13. Chemo Valentine's Day

Our grandson's Valentine's Day card arrived by snail mail last week.  What a nice surprise!  So I wanted to post something about the day but did not know what.  Then a most unusual Valentine's Day from the past came to mind.

Before being a French Immersion teacher I updated my language skills by taking an Intensive French immersion course at the U of S.  It was about this time of the year. The course ended on Valentine's Day.  One of the class mates was non other than Peter MacKinnon, who was president of the U of S at the time.  All throughout the 2 week-long course Peter had been his sober, reserved, composed lawyerly self.  To wrap up the course we had been practicing the energetic French love song "Je t'aime comme un fou" / I love you like a fool (but you don't give a ....) by Robert Charlebois.  Toward the end of our last class, and without provocation, all of a sudden Peter jumped up and began to dance and twirl around the classroom like a possessed wind-up toy while belting out the song at full volume.  We were all stunned at this spontaneous outburst, but quickly jumped in as well.  A joyous end to a pleasant, but challenging educational session! 

So, I propose you grab your partner, your hamster or a broomstick and dance to    Je t'aime comme un fou / I love you like a fool (but you don't give a ...hoot?) by Robert Charlebois  A verry peppy tune.  Don't let the language scare you off 😊 Happy Valentine's Day!!!  💗

12. Chemo Detoxing

The week that I am not on chemo, I try to detox as much as I can.  I drink fennel and dandelion tea and I've concocted a detox soup recipe.  It contains mainly leeks, onions and garlic as well as other ingredients.  The leeks are not cheap, but are definitely worth using.  Rinse well because they may hide dirt inside their stalks!  Leeks and onions are supposed to help with detox.

                        As LONG as Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 smaller leek stalks, rinsed and chopped
• 2 medium sized onions, chopped also
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup of quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup of buckwheat groats, rinsed
• 1 to 1 1/2 cup of cooked ham or other meat
• 2 TBsp of beef stock powder
• water 
• salt and pepper to taste 

You will need: a large soup pot, measuring tools, spatula, knife.

Put all of the above ingredients in the soup pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for about 15 min and then reduce to simmer for about 1 hour.  Stir once in a while.  Turn off the heat and serve.

You could use rice instead or add it.  And also potato pieces.  But I don't think the recipe needs it.  I add the quinoa and buckwheat mainly for added protein and fiber.  Makes 6 to 7servings.  Enjoy!

I chose to call it As LONG as because as long as it has Leeks, ONions and Garlic in it, it should be (but I am not a dietician!) a detoxing soup! 😎

 

11. What my chemo treatment is like

Just finished treatment nr 7 and it is getting harder to tolerate the side effects.  I have had a rough couple of days.  Makes the previous treatments feel like a picnic.

Week 1 of chemo treatment is as follows:

On Monday, the day before chemo, I get bloodwork done to check the levels of platelets, red and white blood cells.  If the levels are satisfactory, treatment is "on".  Well, my levels were low, but the oncologist gave the green light anyway.  Next I have a Covid screening and Monday nights I start taking a laxative every night for the rest of treatment week.

Tuesday morning, I prepare my chemo bag to take to the clinic.  It contains: a book, my iD, iPhone, lunch, snacks and water bottle, mittens and the holder for the infusor bottle.  Upon arrival my weight, BP and oxygen levels get checked.  I walk into the clinic hall to my assigned seat.  There are roughly 25 plus seats and there is constant patient turn-over, reminding of being in a busy airport terminal.  A bit of chit-chat with the assigned nursing staff and then treatment begins by giving me anti-nausea and anti-vomiting medication intravenously.  That takes about 1/2 hour.  If it is close to lunch, time to quickly gobble down my lunch so I will not get sick.  That hasn't happened yet, knock on wood!  The chemo drugs take about 2 hours to drip into my arm through an IV line called a Picc line.  When that is done there is some saline flushing going on and I get hooked up to the infusor bottle that hangs around my neck and will be automatically dispensing more chemo drugs into my body for another 48 hours.  I go home tethered to this infusor bottle.  It replaces a further 2 day in-hospital stay.  Toward the end of chemo the dreaded neuropathy starts kicking in.  Neuropathy is a common side effect of the treatment that I am on.  It is characterized by numbness or tingling of the fingers and toes and can sometimes be painful and feel like a burning sensation, which may be severe.  Lucky for me it has not gone to that extreme yet except that I have neuropathy in my face in addition to my fingers and toes: the tip of my nose gets extremely cold and then sore; it hurts to cry (feels like tiny needle pricks behind my eye balls when I do, so I Don't, I just grit my teeth instead) and the first couple of bites in any meal also upset either glands or muscles in my lower jaw.  There are other side effects as well such as  muscle cramps and lately, extreme fatigue due low red blood cells.

