I have little appetite, but cannot bear to have my mouth empty, the taste of aluminum on my tongue. By my second treatment, I understand why hard candies abound in the chemo suite. It is an unpleasant side-effect of my treatment, one that makes my entire mouth taste like a tin can for about a week after I’m done with a round of infusions. I’d heard about metal mouth from some cancer veterans. Adria is so toxic that it can blister and damage tissue if it escapes from the vein, requiring a well-trained nurse to carefully administer it.
It’s the red devil: Adriamycin, or “Adria,' a drug with a deep and ominous cherry color. I pop in a frozen strawberry, trying to avoid mouth sores and mask the metallic taste, but that only stops me from wanting to eat strawberries ever again. I can taste it as soon as the needle goes in, as if aluminum foil were coiling around my taste buds. I refuse to let chemo destroy my favorite flavors. Facebook Email Deena Zeplowitz: I’ve got my eyes on the long game.
