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I'm still here !

This is the moment, @daisyduck , that one single moment you've been waiting so long for. Since your diagnosis, since breaking the news to loved ones, since having those long talks with yourself and asking "Why me?" and being shocked by the kindness and love that people have for you. Since the last moment you thought "I can't do this anymore..." and the one before that.

This is that moment that you are past the worst. There is sunshine up ahead and that golden patch is yours. 2 days and you'll be able to look back on chemo and then turn around and see the rest of your life ahead of you.

This is that exact moment. Read this thread and know you're loved. Hug your family, call your friends.

You're very nearly there. x
 

I hope you don't mind me making a suggestion, it might only be my personal belief, but nutrition is essential for everything that's going on in our bodies. Although the BRAT diet might deal with what's happening during treatment I think there might be other approaches worth considering. The fact that you say you "haven't gone that far yet" suggests that you have other views and although now might not be the time to worry about diabetes there might be an approach that allows considering both things.

Can I (am I allowed to) suggest looking into a book called "Eat to outsmart cancer". I confess that I know the author, she put me onto the low carb thing about 4 years ago. About 15 years ago she was also diagnosed with grade 4 breast cancer when she was 39 and along with the best help that medicine provides, she also looked into complementary approaches, mainly nutrition. In September she is cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats to raise money for a local hospice.It's part of the DeLoitte "Ride across Britain". If you were interested there's a small piece about her at this URL, http://yestolifecharity.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/eat-to-outsmart-cancer-by-jenny-phillips.html, or you could Google her. She's also been in our local rag "The Bucks Free Press" (July 14th) and even the very upmarket "Buckinghamshire Life" (August).

I see plenty of mentions for Zoe Harcombe, Mark Hyman M.D., Jung, I don't feel so bad about mentioning Jenny Phillips. She is a very knowledgeable lady, BSc Chemistry, MBA, BSc Nutritional Medicine, and a member of BANT. Qualifications might not be everything but are a good indicator that she is no charlatan. It seems anybody can call themselves a Nutritional Therapist.

Just a thought.
 
Prof Thomas also very low carb and says a lot of things about his research and studies that didnt involve "drug" money from companies.. and how the establishment of turmeric, broccoli, pomegranate and green tea was researched and found to be best to fight cancer and niw dried and in a vitamin tablet.

He has patients and real trials going on. I saw a patient in trial whose nails were better than my non chemo ones. She used polybalm, which again as an oncologist he has researched and trialled.

He was adamant against insulin resistance and rice I think would have appalled him to be honest.
 
That's lovely.. Thank you @SockFiddler xx
 
Thank you @DavidGrahamJones I will certainly see f I can get this.
I'm dubious about the BRAT diet for me, as wheat seems to irritate my stomach .. and it really doesn't need any more irritation at the moment, so the toast part is out.
Some days I struggle to fancy and eat anything but I know I must. Things that I normally eat are going straight through.. sorry if that's too much information !
 
It's completely normal for your bowels to get all... explosive during treatments - your gut flora has taken a serious hit and without it, your body won't know what to do with food that gets put in. I don't know enough about probiotics to know whether they'd be of use, but it might be worth seeing what others more in the know than me say. I think that's probably the logic behind the BRAT diet - food which is nutrient-rich yet (relatively) easy to digest no matter what your gut bacteria health might be. Even if you only manage to snatch a small amount of the nutrients available as it rushes through you, it'll cover the important stuff your body needs the most.

Friends of mine reported drinking hot, no-milk tea about half an hour before eating really helped them to "keep food in", and a dose of oromorph (if you can take it / have it prescribed) about half an hour after eating to ease the discomfort of digestion. I took @ringi 's advice of a stock cube in hot water the other day and that soothed a lot of pains (periods and back, not cancer), so that might be worth a go, too.

Milky stuff will make digestion harder. If you are craving chocolate, cream, a drink of milk, delay it for about an hour until after you've eaten. Same goes for meds - they'll take longer to be absorbed as the dairy's fat content will block absorption. The fact is, your body needs energy to mend and heal and function now, and carbs provide that super-quick, easily digested hit: sugar doesn't even have to go through your gut to enter your blood, and starches are broken down super-fast (as all T2's can testify!). Protein takes too long and your body is probably already burning fat to get by.

Your "cancer colleagues" will have their own ways of managing food, and the staff will have some tips, too - don't underestimate the importance of getting that food into your body (I'm sure you're not), but also, enjoying it (or, at least, not living in the bathroom) are important, too.

Once you move into radio-only, it'll get much, much easier to eat (and move out of the bathroom) - only 2 treatments to go!

Sock x
 
My Onc Prof in his talk said he only recimmended one probitic in tablet form. The rest to be natural like keffir..
he said people soend so much on them and some are really expensive and his recommendation was only this one..and also shows the only vitamin tablet he recommended unless shown to be deficient from tests.. besides the d3 which most uk people would need to take during winter months.

He also emphasised the need for good gut flora....

 
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