MyWorldMyLife

The night before my first chemotherapy session, I was terrified. Sleep felt impossible. The word chemo scared me just as much as cancer did. I didn’t know how my body would react, and the uncertainty was overwhelming. Everyone experiences chemo differently, what if I had every side effect possible? My husband could see how anxious I was, so he took me on a late-night walk, hoping it would help me relax and go to sleep. I had packed my hospital bag (with snacks, drinks, comfort items, lip balm & moisturizer, headphones & charger and colouring book), but nothing could really prepare me for what was coming. My treatment plan was four biweekly cycles of Epirubicin Cyclophosphamide (EC) - also known as the red devil - followed by four more biweekly cycles of Paclitaxel. Walking into the chemotherapy suite at the Sussex Cancer Centre, I was met with warm smiles from the nurses, their kindness was a beacon of comfort. First came the routine checks: weight, blood pressure, oxygen lev...

I call this my 'Power Salad.' When I was going through chemo, I used this recipe to help keep my blood counts steady and my energy up. It’s packed with iron from the beets and parsley, and I always added orange and pomegranate because Vitamin C is the secret key that unlocks iron absorption. It’s crunchy, fresh, and honestly just tastes like a celebration. I hope you make this whenever you feel like you need a boost. It’s a reminder that we can always find small, delicious ways to take care of ourselves. Ingredients: 2 cooked beets, grated or finely chopped ½ cup pomegranate seeds A handful of fresh parsley, chopped 1 carrot, grated or finely chopped 1 orange Olive oil Pumpkin seeds (for a little crunch!) Instructions: In a bowl, mix the grated beetroot and carrot with the pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley. Peel the orange, remove the white pith, and cut it into segments over a bowl to catch any juice. Chop the orange slices in half and add them, along with the juice, to th...