I was able to get on the computer for a little bit yesterday and did a little work, although not much--partly because my computer was tied up for a couple hours updating to Windows 10 (so far so good on that, btw). I'm going to do a bit today, too. I slept for almost 11 hours last night, which was fantastic since I often don't get enough sleep. Today I feel weak, which is not unexpected, but so far I'm OK other than that. Last time I felt achy and fluish in the afternoon from the Neulasta shot (boosting my white blood cell count), so I have an electric blanket ready to go for comfort should I need it. My appetite has been good, no mouth sores or funny taste and for that I'm thankful.
Today I'd like to talk a little bit about advice and good intentions. Here's the thing...I know y'all want to help, and that's really great. I appreciate it. I know you have good intentions. But there is a lot of bad advice going around out there. If I blindly follow advice and it interferes with my treatment, it doesn't matter how good the intentions behind it were, does it?
Some of it is based on some research you may have read, but you have to be careful about that. One research paper doesn't necessarily cover all the implications, it could be skewed by the researcher's agenda, it may not apply to my type of cancer or the drugs I'm taking, etc.
Some supplements may actually interfere with my treatment. It doesn't matter if it's natural. For example, too much vitamin C can fight the chemo drugs. Turmeric interferes with some but not others, so I'm trying to get an answer from my oncologist on that. Believe it or not, I'm pretty invested in my own recovery, so I'm doing everything my medical team tells me, plus doing my own research.
One thing several people have harped on is not to eat sugar, even fruit, because it "feeds" the cancer. Click here to read what the Mayo Clinic has to say about that. There is a lot of stuff going around about this and a lot of conflicting information. Should I cut down my refined sugar? Yes. So should most people. I do try to do that. but as stated in this piece, our body needs the natural sugar for energy, plus there are great benefits from the various nutrients in fruit. Some have antioxidents, etc. I have nutritionist as part of my medical team and she has not told me to stop eating fruit.
So, please...be careful about jumping on every piece of research you read. Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's good advice. Just because there are truths in an article doesn't mean they aren't spun to help a certain agenda. Sometimes, they make something sound bad but there really are no implications. Plus, sometimes we jump on a fad because of some research, then other research comes out saying maybe that food isn't so great. We used to think soy was the best thing, now we're learning it's maybe not so good for us, especially menopausal women. Eggs have gone in and out of favor. At one time we thought margarine was better for us than butter. There have been others. The science of nutrition has come a long way, but there are still a lot of gaps and uncertainties. You have to decide what is best for you, and I have to decide what is best for me.
That's my rant for today. I'm in good spirits, smiling and laughing often, enjoying the process of getting my stuff slowly unpacked and settled in my new home. I'm well cared-for and comfortable. I love getting your messages in all forms, be it cards or texts or facebook or whatever. They make me smile and feel loved. The cards are going up on the wall where I can look at them and smile.
People keep saying I'm brave for sharing my story with the world, but honestly, I lean on every single one of you. You are helping me be strong and brave. I don't know how I could have gotten through this if I'd chosen to go it alone, so thank you!
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