Earlier this month, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I’ll be starting chemotherapy tomorrow and I have no idea how the side effects will affect me. One of the major subsets of side effects is that chemo messes with your digestive system; if I am interested in and able to eat all, everything might taste different.
I’ve gotten tons of information on how to deal with the side effects from the oncology department. It’s interesting to note that one of their recommendations on dealing with food is to cook when you feel good and freeze it to eat later so you have something nice to eat even when you aren’t feeling good.
The suggestion for dealing with food that tastes different or has less taste than normal is to really ramp up the sauces and spices.
The nutrition guidelines recommend lots of protein via lean meats, dairy, nuts, and beans to help build new healthy cells as quickly as possible. They also recommend not skimping on the fat and sugar because weight loss of more than 10 pounds can mean that the treatment plan needs to change. The packet even goes so far as to suggest putting extra butter and sugar on any food you do feel like eating if you’re having issues with not being able to eat.
So since chemo starts tomorrow and today is the last day I’m sure I’ll feel good (or at least okay enough to cook), I’ll be cooking up a storm. Here’s the plan:
First up are complete items that I’ll finish so they’re ready to eat this week:
- Turkey Meatballs from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast (I’m planning to make a huge batch of these and freeze them in single portions to toss in anytime I make pasta)
- Chili for a Crowd from Real Simple magazine (make a huge pot and freeze in single servings, make it spicier than usual)
- Chocolate Crackles from Martha Stewart’s Cookies
- Cranberry Muffins from The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
- a couple loaves of pumpkin bread from a boxed mix
Then we’ve got some prep work so things are closer to ready to eat for future weeks:
- prep some chicken breasts in Italian salad dressing as marinade and freeze; those can go with pasta or mashed potatoes at a later date
- prep chicken strips for Garlic Chicken Stirfry from The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
- prep flank steak strips for fajitas
After this week, I may not be eating enough or able to plan my meals far enough in advance to post a weekly meal plan so this may be the last one for a few months but once I’m cancer free, meal plans will be back.
Related posts:
How to Make a Meal Plan
Meal Plan 9/13
Meal Plan 3/8
Meal Plan 7/12
March Meal Plan
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{ 17 comments }
Hi Carrie — I read your blog as often as I can and appreciate all your tips and frugal ideas. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am to hear about your diagnosis. Although I am confident that you are a strong woman and will pull through all that is ahead, this does not minimize the fact that I’m sure it was a scary thing to hear and upsetting to you and your family. My thoughts and prayers will be with you — please take the time you need to take care of yourself. The blogging world will be here waiting for you.
So sorry to hear about your diagnosis! Good luck with all that’s ahead!
Carrie – I’m shocked to hear about your diagnosis. I’ve been regularly reading your blog for about six months, and from what I’m able to tell, you seem like a smart and courageous woman. I wish you the best of luck in your fight. Take care of yourself, and be well. You’ll be in our thoughts.
Carrie, I’m sorry to hear about the diagnosis. I have prayed for you, and I thank you for sharing. I read your blog through bloglines whenever I can. I hope tomorrow is a good day for you, and this whole week goes well.
*hugs* You are strong and beautiful. You will beat this. Take care and I’ll as always be reading.
You are in my prayers! Thanks for keeping us posted and sharing your creativity with us.
I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but am happy you are still blogging. I follow your blog regularly, and it was a real surprise to read this post. My brother had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma too.
You are in my thoughts and I’ll be sending you positive energy through your treatments.
Good luck with your treatments! I have a friend who went through all that recently for the same thing, and she is doing great now. You can beat it!!
I’m really surprised that your doctors told you to eat more sugar! Surely filling up your body with empty calories won’t do much good! Can’t you eat more complex carbs instead??
it’s more an issue if i can’t eat anything at all and then i feel like eating just one thing i should make the most of that one thing but upping it’s calories
You are in my thoughts and prayers as well! Best of luck with your treatments, and I hope you get lots of rest to let your body heal. Stay strong.
Good Luck with your treatments. I had breast cancer almost five years ago. It did mess with my sense of taste. Very few things tasted the same.
** Also, I’m not sure what type of chemo you’ll be doing but if it makes your hair fall out be aware that it hurts to have your hair fall out. No body told me that! You’ll be in my prayers…
oh no! thanks for the tip. they did tell me that the drug that will make my hair fall out is the same one breast cancer patients get
I’m not sure… my first batch of chemo was adriomyacin and cytoxin or ac or cherry koolaide …I probably spelled it wrong but it’s bright red and looked like kool aide…
My second batch was taxol which actually made me feel worse than the first type. I did chemo for about 8 months.
How long will your treatment last?
It sounds like you have a great support team in your family. Please keep us updated on your blog when you can.
i have Adriamycin which is the one that makes hair fall out and then three others that won’t affect my hair.
So sorry to hear that. You’ll be in all our thoughts.
On the plus side, those turkey meatballs sound really good!
This is my first time on your blog, and I’m so sorry to hear that you have cancer. My 4 year old is going through chemo now (kidney tumor, stage 1, she’s doing great, but chemo is still hard!)
One thing that I’ve been doing is making smoothies with spinach, pureed beets, blueberries, strawberries, yogurt, cottage cheese and OJ. Sometimes when you don’t feel like eating it’s easier to just sip something.
thanks. i’m quickly becoming a huge fan of milkshakes, pudding, and yogurt because they are easier
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