Food and Numbers

We went to see Dr. Kaplan on Friday. He gave us big hugs and is so pleased with the progress. I asked him to look into a crystal ball, but his crystal ball only goes from one scan to the next. Really, the bottom line is, we continue on this path as long as the chemo continues to work. If the chemo stops working, we go to plan B (I have no idea what plan B is, by the way). So, two or three more rounds of chemo (6-9 weeks) then another scan, and then another look into the crystal ball. I asked about going back to work, he says I need the energy I have to fight the cancer. I think if I had a different kind of job I could probably start back now. One day a week, or work on line, take chemo weeks off, that just doesn’t work in my situation, so I have to hang on a bit longer before I can make plans to go back to work.

Numbers

We received 3 pages of medical text that document the results of the scan.

My favorite numbers are on page one regarding the “mass” on the liver…

The mass in liver that had extreme hyper metabolism on PET scan 7/1514…shows a further reduction in size compared to 9//13/14 and significantly decreased in size compared to 6/28/14, with a maximum length measured at 3.8cm now at 2.7 cm.

There is a great deal more medical jargon and measurements, but what I know for sure is they are shrinking and the chemo is working! I’ll take that and go to Thanksgiving!

Food

Last Tuesday I talked for a while with Mary, my dietitian. I told her all the foods I had put back in my diet and the foods I had not yet tried. It had been about 7 weeks since I’d left the hospital and my gut has been on the mend with no setbacks. She gave me the go ahead on all the foods I had not tried! So off to wheat I went. I made up my mind if I was going to have a bad reaction to wheat at least let me have had the wheat that I love. I wasn’t going to eat some dry wheat crackers and then have a bad reaction that left me without wheat again!!! Hell no! We went straight for Serious Pie!

Best pizza in Seattle, in my opinion, other than our front yard!!

Good news…no bad reaction; I’m back in the game. Since then I’ve kept wheat at a minimum; trying not go to overboard. I’ve added in salad as well, and citrus and a few other things. My appetite and taste buds fluctuate during the three week chemo cycle, but I am now able to eat any foods with no real restrictions. Mary said the things I may find irritating to my gut are black pepper and popcorn. I’m sure I’ve had pepper, it is just in stuff…right? But I have not had popcorn…yet. All in due time.

So, now it is time for Thanksgiving and I have plenty to be thankful for this year. I have chemo tomorrow and though I will be tingly and buzzy for Thanksgiving Day I’m thankful to know that the chemo is working. I’m thankful for all of you holding us up through the long hall that is cancer.

I wish you all a peaceful and loving Thanksgiving. 

With love and thanks,

Janet