John suffered a bout of “thrush” in his mouth this last week. It is a yeast infection of the mucus membranes due to his depressed immune system. Mouthwash and meds seem to be controlling it, however, and he reported that once he worked out the timing of mouthwash, gargle, and eating, the relief was almost immediate.
He also reported that Friday was the first day after the second round of chemo that he went without the heavy nausea meds – and he felt pretty good. He has lost almost all of the weight he gained, though, so is now supplementing his food with calorie-boosting drinks. He is back down to 94 kg.
The good news is that food actually tastes like food. Patty made him a tasty lentil and coconut soup and he found that pork tenderloin can be cut up into small enough pieces and, when added to beef broth, makes a nice stew. “I can even taste the lovely pork fat flavour.” he told me.
After getting 21 of his 35 radiation treatments he is still without blisters and manages the fitful nights with his aloe vera mixture. Much of his time includes plenty of napping since he still feels exhausted.
Wilma has gone back home but she and Gary will be returning next week. This means that they will be around for his third and final chemo treatment.
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