Pinnie the Wig wonders

Oh boy! The steroids are keeping me a going and a going tonight. It is generally the day or two after treatment that you feel horrid so here's how I prepare to dodge the immenant side effects (as well as the box sets such as Treme and Mad Men - they definitely help!):

The worst I find is feeling sicky, so I protect the gut with mucilaginous foods. If you can stomach it, slippery elm powder lines the digestive tract, but it is gross. Oats in everything. Leeks and seaweed, my preferred choice also contain mucilages.

For the moments when you feel peckish and pukey at the same time, frozen smoothies packed with fruits are a delight!

I'm a little worried because my acupuncturist has gone away for three weeks but so far I have sworn by an hour of needles and 'whale song' to keep me going. I use sea sickness bands that you can get from most big supermarkets which I have found very helpful too.

A sore mouth is another hurdle which I don't enjoy but I get over it by applying pineapple or papaya to the ulcers. Their protein enzymes break them down and they sure are a delicious cure. I'd compare it to having Calpol as a child but wouldn't go quite as far as faking it to have some!

Exercise is very important, even when all you want to do is liiieeee in beddddd. It gets the drugs pumping round the body and I promise makes you feel a lot better! When I'm feeling pretty rubbish I do three ten minute walks.

I'm going to channel my steroid infused high elsewhere now so I'm ready to practice what I preach tomorrow, so until next time...