28. The taste of...

I read some advice in the Breast Cancer Care discussion forum about eating ice lollies during chemotherapy to reduce or prevent loss of taste. Checked it out with nurse T who explained that they used to provide lollies once but the evidence was that it didn’t work unless (like with the cold cap) your mouth was numb with cold throughout. I’m not the best candidate for numb! So I left my lollies at home.

Next time, I’m trying lollies regardless:
Apple juice - tastes like salt water
Sweet golden raisins - taste like salt
Lucozade Sport (lime and lemon) - taste like apple juice ie. salt water
Delicious blueberries - a salt burst on every bite
Chocolate - tasteless
Tea - pretty tasteless (unless 2 sweeteners, then yuk)
Banana - back to tasteless slime but necessary for bigger or dry medication.

Butter is proving ok. I add it to tasteless mashed potato, green veg. Of course it tastes of salt but at least it’s real, not imaginary.
Gravy is good - proper salty.
My flavour-free toothpaste - tastes of salt!

My current salvation is accidental - thanks to Anne offering me one in the car coming back from chemo. Starbursts. Ok, they taste increasingly salty but there’s a hint of flavour and sweetness and they’re juicy. I’m still working out the best way to unwrap them in under 60 seconds - it’s like Mars know they’re bad for your teeth and add a deterrent!

Then I need mouthwash (chemical and salt) or water (strangely saltfree but doesn’t taste like water should). Must look after my dental hygiene as I don’t fancy treatment right now.

No wonder my appetite is struggling. Oh, it’s always a struggle given my phobia but chemotherapy isn’t helping. I’m one of the unfortunates who can’t resort to highly spiced foods, which seems to be the preferred option on the forum.

Pineapple’s optimistically back on the shopping order (melon was a flop), along with cooking apples, lemon and eating apples. All recommended. Will they taste of...salt? I’m staying optimistic for now.

I’m beginning to turn into a bit of a moaner. Stop it Jan!