Symbiosis

It's been a pretty decent day. Side effects and tiredness are not too bad. Good enough that I decided to get out for a bit. I did do one round through my lower body exercises and then I bundled up for a nice walk. It's +1 out right now so I made an errand into a nice escape...it's a 20 minute walk to the nearby mall where there is a Sangster's store, so I set out for my walk. Truth be told, it was about all I could do, but it was nice to be out. I had lunch there and then picked up a probiotic complex for myself and then took the bus back home here to settle in and rest up in the sun with my cat and a cup of tea.

My journey had a reason besides me seeing the great outdoors and getting a sunny walk in. i have been doing a lot of research the last few days into some long term chemo effects and how to mitigate them. One of the main effects is digestive issues -yup, the big C causes constipation and digestive issues. Chemo attacks fast developing cells...which there are a whole lot of in your GI. Add to that me being on cyclic antibiotics and yes, lately I feel myself being "off" more and more. Honestly, I did not understand constipation until I started this poison roller coaster!  (sorry for the tmi) And from what I can see, and have read, as you continue, effects are cumulative. Thing is, besides constipation the biologics in your gut are critical to your overall health-even your immune system.  How you digest and absorb nutrients is what feeds you and helps you heal and thrive. There is even research that IBS and chrohns are linked to screwey gut flora. The wrong bugs aren't symbiotic and you get nutrient defficiencies and yeast infections. From what I have read cancer patients can take years to get back to "normal" or take medications for this for years to come after. I have no desire to spend the rest of my long life worrying about my guts, how I poop and eating lots of prunes. I have better things to do! ( altho I actually do like prunes...)

After much journal reading and study, I have decided to continue with my regular healthy diet with lots of fibre and liquids and to start taking probiotic suppliments as well for the next few months at least until chemo and treatments are done. I never needed to before if I ate well and looked after myself and so didn't really see the point of the probiotic bandwagon then...but am hoping I can help my guts recover and come out the otherside relatively unscathed in 6 months or so.  I will double check with my doc that it's OK. I cannot see why it would not be, but I am not an oncologist.

Sooooooooo, I picked up Sangster's mix of 11 probiotics today and will see how it goes. I figure it's like putting hand lotion on my dry chapped overwashed hands...you do what you can and your body will respond as it can. We shall see :)