Skip to main content

Caregiver Tip Carnivore as a Nutritional Supplement for Chemo Patients

Texts between me and Arpie (Mathew’s Dad)

Tumor has gone from 14.8 cm x 13.3 cm to 9.6 x 9.2 cm!!!  ******
Sent April 1

Thanks, and thank you for being there,
you’re being able to be there is a comfort, a
  blessing to me and I know it means a lot to Mat.
Rec’d April 1

Thanks Arpie
Sent April 1


******The conversion from centimeters to inches for the previous size to the new size of the tumor is:
         from 5.8 x 5.2 inches  to 3.7 x 3.6 inches


CAREGIVER TIP

Mathew was allergic to dairy, so finding supplements for him to drink was a task. Ensure and the such all had dairy or tasted awful. Mathew’s Dad found the perfect solution.

From Arpie
It is called Carnivore, 23 g protein serving, 
made from hydrolyzed beef concentrate,
has creatine and bcaa amino acids. Tastes very good.
Rec’d April 2




Arpie purchased a large container for Mathew. Mathew took it every day. It lasted the entire 11 months with some left over. I feel it made all the difference. Months later, even when the tumor stopped responding to chemo and Mathew’s counts refused to come back up, one of the doctors commented on how good his albumin level was. Remember I mentioned back when Mathew was first getting chemo and didn’t want to eat, how I recalled seeing cancer patients with swollen ankles and recalled learning in High School biology, that swollen ankles are a sign of lack of protein.

Albumin is a protein made by the liver. It makes up about 60% of the total protein in the blood and plays many roles. This test measures the level of albumin in the blood.”
It keeps fluid from leaking out of blood vessels, nourishes tissues, and transports hormones, vitamins, drugs, and substances like calcium throughout the body.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hair Loss After Chemo for Sarcoma, My Son's Point of View

I can't imagine or pretend to know how it feels to lose your hair because you have cancer and the chemo causes your hair to fall out.  I only know what I saw with Mathew and years ago, my sister Elizabeth's experience as they lost their hair to chemotherapy. But it was something that affected Mathew more than just the initial hair loss, it had nuances. Here is a journal entry. It's short but I think it speaks volumes. MATHEW’S JOURNAL     5-23-14 Lately, I’ve been envious of people’s hair. Well, I guess not envious of other people’s hair but missing mine. I told my Mom about it and expressed to her that I was afraid I was falling prey to vanity. She expressed the idea that I may be missing having hair because it’s part of being healthy. I do miss having a life and at the same time, I’m afraid that I may never have a full life again or that I may lose what’s left of the one I have. -  I’ve been thinking about dying a lot lately. I don’t know why it has hit

The Chemo Bell at Moffitt Cancer Center

Bells ring.  Bells, chime, toll, peal, resonate and resound. Bells foretell, warn and celebrate. The Chemo Bell The Survivor Bell Cancer Centers have one or several large bells, each with a large clapper. They are mounted on the wall and when a patient receives their last chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer they ring that bell. Mathew and I heard the Chemo Bell in the Infusion Center at Moffitt ring one time. Early on our journey. Everyone clapped and cheered. Mat and I stopped and looked at the bell that day and I thought at that time, it was a possibility for Mathew. Bells have a vibration. When a chemo bell rings, when a person survives cancer (even if it’s for a short time) they resound for the rest of us. Their survival reverberates and gives the rest of us hope.  I found another chemo bell on the 5th floor at Moffitt, in the hallway, past the patient rooms.  Next to the chemo bell was a copy of a photo of a patient surrounded by loved ones

Replace the 3 Lumen Pic Line with a Port

Mathew's 3 Lumen Pic Line was replaced with a Power P.A.C. Both Mathew and I were given Medical I.D. cards to carry at all times. I have mentioned before that texting from the DRC is almost impossible. The staff told me it used to be the X-ray department so the walls are leaded. Again, the phone tree would have helped so much. I texted the following information to my niece, my sister and Mathew’s Dad and Stepmom. And probably Joseph and Carlos. I know that could have been reduced to two texts, three at the most. At the time  I didn’t know about group messaging as my phone was an old Android. Texts Between me and Diane Hi. We are at the hospital early because Mat is in a lot of pain.  We think the bill stent may have moved. Sent 3-31-14 Because he was NPO for other  procedure they should be able to fix today. Sent 3-31-14 In the DRC sending texts is almost impossible so if you don’t hear from me for a while don’t worry. If any big pr