Eating low-residue

Everything I've been taught to eat - especially when I'm trying to eat well and lose weight - is practically thrown out the window with a new low-residue diet Dr. W put me on yesterday. White bread, white rice, processed cereals, cheese, cream soups, certain fruits and veggies without seeds, skins and membranes and cooked well, certain muffins (banana, chocolate, apple spice made with white flour), croissants, biscuits, potato without the skin, all sugars, plain cheesecake, candy, seedless jelly and jam, and most condiments. All the things dieticians like my sister tout to eat in moderation.

What I can't have includes: nuts, seeds, whole wheat products, popcorn, corn, mushrooms, coconut, yogurt mixed with seeds or fruit with membranes (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, cherry), beans, lentils, sausages, chunky peanut butter, raw veggies, salad, berries, kiwi, fruit cocktail, dried fruit, bran, brown or wild rice, donuts with raspberry, blueberry, strawberry or cherry filling, pie with fruit filling, cakes with poppy seeds, raisins, jam with seeds or pectin, pickles, chutney or olives.

This is going to be a bit of a challenge because it's so differernt than how I usually eat. It also eliminates some of my favourite foods. But if it works, I'm all for it. Why the change? Apparently, my body is NOT processing my food in an expedient factor, and I'm full of gas and undigested meals. That's why I'm so bloated and probably why I keep throwing up.

Some of the foods I have been eating - yogurt and bran, whole grain toast, salad, etc - are hard to digest, which is slowing down my already sluggish digestive system culminating in a big, messy blob in my body. Chemotherapy, other drugs and probably even the presence of cancer can slow down digestion and my meal selections are contributing to the problem. It takes more energy and time for the body to process high-fibre foods (which is why you should eat them when you're dieting to feel full longer). These types of foods seem to be turning my digestive-system switch to the practically non-existent movement mode. Sigh.

I am also now to double up on the food-processing drug, Domperindone - so two tablets, four times a day. I'm also to double the steroid, Dexamethasone, to try to keep systems open and operational. I'm trying to be optimistic this will work.

I'm thrilled my complaints were listened to so quickly yesterday. I didn't have an appointment with Dr. W, but he sent me for the x-rays, came to discuss the results afterwards, made adjustments to my care plan and even suggested a CT scan. At this, I clapped my hands and said "yay." I told him I was worried and wanted to know if this treatment plan was working. So hopefully he'll have the results in his hot, little hands by the time I go for my appointment on Jan. 26.

I found out yesterday my CA-125 stayed steady at 322 from Nov. 8 to Jan. 5. When I expressed dismay it's not going down, B, my nurse, said, "But it's not going up." Harumph.

After the side trip for x-rays, and the visit and recommendations by Dr. W, the chemotherapy itself went well.  My blood levels were great and once we got the thumbs up, the infusions went in without incident in just over three hours.

Today, I feel typically tired, but pretty good. As usual, I'll take it day-by-day and mentally urge those ninjas to fight, fight, fight.

Tina