Detox

So, I've been doing a post-chemo detox. It's nothing special, really. In fact, it's probably how I should learn to eat for the rest of my life. No wheat products. No refined sugar of any sort (no honey or maple syrup). Lots of antioxidants. Lots of greens. Lean protein. Healthy fish. Detox tea. A handful of supplements that support liver and kidney function.

It has only been a few days. It's a challenge. I really wanted those South Side Six gyros my family ate for dinner Thursday. The chicken fried rice I'm making them for dinner sounds wonderful. Yet, I'll stick to a salad with left over salmon bits and some sauteed greens.

However, my body is so full of toxic crap that I must do this for at least two weeks. Chemo works because it is toxic. The most recent chemo regime I was doing came with rules such as "wash your sheets 48 hours after chemo because the toxins seep through your skin" and "massage therapists should wear gloves the first 48 hours after infusions."

It's the cure that kills. Yes, there is no denying that sometimes people die from the cure. It's a risk. Very few come through totally unscathed. To top it off, chemo kills cells, cancer cells as well as healthy cells. Dead cells, like all living organisms decompose. Just like one rotten potato can make the entire cupboard smell for days, decomposing cells, especially nasty ones like cancer cells (or so I imagine), release toxins.

Basically, I'm a walking toxic waste dump.

And that's what I'm trying to remedy right now.

Some people have asked if I have noticed any changes since starting to detox. So far, I've only noticed one change. A change I didn't expect (actually, I had no expectations): my distance vision is much more clear. This started late yesterday. I was driving the boys to a soccer game last night and everything was so clear. Sort of like when you go to get your eyes checked (for those of us who wear corrective lenses) and they do that first "is this better?" And you realize that, yes, you really do need new lenses? It was all so crisp.

Even today I can tell a difference in my eye sight. This one is an annoying one. Because my distance vision is improved, that's affecting my near vision. I feel the strain reading my laptop. Come to think of it, twice yesterday I had to dig out my reading glasses, and I really haven't been using them much lately.

I'm not really sure what to make of this. It's just an observation. Who knows what else I'll observe in the next week and a half or longer.