A year to recover from chemo is a lot longer than I was planning on. That's what my oncologist said last month in my follow-up visit. The fatigue component would be at least 6 months. And since it's been two months since finishing my six-round treatment, that gives me a ways to go.
Not to mention that some of the side effects, any of them, could linger. The fatigue and intermittent body aching are still the worst residuals for me.
On the plus side, my doctor also went down a long list of possible side effects that I could still be having - and I didn't have any of them! I also feel a ton better than just a few months ago. Some ups and downs, yes. Mostly because my red blood cells plummeted last month and I became more anemic than even during chemo! And much more tired. Like a windup doll who just wound down.
This was quite a surprise to me! But when I looked at what I'd been eating the month before, it wasn't as much of a surprise. I had dropped off my most iron-rich foods like grass-fed beef and spinach. Once I got back on those in a big way, I started feeling gradually better in a matter of days.
That was a good lesson. To see that just because I did so well during chemo, there were reasons for that. Hey, I'm not naturally that solid or physically unflappable. All the foods as medicine and supplements really played a part. Even so, it's still a little shocking even for me, a nutrition scientist, to see the direct correlation between diet, outcome, and function.
I wanted to say a few words about my amazing oncologist, Dr. Kiwan at Sutter Cancer Center in Sacramento. At my follow-up visit last month, after getting through all the medical-type questions, he then asked me:
So, what do you plan to do with your life now?
I was so touched by his question, not just because he was a doctor actually asking me about my life, but because I could tell he "knew" what the cancer ordeal is all about. One, if there's hope you're going to live for awhile, the big question then becomes, "What shall I do with myself, and the rest of this life?" What do I WANT to do with my life"?
These are questions that we all could be, and even should be, asking ourselves on a regular basis. But do we? I don't think so. We're too caught up in the daily routine of life -- making a living, taking care of kids, dealing with all the little crises that come up, and on and on.
I told him that I felt some big changes were needed in my life. That cancer surely must be a transformative illness and needs to be treated that way. He said, "Good!" All my patients who do the best make a lot of changes."
And that's pretty much what all my reading and research tell me about cancer survivors. The folks who recover the most fully let themselves be guided to whatever needs changing in their lives. So, that's my mission now from this point forward. I'm not sure what all is in store just yet, but I have a few blossoming ideas that I'll share later. Dietary, exercise, and health-habit changes are only the beginning. The emotional, spiritual, and social components need to be covered as well. Whew.
It's still a bit overwhelming at times, to be honest. I hope I can be one of those who does whatever it takes, without becoming complacent when faced with making some even bigger changes in my life.
In the meantime, onward! At this point, every 3 months I go in for a check-up, and every 6 months a CT scan. Based on how I was at diagnosis, and the fact I'm now in full remission from the slow-growing follicular lymphoma, gives me a 92% chance of staying in remission for 5 years. Now that's pretty darn good news!
-Adele Sonora
Not to mention that some of the side effects, any of them, could linger. The fatigue and intermittent body aching are still the worst residuals for me.
On the plus side, my doctor also went down a long list of possible side effects that I could still be having - and I didn't have any of them! I also feel a ton better than just a few months ago. Some ups and downs, yes. Mostly because my red blood cells plummeted last month and I became more anemic than even during chemo! And much more tired. Like a windup doll who just wound down.
This was quite a surprise to me! But when I looked at what I'd been eating the month before, it wasn't as much of a surprise. I had dropped off my most iron-rich foods like grass-fed beef and spinach. Once I got back on those in a big way, I started feeling gradually better in a matter of days.
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| A recent haul from my garden, as the summer winds down |
I wanted to say a few words about my amazing oncologist, Dr. Kiwan at Sutter Cancer Center in Sacramento. At my follow-up visit last month, after getting through all the medical-type questions, he then asked me:
So, what do you plan to do with your life now?
I was so touched by his question, not just because he was a doctor actually asking me about my life, but because I could tell he "knew" what the cancer ordeal is all about. One, if there's hope you're going to live for awhile, the big question then becomes, "What shall I do with myself, and the rest of this life?" What do I WANT to do with my life"?
 |
| I need a little time on the beach to figure things out. |
I told him that I felt some big changes were needed in my life. That cancer surely must be a transformative illness and needs to be treated that way. He said, "Good!" All my patients who do the best make a lot of changes."
And that's pretty much what all my reading and research tell me about cancer survivors. The folks who recover the most fully let themselves be guided to whatever needs changing in their lives. So, that's my mission now from this point forward. I'm not sure what all is in store just yet, but I have a few blossoming ideas that I'll share later. Dietary, exercise, and health-habit changes are only the beginning. The emotional, spiritual, and social components need to be covered as well. Whew.
It's still a bit overwhelming at times, to be honest. I hope I can be one of those who does whatever it takes, without becoming complacent when faced with making some even bigger changes in my life.
In the meantime, onward! At this point, every 3 months I go in for a check-up, and every 6 months a CT scan. Based on how I was at diagnosis, and the fact I'm now in full remission from the slow-growing follicular lymphoma, gives me a 92% chance of staying in remission for 5 years. Now that's pretty darn good news!
-Adele Sonora
