Reading list

I’m lying on a hospital bed enjoying the second chemo session of the second program.  I’ve been fasting again.  The last time I ate was exactly two days ago.  There are still 30 hours to go.  The reason I’m enjoying chemotherapy is that I can lie in a bed without anything to do.  I feel pretty weak.

There are also reasons why I’m not enjoying chemotherapy.  The tiredness is one of them.  I’d much rather be energetic.  Instead of falling asleep to assorted podcasts, I’d like to read or do hospital office.  The other reason is the atropine injection I get before the irinotecan transfusion.  I don’t like needles any more than I did before I was diagnosed with cancer.

My chemotherapy takes just short of four hours.  I sleep through a good share of it.  Walking to the bus afterwards wakes me up a little.  I’m still weak but more alert.  Before I go home I stop by the grocery story for provisions for when I can eat again.  I buy cheese and olives and salami.

At home I get an email from a friend.  He recommends vitamin C and attached a paper that makes the point that fasting and high doses of vitamin C act synergistically in KRAS-dependent cancers.  This is very interesting, but I don’t feel up to reading the paper and two relevant references tonight.  Something for when I’m well-fed.

Even without reading I know that the story of vitamin C is an interesting one.  Some people take it in high doses to prevent all sorts of ailments.  Its antioxidative effect has something to do with it, I seem to remember.  I also remember that too much vitamin C can promote cancer.  Put like this, this is very confusing.  I haven’t read enough on this, but I’m open to changing my strategy as I learn more.

I might have to change my strategy anyway.  This morning, I weighed a bit less than two weeks ago.  This might be an effect of my not riding my trainer anymore.  Without rigorous workouts, I might lose muscle in my legs.  If that’s the case, my weight should stabilize soon.  If it doesn’t, it would indicate that I’m not compensating for the lost calories in the time between two fasting sessions.  This would not be acceptable.  It would not be compatible with a successful therapy.  I need to be strong.  I might have to change my diet from periodic fasting to a fasting-mimicking diet.  This is an established alternative that’s easier on the body, and it’s what was used in the paper mentioned above on the beneficial effects of vitamin C.  I’ll have a lot to read over the weekend.