Food & dex, their point of entry, & docs

The queue at Tartine bakery

Ideally I would have a veg-intensive whole grain vegan diet, perhaps with some sustainably-acquired fish. But I'm not doing that, at least not all the time. I'm also not sweating it. Eliminating very sweet foods is my main food project, and I feel that is very good for me, and the rest of it is good enough.

However in spite of my exercise regime, which I am enjoying and benefitting from, my waist has grown about an inch lately. Too much eating out combined with too much eating no doubt! Well I just had a pot of veg with seaweed and miso. It felt great.

Sleep last night was crap. I couldn't sleep for ages, and then when I did get to sleep I woke up every half an hour or so.

Mt. Davidson, the highest point in the city
(928 ft /282 meters), looks like this when
it's sunny in the Mission

I was at UCSF hospital yesterday visiting a friend of Karunadakini's who is being treated for multiple myeloma. We had a great chat. Among many other things I remember how fondly she spoke of "Dex" (short for dexamethasone, the steroid)...

Since then my whole mouth started hurting, mostly my tongue. I was wondering if I had caught something at the hospital. A friend asked if it could be thrush. After looking it up I feel that it probably is. About.com says:

Oral thrush can occur in people undergoing chemotherapy, especially in those who are prescribed steroids. It is caused by Candida albicans, a fungus that is found naturally in small amounts in the body.

The main dietary guideline is not to eat sugar...hm...going to try some home remedies like raw apple cider vinegar and probiotics. Will call the oncology nurses tomorrow and see what they say.

I sent a thank you to Dr. Littel for the info about my scan Thursday, and he replied:

You're welcome. Best wishes going forward. Dr. Nelson is a very good doctor as well. 

I started off with kind of a bad feeling about Dr. Nelson, after hearing that she didn't want to give me the scan results until meeting me, even though that would mean I had to wait a week for them. But I hope I like her in person, as switching to her would be most simple. Among other things I need to ask if she's cool with the acupuncture & herbs, as I feel that is an important for me.

I've been writing down my symptoms since Day 1 of this chemo cycle, because based on past experience, I don't remember most of what's gone on by the time I'm talking to a doctor.

Tong and I went for a walk up on Mount Davidson (with the big cross on it - you can see the hill but not the cross from Twin Peaks, weather permitting) but it was so muddy and cold we had to abort and go to the hill at the Randall museum. It's nice going about with a local who knows where stuff is. (Tong grew up in San Francisco.)

...So much of how well or badly I think I am doing is really just a comparison to someone else - without even knowing I'm doing it - either to people who aren't sick, or sick people who seem worse off than I am. And yet, my health is always exactly what it is.

I just wish I could sort out my point of view once and for all...