When facing a cancer diagnosis, whether for yourself or a loved one, you know that cooking healthful, delicious food is not always easy. The body goes through various changes from the side effects of cancer and treatment that can affect taste buds, including a diminished appetite, limited foods that are appealing and changes to your taste and smell. Although the goal of cancer treatment is to destroy the cancer cells, normal cells can be damaged in the process, affecting how you feel. When going through treatment, each hour, each day and each week you can feel differently. As a person experiences these side effects, it is important to know the foods that are better tolerated and help to ease the symptoms.
The most common side effect of chemotherapy is loss of appetite, or anorexia, which can be a result of radiation, stress, depression and the cancer itself. Taste changes may also be an issue caused by treatment, resulting in flavor changes and or no taste at all.
Neutropenia, or low white blood cell count, occurs after chemotherapy treatments for most patients. Neutropenia normally lasts for three to seven days. As soon as your counts have returned to normal, you can return to a regular diet.
To decrease your risk of infection, avoid fresh fruits, vegetables, raw meat or fish during the time your blood counts are low.
A dry or sore mouth, caused by chemotherapy or radiation, can get sore seven to 10 days following certain chemotherapy treatments. Precaution and care in choosing foods must be taken to sooth this sensitive side effect. Practicing good oral hygiene can help tremendously. Soft foods should be readily available, while avoiding rough textured, spicy, pain inducing foods.
The gastrointestinal tract is often affected by cancer treatments, which can bring nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation along with it. Healthy well-tolerated high fiber foods are important for alleviating constipation, while low fiber foods are helpful for vomiting and diarrhea relief.
Constipation:
Diarrhea:
Maintaining adequate calories and nutrition during this time can be a difficult task, however it is very important to keep nutrition a priority for optimal health and strength, while incorporating nutrition therapy to help ease the side effects of your treatment.
From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/holly-b-clegg/cancer-treatment-diet_b_867242.html
Along the way, a patient can have some bizarre thoughts.
Tagore was a Bengali poet. For 12 years I have carried one of his poems in my wallet. Now, more than ever, it seems to apply to my journey: “Thou hast made me known to friends, I knew not. Thou hast given me seats in homes, not my own. Thou has brought the distant near and made a brother of a Stranger.”
Last night I had the privilege of addressing members of the Bellflower/Long Beach Elks Lodge 888. The topic, of course, was prostate cancer. It’s part of my commitment this year to reach out to our Los Angeles-based neighbors and share the facts about this disease and let them know what PCF is doing to improve the lives of patients and families. It’s a matter of think globally, act locally.
I always begin my presentations with the fact that in incidence and mortality, prostate cancer is to men what breast cancer is to women. I then go on to discuss specifics of diagnosing and treating the disease as well as the challenge of supporting research and awareness for a cancer that is often not discussed widely. (Yes, I continue to beat the Make Prostate Cancer Something to Talk About drum.) Thanks to the successes of the breast cancer movement, this opening always provides important context and makes audiences want to hear more. But, it’s when I tell folks that I am a Stage 4 patient that the presentation turns into a dialogue. A little bit of cancer goes along way in terms of making the issue real for others. Hands go up, questions are asked, fellow patients make themselves known publicly and no aspect of the disease is off limits. There is engagement.
With conventional thinking, one could think being so open about one’s cancer might make others uncomfortable. I remember that was true with some relatives, friends and colleagues when I first announced my news. It’s only natural. But, for strangers in a group, they don’t need to produce an immediate response. And, since they’ve just met me, they can can empathize, even relate directly–but, they are not threatened by the prospect of potentially losing a life-long-friend or family member. I can’t fully explain it, but the energy in the room definitely changes.
That’s a positive aspect of being a patient. In the course of last night’s meeting I heard several commitments not to delay an annual physical exam any longer. There was nearly unanimous agreement that the information was going to be shared with brothers, sons or fathers. Some took informational materials for their colleagues at work. There was also open and supportive discussion with prostate cancer survivors and those who are currently in treatment. Without my cancer, last night’s event would have been very different.
As I drove out of the Elks’ parking lot last night and headed home, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of calm knowing that my 20 minte presentation might actually help a few men and their loved ones. I know it helped me. Driving though the streets of Bellflower, I heard myself thinking, Thank God for my cancer…
When I realized what I had just mentally muttered to myself, I shuddered. Did I just think that? Can I actually be grateful for this reality? Sitting at the next stop light I had time to sort through this seemingly bizarre act of thanksgiving. I came to realize that don’t have to be grateful for the cancer. What I am really grateful for is the voice it has given me. With it I can find purpose in this journey.
I intend to use it whenever and wherever I can.
The Mo, slang for moustache, and November come together each year for Movember.
Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men. Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days.
The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia. The plan was simple – to bring the moustache back as a bit of a joke and do something for men’s health. No money was raised in 2003, but the guys behind the Mo realized the potential a moustache had in generating conversations about men’s health. Inspired by the women around them and all they had done for breast cancer, the Mo Bros set themselves on a course to create a global men’s health movement.
In 2004 the campaign evolved and focused on raising awareness and funds for the number one cancer affecting men – prostate cancer. 432 Mo Bros joined the movement that year, raising $55,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia – representing the single largest donation they had ever received. The Movember moustache has continued to grow year after year, expanding to the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands and Finland. In 2009, global participation of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas climbed to 255,755, with over one million donors raising $42 Million US equivalent dollars for Movember’s global beneficiary partners.
Please help RC Cancer Centers raise awareness about prostate and testicular cancer by donating to our Movember team at: http://us.movember.com/mospace/586356/ .
Thank you!
Bob is a great grandfather who beat prostate cancer and runs marathons. He’s got a great story to tell.
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Also known as RC Cancer Centers.
