Treatment Week #2

Yesterday was a chemo and radiation day. It went better than last week because we know what to expect now. My throat is progressively hurting more each day. I'm still using two Tylenol, twice a day for the pain. My taste buds seem to be about 70% gone and my ability to produce saliva has been reduced by 40%. I can still eat most foods by mouth but a lot of things taste like Crisco shortening - the regular version, not the butter flavor. Bleh!

I found out yesterday why I felt so good following the chemo treatment last week. One of the first things they put in me by IV was a steroid. I'm being juiced!! It provides a noticable pick-me-up for about 24 hours.

I'm still struggling with consuming the formula through the feeding tube. Even 120 ml of the Nutrin 2.0 caused me to feel like I had pumped in an entire can of Great Stuff expanding foam. Last night I tried a 50/50 mix of formula and water using only 30 ml of formula. That didn't seem to work too badly but it wasn't a lot of formula either. Tim - my nutritionist - is going to get some samples of other formulas that might be easier on my stomach. I may have to try pumping in chicken broth if this doesn't work but I doubt I'm going to get the number of calories I need from it. I'll also try Ensure. That didn't seem to go down too bad the last time I drank it by mouth.