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CHEMO CUISINE By It sounds so easy. “Just eat anything you like.” I was ready. But it’s not so simple. After heavy chemotherapy, which can upset the digestive system and play havoc with your appetite, we cancer patients are told to eat, in order to regain strength. But I found out there’s a lot more involved than just doing it Hundreds of suggestions for what I should eat and what I should avoid abounded. But few consider how taste, texture, or tummy tension affect a body, ravaged by chemo. Often overlooked is the fact that the dry mouth and steady metallic taste caused by drugs can alter the taste of foods, making them unappealing and downright difficult to swallow, even when the stomach has settled down and can accept food. If a patient takes a bite and gags, don’t be surprised. After a summer regimen of heavy chemo, I was dismayed to find that my favorite foods, including fresh berries, smelled delicious --- but tasted like cardboard. It was so frustrating! After all, I had progressed from the nausea that makes even the thought of food sickening, to actually wanting to eat. But finding food and drink that tasted good and didn’t leave a tinny aftertaste was impossible. I ended up dehydrated. Fortified drinks for athletes, such as Gatorade, which seemed so ideal, tasted horrid. I couldn’t handle most soft drinks, including subtle ginger ale and tonic, although for time I did guzzle ginger ale because it was the least offensive. While carbonation was appealing to anticipate, it didn’t taste good or sit well in my stomach. Sparkling water sometimes satisfied, particularly one raspberry-flavored brand. Most fruit juices were too sour or tasted like medicine, although tomato juice eventually became tolerable. Coffee was terrible. Milk was out because it gave me diarrhea. I finally settled on iced lemon herbal tea. For several weeks it was the drink of preference, although I’d never liked any kind of tea previously. But, eventually, tea too lost favor as my taste buds changed. As far as solids, now eight months after treatment, I still favor moist foods -- fruit and vegetable salads, or plain fruit and veggies, and light soups. I go easy on drier foods, such as, potatoes, bread, and sandwiches. Peanut Butter, a long time favorite and good protein provider, is palatable only when stuffed in celery. * That ‘moist crunchy’ has become a favorite snack. Applesauce has become a staple. Rolls or bread (in sandwiches, toasted, or plain,) muffins, chips, and crackers-even delicious, gooey, cinnamon rolls--still are dry and seldom appeal. At a time like this, it is hard to find foods for snacking. Fruits seem to be the best, and surprisingly dried prunes, apricots, and raisins were palatable from the beginning. Fortunately, rice, pasta, and beans met my taste test early on and provided nutrition. Enhanced with tomatoes, but not many spices, these also became staples. Light soups and stew with beef or chicken and lots of vegetables, sometimes with a little gravy, also helped keep me going when eating was still a chore. *(Ed’s Note: Celery can sometimes help cause blockage with some patients - eat with care) 70 |