Renee Gentzel

FOLFOX is coming my way on Tuesday. Have my port in place, starting my fasting (96 hours total, 48 hours of that pre-infusion) to see if that will help with side effects- same for the ice packs I’ll be bringing for my hands and feet. Ice-chips for the mouth. Aside from the cancer itself, the scariest things I’ll be trying to avoid are the neuropathy and mysterious ‘chemo brain’. 5-FU is one of the chemotherapeutic agents, and I keep thinking of all the many things this acronym could stand for instead of its scientific one.

Verdict: Icing and fasting appear to have worked well! Iced 30 minutes prior to and during (2 hours) the oxaliplatin infusion, no discomfort, no shocks, nausea, or sensitivity to cold. Now on the 5-FU 46-hour infusion. Currently feeling mild bouts of fuzziness/tiredness. I’m hoping this doesn’t mean chemo brain fog. I will definitely fast and ice for Round 2!