vijs-marinated-lamb-popsicles/article4083336/
Just a quick update for this post. Hopefully this cycle will continue to go well. Only one more left!