This is the first in my series I call Show and Tell. Usually I will tell you about items I have found that make my life healthier and joyful too. Today, we begin with a series within a series – Freebies.
I have noticed from time to time, that there are small piles of books around the treatment area of my Breast Center. I always assumed that they were like magazines in the doctors office, for everyone to share and read during treatment. Not so. It seems that drug companies and some foundations like Look Good, Feel Better, give books loaded with helpful information free.
So as I find them, I will share the information and you can badger your oncologist to get them for you from the drug representative – and if they are worth the effort.
First, I found Beauty Pearls for Chemo Girls, by Marybeth Maida and Debbie Kiederer. Now you can buy this at the Beauty Pearls for Chemo Girls website; just click the link. Or try to get it free from the Look Good..Feel Better Program as my medical center did. Both have a lot more info and blogs on their sites. Look Good, Feel Better tells you more about the program which brings skin care and make up experts to various medical centers for hands on seminars to help you cope with changes to your appearance during chemotherapy.
Another is a free cookbook from Merck Oncology. I do not see anywhere on the net to order so badger your oncologist to ask for a few copies of this book from the Merck Drug Rep next time he or she drops by or click the Merck Oncology link for contact info and they may send it to you or your doctor.
Eating Well Through Cancer by Holly Clegg, best selling author of the Trim and Terrific series, and Gerald P. Miletello, MD is a very good resource book for nutrition information before, during and after your treatment. Divided into sections according to the side effect or phase of treatment that applies to you, the book gives delicious sounding and tasting recipes.
Some subject/chapter headings include: Day of chemotherapy, Sore mouth or throat, High calorie/high protein, and Caregiver just to name a few. My mother is 89 and while she does not have cancer, her dementia precludes her from eating enough so the high calorie/high protein was an unexpected plus; the Ginger Chicken with Black Beans (and Peaches) was delicious and perfect for my Herceptin program which depletes body protein. Win/win.
And I haven’t checked out the Caregiver section yet, being both.
Now I picked up a cancer cookbook in my oncologists’ office once before and the first recipe had cake mix and instant pudding as ingredients. I put it away fast, appalled by the misinformation in it. So not all free-bies are created equal. I will try to tell you about both so you can avoid the bad ones, explaining why I have given the thumbs down.
If you find any Free-bies on your visit to the oncologist, feel free to comment and add to our database, such as it is. Until next time, here’s hoping this helps even just a little.