A Change of Pace; Round 2

My current plan is to drop almost all of my vitamin supplement intake for multiple reasons:

1. For at least a week, prior to surgery, I am not supposed to be using ANY supplements. After 6 surgeries, I'm still not sure why I can't use vitamin supplements.
2. The cost of buying supplements.
3. The waste (given my minimal disabilty income) of purchasing single vitamins (A, C, D, E, etc.) and a multivitamin is a little much.

Well, my first reason is probably my least impactful. back in March, when Surgery 7 was originally scheduled, I stopped my vitamin intake. When the surgery was canceled, I went back on my use of supplements. The main reason that I'm thinking of this is that I will eventually have to stop using the supplements prior to the surgery - whenever it finally happens.

The second reason is a little more impactful. With the current situation, income is very limited. The last thing that I need to spend it on is my supplement intake. 

The third reason is just by my own choice. I found a good multivitamin through Vitacost. It uses 2 capsules per day, according to nutritional info. My goal was, and still remains, to use one per day just to insure the intake of the vitamins. It also increases the number of days that one bottle wil last.

So, after I run out of my current stock on hand, my plan is to stick to the multivitamin and the vitamin D until the week before my surgery final occurs. After that, I will re-evaluate how things are going...

Chemotherapy Begins...

Not an exciting title to this post. Sorry...

Today, 11/16/18, I began the PCV chemotherapy and I decided to log my experience with it. I will be  updating the post as the day progresses and will continue to do so in my real-time.

Day 1 - prescribed:

Lomustine/CCNU, 210 mg (for chemo)
Doxycycline, 100 mg (for previous infection)

5:30 AM - The only thing scheduled for PCV today is one dose of the "C" - lomustine/CCNU (210 mg). Taken on an empty stomach. I was supposed to have a prescription for ondansetron (Zofran) (8 mg) to treat any nausea caused by the lomustine - taken 30 minutes before taking the "C" - but the prescription wasn't issued in time for me to pick it up, yet.
I'll brew some pau d'arco/taheebo tea for the day (my plan is to brew enough to fill one of my 64 oz. growlers for later use).

11:00 AM - So far, so good. No reaction to the "C" but the morning got away from me and I am just getting my breakfast! I was not intending an intermittent fast. I'm taking my multivitamin with my 'brunch.' We'll see how it goes.

5:30 PM - Just got back from the pharmacy to pick up the ondansetron prescription. Fortunately, I haven't needed it! Prepping/eating dinner. So far, I haven't experienced any nausea. With my dinner, I'm taking niacin (500 mg), potassium (200 mg), omega-3 (1500 mg), vitamin D3 (2000 IU), vitamin E (400 IU), and vitamin K2 (100 Mcg).

8:30 PM - Snack for dinner. Supplements: niacin (500 mg), potassium (200 mg), magnesium (160 mg), omega-3 (1500 mg)

10:30 PM - doxycycline

The Key to D

Vitamin D - specifically, D3 - can be acquired 2 ways: through sunlight and through food and supplements.  As such, I'm giving you 2 songs on this post. The reason - technically, 2 reasons - that I'm using the first song might be more evident than the second song. It is "Waiting For the Sun" by The Doors. Reason #1: the sun is a fantastic source of Vitamin D. Reason #2: The "D"-oors! OK, it may be a silly reason, but there is more behind my choice of The Doors. Vitamin D isn't as simple as it may seem and you should have a key to unlock the 'D'-oor - hence, the title of this post.
The second song that I chose is "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down. There are also a couple of reasons why I chose this song. Of course, 'D'oors but also because of '3.' Vitamin D3 is really what we want to acquire through food and/or supplements because it is more absorbable/effective than D1 and D2. As well, D2 is synthetic and should be completely avoided! Title of the song also has multiple reasons for its selection. Vitamin D supplement could be your kryptonite if you don't, properly consume it (if you don't know the reference of kryptonite, look up Superman...). So, how do you properly supplement your Vitamin D? Consume it with Vitamin K! Get it? D3 - 3 Doors, K - 'k'-ryptonite? OK, so kryptonite is harmful to Superman/Super Girl but Vitamin K is beneficial to us... Still, I couldn't resist using this song.

So, I may have been a bit off by stating that K is the key to D, but if you are supplementing with Vitamin D3, you really should also supplement with Vitamin K2.

Essentially, taking Vitamin D as a supplement can lead to too much calcium in your blood. This can then cause the hardening of your arteries! Rather than spending too much time to describe all of that here, I recommend that you check it out HERE - the Vitamin D Council website.

What does Vitamin K do for us?

Here's what Dr. Andrew Weil says about Vitamin K:

"Vitamin K is an essential nutrient necessary for responding to injuries – it regulates normal blood clotting. In addition, by assisting the transport of calcium throughout the body, Vitamin K may also be helpful for bone health: it may reduce bone loss, and decrease risk of bone fractures. It also may help to prevent calcification of arteries and other soft tissue."

While it isn't quite the key to Vitamin D, Vitamin K reduces the potential for negative side effects and improves the definite benefits of supplementing with Vitamin D.