Week 2 is detox week.  In general the neuropathy gradually diminishes over time.  I try to detoxify as much as I can by constantly drinking water or weak tea. And by eating a healthy, fiber-rich diet.  And by sleeping as much as I can.  Today is Sunday and I am able to type this post, which I would not have been able to do yesterday!!  Hurrah for small miracles.!!!

10. Sweet Chemo Lani

Lani is back!!  Hurrah!  I missed my before and after chemo-care nurse.  She is very sweet and terrific at her job.  We are so lucky to have her!  Go Lani!!!

Oh yes: the comment section of the blog.  I have tried everything I can to correct this problem to no avail.  By the end of the week a tech person will look into it and hopefully fix it.  Fingers crossed!  I am happy with Blogger in general, but seriously.  I am  blogging so I would get feedback.  Disappointing!  Possibly you may have to subscribe and/or have a Google account before you can comment.  I will keep you "posted". 😊

Tomorrow is the start of chemo session nr 7.  Over the hill!!!  Due to  neuropathy, a side effect of treatment , I won't be able to use my hands for a few days.  But I do have a savory treat in the works for you for by the weekend.  So stay tuned!  And take care!

9. Chemo Hair

It was inevitable: I am losing my hair.  Constantly.  So what is a girl to do?  Some options are:  1.  Shave off what remains, and sport the Jean-Luc Picard style.  Not right now.  It is too cold outside and I am not going to the hairdresser due to Covid.    2. Wear a wig.   A new wig will set you back anywhere from $250-400.  Now I do have a health plan that would cover the cost. (lucky, and grateful me!)  But what if you are short on cash and have no plan?  Then what?  Well, you can loan a cleaned, repurposed wig through the Volunteer Coordinator at the Cancer Clinic.  You do have to phone and set up an appointment with them.  The wigs, new or used, are made with synthetic fibers.  Not an option for me either.   3. Wear a hat, tuque or other head gear.  I am so fortunate.  You see, my sister is handy with needle and thread.  She supplied me with several hats which I embellished a bit.  So I am wearing her hats, or a tuque, when I go out.

Further on the topic

Wouldn't you know it. Good grief! My 5 year driver's licence with photo ID is up for renewal.  I always have to take off my glasses for the photo.  But what about being allowed to wear a hat, pretty please with sugar on it?  I do not want to look like a half-plucked chicken. Nope!  However, there is what you call a medical exemption.  If you can provide the necessary documents from your physician, or in my case my Cancer Clinic ID, SGI can renew the 5 year driver's licence reusing my previous, pre-cancer photo.  And that is just what they did.  Hurrah!  What a relief!!!

Hair  (from the musical) by the Cowsills: You don't know what you've got till its gone!.....

                    Us girls have to stick together!

8. Dag Allemaal

Ik ben heel blij te melden dat ik de halverweg chemo-therapie ben. 6/12   Joepie!!😊😊😊

7. Chemo Half Done!!

With the 6th treatment behind me, I am pleased to have reached the half-way point!  Hurrah!!! 😊 I celebrated by making my favorite sweet buckwheat crepes, a real treat that always reminds me of my grandmother.  Yum!!

Small Sweet Crepes   Gluten-free and high in fiber

Ingredients:                                                                                                      

• 1 cup of buckwheat flour                                            
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/4 cup of sugar  
• 1/4 cup of powdered milk in 1 1/4 c of water  
• or use 1 1/4 c of (lactose free) milk            
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten 
• sunflower or canola oil                                                                          

You will need:  mixing bowl, smaller skillet, ladle, spatula, measuring tools

Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.   Add the water and the eggs.  Stir well.  Make sure the batter is runny enough to pour.  Heat your skillet to medium-high heat.  Coat  all of the bottom of the skillet with a dollar size bit of oil.   Ladle the batter into it, about 1/3 of a cup.  When tiny pinholes start to appear and the surface has lost the “glossy look”, flip it over with a spatula.  Check for burning.   Markings  should be brown, not black.   Repeat.   Stir the batter before each ladle.

Makes  7 to 8 crepes.  (You can use a non-stick skillet and no oil, in which case there will be no markings.  They will look really pale though.  But they will taste just as good!)