"What you eat....

....could EAT YOU!"

This is another take on that famous bumper-sticker phrase: "You are what you eat."

Those of you who have been following this blog know that, in addition to the cancer that is trying to get me down, I have been suffering from a chronic cough that has been exacerbated by speaking. The voice has also been adversely affected, preventing me from doing solo vocal work. It's been a real bummer.

But after learning of LPR (laryngopharyngeal reflux) from my friend Carol, who has suffered vocal problems from this condition, I began to more carefully monitor what I was eating and drinking. The results have been dramatic. I have totally cut out coffee, wine, beer and most (but not all) teas from my diet. I have also learned which foods are alkaline and which are acidic; the goal is to "drop acid" (fun pun!). I am also drinking a ton of water and sipping apple cider vinegar mixed with honey and warm water throughout the day. Eating large meals is a no-no, especially close to bedtime.

The result of my dietary changes is that the cough, although not totally gone, is significantly less frequent. I am able to speak for long periods and do some brief snippets of singing with little or no coughing.  I hope that, in time, my cough-ravaged voice will heal. After over a year of suffering with this, the relief I am feeling is monumental!

So.... hey out there.... if you know anyone who has a chronic cough, consider an acidic diet and acid reflux as a source of the problem. I cannot believe I suffered with this for so long and no medical professional seemed to have the answer. I have discovered that there are, indeed, doctors who know about this, but you have to know who those smart ones are.... alas.

Sidebar comment about chemo treatments: I am in the middle of a treatment-free week. I seem to be tolerating everything pretty well, thank goodness. Next Wednesday begins 10th chemo treatment.

Life in the Wig Room

Translation: "the wig room" is the place where chemo patients gather for weekly chemo infusions.

I have now been "in treatment" for almost 10 weeks. The first few weeks were a bit of an adjustment. There was some nausea and stomach upset, and a dizzy, loopy feeling -- almost felt like a constant hangover. After the first round of treatment (3 weeks), I experienced some relief from adverse symptoms with help from my mistletoe doc who changed my supplementation to alleviate side effects. This helped immensely!

The biggest problem I had was with a huge dose of Benadryl given in a pre-chemo cocktail with every infusion. I found that I simply could not tolerate the intense groggy stupor from the Benadryl; then, as it wore off, I experienced a hyper-jittery state that prevented me from having a peaceful night's sleep. So every Wednesday afternoon, I was in a fog-like state and every Wednesday night, I lay awake all night long; hence, Thursday was spent in a state of total sleep deprivation. The Benadryl is given only as a prophylactic drug in case of allergic reaction to the chemo. I finally convinced my doc to reduce the Benadryl dosage.... and then, when even that didn't seem to help much.... to eliminate it completely. It has made a huge difference in my ability to function every Wednesday and Thursday of treatment weeks. I never displayed an allergic reaction to the chemo, thank goodness. So "bye bye Benadryl!"

A follow-up scan was administered on July 13. It showed no advancement of the cancer and possible reduction of a lymph node tumor. Because I am on an additional study drug, scans will be pretty frequent. I found out that the study I am on requires most patients to be in treatment for at least six 3-week cycles -- that's essentially 6 months' time. Some patients are in treatment for a year or more.

I still experience some days of fatigue. But for the most part, I am tolerating the treatment pretty well.
Hair is not totally gone; but after having a buzz cut and now looking like a white-haired chicken, hats and wigs are standard apparel.

I am grateful that I am still able to play a lot of church gigs and teach piano. Making music is key to my survival. Singing is still problematic but progress is being made; will save that story for another posting.

Thanks, as always, to friends who send emails and cards to let me know you are "out there" and thinking of me. It really does matter -- so very much.