Well, I wasn't really expecting to write this post, and honestly would rather not. But, it seems one of my incisions from the surgery two weeks ago is infected. That happens with surgery, it's always a risk... and OBVIOUSLY I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow. The good news is a little Neosporin and a band-aid has already turned it around.
Anyway, I figured this was as good a time as any to bring out one of my post-cancer life-hacks.
Remember that I did 5 months of dose-dense chemotherapy back in 2021 because it was 30% more effective, BUT in order to do it I had to rebuild my immune system really fast? Remember how I had to spend 5 months during COVID immunocompromised. Yeah... good times... not really. Anyway, I learned A TON about the immune system.
I didn't study it in the 'man, I gotta pass this test way' no I researched it in the 'how the hell am I going to make sure COVID doesn't kill me while I'm immunocompromised' kind of way. Basically, I don't understand all the systems and the details, but I looked for tidbits of information I could apply in my kitchen.
I'll start with some very simplified basics. I have two parts to my immune system (innate immunity) and (acquired immunity). The innate (what I was born with) includes stuff like my skin, mucus in my lungs, and other stuff. I've mentally simplified it to mean physical barriers I was born with. (Well, my innate immunity has failed since I have cut in my skin which is infected). Next up is the acquired immunity, which I've mentally simplified to mean the little army inside me that ramps up and down when my body has been invaded. (I'm guessing a scientist would say this is a physical barrier too, but common, they're soooooo little).
So, right now, this little army is mounting a massive defense against my staph infection. I need them to win, because otherwise it could spread and become a big problem. I have high confidence in my personal army- we've won a lot of fights together already. But the thing is, the army doesn't just sit around waiting for a fight.
Nope. When there's no fight to be had, the army shrinks to a small fragment of itself. Imagine little templates for each of the different types of soldiers- they have specialties- there isn't just one type. For example there are B Lymphocytes and T Lymphocytes, and phagocytes.
When antigens (the invading bad guys) infect the tissue, it causes my body to have an inflammatory response (this is the good inflammation, not the bad chronic kind) which makes the tissue red and swollen. This causes the damaged tissue to release chemicals like histamine, bradykinin, and prostaglandins. (Get it, antihistamines protect us from our own reaction to allergens). These chemicals are like little sentinels that wave flags for the phagocytes that say "hey, come eat these baddies over here!" the wreckage of this little war is the pus we see on cuts.
Soooo (I'm getting to the point, I promise) Leukopenia is the scientific name for low white blood cell counts (my little army!) and I spent 5 months eating to prevent Leukopenia. Thus, I totally know how to build a little army.
What do we need?
Water. We gotta keep them hydrated!
Vitamin C
Vitamin B6
Vitamin E
Zinc
Selenium
Also, since white blood cells are formed inside my bone marrow, I like to give it a boost by adding more in my diet... via bone broth.
So what does this mean? It means Chicken-Lentil soup is for dinner.
I'm lazy, so this basically means I buy bone-broth (must say bone), I add chicken breast (B6, lentils (zinc and selenium), broccoli (vitamin E), red bell pepper (vitamin C), carrots (beta-carotene), onion (anti-viral), and olive oil (for fun!). I like salt and pepper.
See chicken-lentil soup = amazing little army. Isn't your kitchen awesome?
The Yummy Part. Eating for Life.