In 2008 I was introduced to nutritional supplements to help support my body during and after my cancer treatment. Read more here.
After being reassured by my doctor that supplements would not interfere with my standard medication I decided, with my Mum, to take the plunge and give it a try. I had nothing to lose and thought it would be interesting to see what I might gain.
I started to take the USANA supplements intermittently in the first two weeks because I was still not convinced about their impact and sometimes, I simply forgot to take them. At first I was also struggling to swallow the tablets, causing them to melt a little in my mouth. This did not taste particularly nice but I eventually got used to taking them, I was only 12 years old.
I was surprised though. I noticed my energy levels did increase and I wanted to be more active. My mum also noticed this and helped me get a structure so I would not forget to take them. Once I started to take them on a regular basis the amount of difference it made was significant – although I was still feeling ill I had more up days than down.
The specific type of chemotherapy I was on caused mouth ulcers which where extremely sore. It was very difficult to eat when I could keep the food down that I fancied eating. The hospital tried to supply nutritional drink sachets however, they were not very pleasant. I tried some of the USANA Nutrimeal shake and after a bit of experimenting I came up with a combination that I really liked and could drink throughout the day.
On week three, I started to have a few detox symptoms, my already yellow urine (that’s right, I am an open book!) from the chemotherapy turned even darker!
My mum spoke to the friends who recommended the supplements and they confirmed I just needed to drink more water. Whilst on the phone, they spoke about the other elements of my health and how food, drink, sleep, exercise and trying to relax all have a big effect on wellbeing, and how everything is a chain reaction. Nutritional products are there to support optimal health so getting the basics right was also important.
On week four, and on my intense chemotherapy week where I had to stay in hospital, for the first time ever I felt like doing some things. I had more energy than I had before. One particular moment stood out, the ward let me out for two hours. With the family pushing me around in a wheelchair we visited a local park. I can’t tell you how emotional that felt, as at this point after going through months of chemotherapy already, just the basic things really do matter!
With lots of support around me, the nutritional products helped me gradually change my diet and increased my energy levels. In turn this helped me realise the positive effects of a structured routine. It helped me with my sleeping pattern and made me recognise how important lifestyle choices are. Most of all, I learnt how a mixture of good nutrition and exercise (which does not need to be just in a gym) makes a big impact on overall wellbeing.