Day 34, Year 9: Coping with Chemo Side Effects
Date: Saturday, November 23, 2013
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, High Temp in the Low 40’s
Location: Home of Bruce and Jane Woodin, West Falmouth, MA
With the chemo regimen Mark was on two years ago, cold sensitivity was the biggest problem. He had some issues with mouth sores, but nothing major. This time around, he isn’t getting the drug that causes the cold sensitivity but he is struggling with a sore mouth (oral mucositis). Chemo drugs are intended to kill fast growing cells like cancer cells. But there are other cells in your body that normally divide and grow fast such as the cells that line the inside of your mouth. Therefore, these cells are attacked by the chemo drugs. In Mark’s case, it is very difficult for him to chew and swallow. So I spent my day working on temporarily changing our diet to one of soft foods. Mark is using a prescription mouth wash that is supposed to help control the pain. It helps for a few minutes right after he uses it, but then the pain returns. It is so bad that it is even difficult for Mark to talk. Let’s hope things are better tomorrow.
Today was an okay weather day—not beautiful and sunny, but not freezing. But the thermometer is going to drop tonight and we probably won’t see temps above freezing again until Tuesday. Tuesday and Wednesday look more like today but then the temperature drops again. Turkey Day will be in the 30’s, but at least it looks like it will be a tad above freezing.
