It’s Tuesday morning and Alan’s immune system passed the test, so he’s back on track.
Last week was meant to be treatment #10, but Alan’s immune system was rather low, his neutrophils were only at 1.2 and dropping, so no chemo for him. Chemo is known for knocking out the immune system so it’s really important you support it daily with good choices in food and stay away from things that suppress it. Did you know that certain foods influence this? This is something I’ve been meaning to write about as we can all benefit from this knowledge, especially with cold and flu season just beginning. There are two things I get people to cut out when they are trying to get well…
#1 – COFFEE
Yes, I know, how could I be so mean? If you’re just fighting a bug, then giving it up for a day or two is not that big a deal. Alan used to drink coffee all day long… Times have changed and he’s seeing results and it’s now a treat.
#2 – SUGAR
I hate to be the bearer of bad news again but sugar is NOT a food, people! it’s an immune suppressor and makes your body more acidic. If you need something sweet then look for a clean Stevia as it’s from a plant, not a chemical. Alan is still learning where sugar lurks and he’s now armed with Stevia when he needs a sweet fix.
What to eat for a stronger immune system
Most of us have heard of Vitamin C and how it helps to keep us healthy. If you think back to history and the 15th century, you might remember a disease called scurvy… All due to the lack of vitamin C. We learned all those year ago how important Vitamin C is for us and our immune systems. It has many other benefits, including skin health, healing ability, repairing and maintaining bones and teeth. Many practitioners use high-dose vitamin C in cancer treatments to promote the production of Glutathione, our bodies’ master antioxidant. There are a few great immune boosters I use often in the kitchen… Yes, just plain food!
- Oranges, lemons, limes, apples… All a good source of Vitamin C
- Garlic and ginger are staples as both help to fight bacterial problems
- Raw pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc to help get those white blood cells activated
- Water. Remember to flush those toxins! This time of year, hot non-caffeinated herbal tea or hot water with lemon and a tiny bit of honey
Which brings us to Treatment #11
I’m not sure where the time goes… Our lives are busy with work, planning parties and going to events. Anyone who didn’t know what Alan is going through really wouldn’t know he’s not well.
Alan has now completed his 11th chemo, which means he’s halfway through this regime. Each treatment seems to affect him slightly differently. It seems that 3 days of hydration with saline seem to be too much for his system, throwing out his electrolytes and creating a migraine. So now that we’ve figured that out, we’ll cut out the Thursday saline drip and add some electrolytes in earlier. This just really tells us that the body is ever-changing and no two people are alike; with each treatment, you learn what’s best for you.
Hmmm… Have I told you in past blogs what this type of hydration is used for? It’s an anti-nausea substitute for medication, so it made complete sense to me. Less chemicals and more flushing of toxins and cancerous debris.
Alan’s hair is growing really quickly and getting darker by the day… I think that’s a lack of sunshine as winter seems to be here. I know some thought he bleached his hair, but nope! That was just the sun keeping the grey away. He’s thrilled that he can now brush it and is starting to wonder what his first new hair style should be.
Long hair is not easy to part with… I know from cutting mine in years gone by. But every time I did, I got to experiment with something new! Any thoughts on what he should try first? He’s mentioned a Mohawk?!? Whatever he decides on should be fun… And of course there will be pictures.
I’ll try to be more timely in my posts going forward as I know there are people all over this lovely world of ours wondering how he’s doing. I have to report that he’s a good spirited as always and his positive attitude will get him through this.
Chat soon,
Shannon ❄️