Life After Chemo

Justin continues to go to monthly check-ups where they examine his body for lumps and withdraw blood to analyze.

He will also have his heart monitored periodically. Monday we went for an EKG and echocardiogram.

 

We also met with a nutritionist to make a plan to slowly transition him from steroid-induced-craving-super-salty-junk-foods to more healthy choices. You can see how interested he was in THAT conversation.

But I am allowing him to make some of his own choices and that is huge. We made a list of foods he likes, with nutritional modifications, as well as some healthy foods he is willing to try.

Part of it is clearly behavioral and habitual. He felt terrible and out of his mind on steroids for 3 years, but french fries made it all better for 10 minutes. He wasn’t given any choice about being sick and in pain and having surgeries and taking needle sticks and living in the hospital, but demanding pizza made him feel a little bit in control of the rotten situation.

So I get this and realize it is a process that will take time. It’s about making fundamental changes rather than dieting.

It’s about working really hard to find our “new normal” as an experienced cancer mom and friend shared with me recently.

May God grant us wisdom as well as His continued undeniable strength. Grace be with you, my friends.