appetite for nothing

We are now onto our second round of the Xelox. So far it's been ok but Paul is still skeletal and can barely walk across our apartment without running out of breath. Getting him to eat is also a major chore. His taste buds are pretty much fried which is a result of the chemo since it not only kills off the cancer cells but it also obliterates the healthy cells. I've been told that everything tastes like cardboard.

He's slowly regaining some of the weight he lost last month but still it's a slow process and that's with eating full fat bastard foods (still trying our best at this healthier diet but instead of skim milk like we used to have, he gets organic full milk and real butter).

I tried to entice his appetite with some grilled chicken from a Middle Eastern restaurant which is one of his favorites. It didn't go well. Not only did he race to the bathroom before he even managed to get one bite down but he also vomited for the first time since this nightmare started. And now he can no longer even hear about Middle Eastern food or the sprouted bread without gagging so I have to look for other things that might appeal to him. Let's just hope this trend doesn't continue as it could result in him being admitted to the hospital whether he likes it or not.

In the mean time, the oncologist has told us to suspend the Xeloda. Let's just hope that this extended break will help ease all of the side effects and he can feel somewhat normal until his next chemo session in two weeks.