I am starting another 5 days of IVSM today. Which reminded me to go to the store before the nurse gets here and pick up all of the things I remember needing from the last time I did this. And then I thought I should share this for anyone who is about to go on IVSM. These are things my doctor didn't tell me I needed.
1. Gatorade! Lots and lots of gatorade!You will need all of the electrolytes you can get.
2. Hershey's chocolate bars!Big ones! Why? Because the IVSM causes your blood sugar to go haywire and they best solution is a little bit of chocolate to help regulate it.
3. Cranberry juice. The last time I was on IVSM I ended up on water pills because I was retaining fluid so bad. i gained 7 lbs in 3 days! You need to be able to pee to flush some of this out.
4. Mints. IVSM leaves a horrible taste in your mouth. The mints help you to make it thru the infusion without being nauseated.
5. True Lime water flavoring packets. These are very strong and normally don't taste very good. If you are not hydrated it increases your chances of blowing a vein. My last 5 day round resulted in 6 blown veins. I couldn't drink water because of the taste from the IVSM. The true lime is very strong and helped to override that taste so that I could drink water.
6. Excedrin. Migraines normally hit me when my blood sugar starts spiking and falling. Excedrin helps.
7. Make sure all of your prescriptions are refilled. You are not going to want to leave your house to go get medications if you run out.
8. Movies. I rented a bunch of movies this morning because I know I am going to be home alone and not feeling like moving.
9. Fruit, Veggie, and Cheese trays. I buy the little ones. It helps to be able to eat a little bit every few hours. These are very filling, they help settle your stomach and regulate your blood sugar. they are also a lot more nutritious than popcorn or candy while you are zoned out watching movies.
I am sure there are more things to add to the list, but these are the ones I remembered today. And if anyone else has any suggestions please feel free to comment. Input is always welcome.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
IVSM Survival Kit!
Posted by Alone Time Pleasures at 8:54 AM
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2 comments:
Sounds like you are ready. When I've done IVSM, high potassium foods and low sodium foods are absolutely necessary. I've even taken potassium supplements and it seems to help with the water retention. Hope you have an easy time of it.
Ah, wish I'd seen this a few days ago!! :)
I did find out about chocolate, which helps in a big way. I don't find the mints to be helpful in getting rid of that nasty taste in my mouth, but hot cocoa does wonders for me.
I hope you're holding up and doing well. Is today your last day? I'm on day 3, although I'm waiting for a call back from my doc to find out if I need to take a break due to side effects.
I'm envious that you can do it all at home! Getting myself to the infusion center daily is a major pain. :/
I love your blog, and I'm so glad I came across you!!
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