On a Soapbox Again.

Toasted Cheese Sandwich - That’s what I’m looking forward to today. I picked up the bread yesterday. I’ve had the Velveeta in the fridge for years now. And I dug out my tortilla pan to do the honors of preparing my lunch.

On Tuesday, while discussing diarrhea, Nurse Diane mentioned the “BRAT” diet: Bread, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. It sounded interesting enough to try.

The handout I received gave a list of things I can do to minimize or avoid the effects of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea.

The first on the list was to drink plenty of clear fluids. OK, I wasn’t doing too well, there. Remember the 5-FU-induced mouth sores? Just the act of swallowing caused mouth irritation and pain. Even today, taking my Packer Candy religiously, it still is an irritation, but I am getting more down. I’ve had my Ensure, a cup of chocolate milk to take my meds, and I’m working on a tall glass of ice tea. I can actually see veins in my hands. And my nose is running.

So, I think we have cleared that hump!

While talking with Cuz yesterday, I hit upon the idea that if I couldn’t DRINK my fluids, there still was another way, barring the use of veins, that I could hydrate myself, if necessary. I’ll keep that one on the “back” burner for the next go-round.

Next on the list is the admonition to eat small amounts of soft bland low fiber foods frequently. Things like bananas, rice, noodles white bread skinned chicken, turkey, or mild white fish.

Thanks to Julie, I’m already making some small amount of headway with her Rice Pudding. I know that I can tolerate Ramen Noodles. So, I thought I’d try some white bread. Maybe it can help strip away the dead tissue in my throat I can feel back there. I may need to take my magic mouthwash to do it, though.

The handout cautions against greasy, fried foods (I wonder if my sandwich fits that category), raw fruits and veggies, I already know about strong spices, whole grain breads and cereals, nuts, and gas-forming foods and beverages.

So, on the one hand I’m supposed to eat low fiber foods, but on the other, I’m advised to add Benefiber to my Ensure drinks.

I think that I could easily get confused here.

At my place of employment, because of their difficulties with communication, I often accuse my management of “Management by Rumor,” as opposed to, say, “Management by Objective.” We hear rumors of what is to be done, or how things are to be done, but rarely do we, the lowly truck drivers, see documentation stating specifically how things are required. We get it filtered through the imaginations of several people before we hear about it. Although, I have to say that I find it heartening to see that some of that is changing.

I don’t have many allergies, but I will lay claim to an allergy to beer and wine. I’ve always had trouble drinking both of them, but it wasn’t until Robin was here, and while trying to share a bottle of wine that it became clear to me that I had an allergy to something in the wine. I developed wheals around my mouth, which is a definite indication of an allergic reaction.

So, I report this to my medical care providers. It never fails to worry me when a new nurse comes in and is amused about my allergy to alcohol. Now, alcohol and I get along just fine. We even have fewer problems, alcohol and I, than others seem to do. I’ve only had one serious hangover; the first one. There were mornings when I may have moved a bit slower than everyone else, but it was never an issue.

But, I don’t consider an allergy to wine an allergy to alcohol. And I’m glad they ask. But what about all the assumptions that are made, that don’t get asked about because they’re not quite so amusing as an allergy to alcohol.

Which brings me back to my “Healthcare by Internet Articles.” I find it disturbing to discover that I have to become an “armchair expert” on my own illness, while I’m not at my best, while I’m actually ill. That I can’t rely on my healthcare providers to look at what is actually going on with me, and make their recommendations based on actual fact, rather than on a host of possibilities that may occur with me.