There’s this relationship tool called the “5 Love Languages” — you can take a simple test to see what your love language is. I am overwhelmingly “Acts of Service” — if you clean for me; you basically have my undying devotion.

It’s a fun way to understand how you show and want to receive love, and if your partner is nice enough to take the quiz as well, you can accommodate their Love Language. Harmony is born! Life just got easier! You can finally understand your partner!

Or something.

I bring this up because choosing to continue along with keto (nearly 8 months now), I realize my love language for this particular area of my life is “Words of Affirmation.”

I need constant reassurance that what I’m doing makes sense. You know, that the juice is worth the proverbial squeeze.

Because why bother with a painfully restrictive diet, if it’s really not making the progress you envisioned?

Which is why it was so refreshing to talk to a Kaiser oncologist (Dr. Ellis) who was not only knowledgeable on the topic of the ketogenic diet and how it applies to cancer treatment; but was EXCITED about it, too! (The Kaiser hoops I had to jump through to get access to him… that is a story for another time.)

We ended up chatting for more than 30 minutes, and I came away with some good ideas on how to keep up the keto, allow myself some flexibility, as well as aid the chemotherapy I’ve receiving.

The long and the short of it is this: the experiment continues. One concrete action item I will take is reducing net carb intake for 48 hours after receiving my infusion. There’s strong evidence in a study from 2015 around ketogenic diet and calorie restriction to help aid the efficacy of chemo, as well as minimizing side effects, in brain cancer patients.

So yes, sign me up for that minimizing side effects thing. And obviously, the making the chemo work better part.

Essentially, Dr. Ellis told me he wouldn’t change much about what I’m doing (*pats self on back*). He clarified some things around what being in ketosis means, to maybe check out the glucose ketone index calculator to see how much I can play with my sugar intake (all I want is an apple, FFS), and to test, test, test to really understand how my body responds to what I put in it.

Here’s to more spreadsheets.

In the words of my Reddit friends: KCKO (Keep Calm and Keto On)

* * * * *

Administration

We’re well into round 2 and the infusion nurse insisted on a proactive approach to the nausea. So, Zofran, ho! With a side of stool softener. Because it always seems to come back to poop.

Every single time.

I’m currently in the “suck zone” where I’m exhausted and nauseated and very few things appeal to me. But, I still love coffee, and I made this amazing egg casserole thing with sausage and mushrooms, and that’s been my lifesaver this week.

I met with Dr. Tewari yesterday, and he was pleased to see the Doxil hadn’t caused any visible issues with my hands or feet. I’d go as far to say he was pleasantly surprised. So, it appears I’m tolerating the treatment — now we just need to see if the treatment is bringing down my blood markers. I’ll get that test in about 3 weeks, and we’ll go from there.

So more wait and see. Once one problem disappears, another emerges in it’s place.

* * * * *

Meditation

I have meditated 110 days in a row. Besides being married, I can’t really think of anything that I’ve done consecutively for that long. Here’s the wisdom I’ve garnered this month:

1. We can’t let go of emotional tension unless we are first aware of it.
2. Instead of engaging with an emotion, observe it. Feel the physical sensation of that feeling, be fully aware of it and allow it to come to the surface. Don’t deny that part of yourself. But, at the same time, don’t get stuck in it.
3. There is no end to the journey of the mind.

All easier said than done & understood.

Just keep moving forward. XOXO