Quote:
Originally posted by AKA_Monet
Although I am no expert in this, your mom is cold sensitive because she lost a lot of "fat cells" with the chemo... Fat tissue insulates organs and are environmental sensors--hot/cold exposure. How these fat cells work is under intense research, because 1) they can become cancerous rapidly; or 2) they affect other organs causing chronic disease, such as heart/renal failure and attack, diabetes, obesity (if they enlarge), etc...
Your mom may have a genetic predisposition that was unknown at the time of her diagnosis that her fat cells are highly responsive to the drugs... I would demand they keep tabs on that by measuring blood glucose levels, because sometimes the side effects of chemo drugs is diabetes and fat cells play some role in that process... Just tell them to keep an eye on it...
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I think that the sensitiveness to cold is a side effect that is directly from one of the chemos (pos. the pill one) because she is not sensitive during her 7 days off. She was also already diabetic before the cancer. One of her meds (gluecophage (sp?) ) masked all the signs and symptoms until she had the very rapid weight loss. She has been taken off of almost all of her blood pressure meds. and diabetic meds. She still keeps track of her sugar levels and is very aware of what she eats. Right now, her goal is to start putting weight back on. It is hard because she doesn't want her sugar to get out of control and a lot of the sugar replacements they use now (sugar alcohol) she is allergic to. She eats a lot of atkins protein bars and shakes inbetween meals. I am sure all of this complicates everything she goes through. I know how hard it is for me to handle, I can't imagine what she goes through.
Carnation~ hang in there!