Google MD and the Ice-Cold Water Situation
🌼 Date: Saturday, June 27, 2026
⚡ Energy: Hydration-focused, but still picky
❤️🩹 Status: Trying to convince my neutrophils to get back to work
🥶 Outlook: If my body wants fluids on the rocks, then on the rocks it is
Thanks to the very prestigious degree I have now earned from Google MD, I have learned a couple of things I can do to try to help my neutrophil, and platelet counts recover and stay where they need to be.
First up?
Hydration.
Of course.
Because apparently the answer to everything is either:
Drink more water.
Eat more protein.
Give it time.
Or all three.
Very original.
Very helpful.
Very annoying.
I have already admitted that drinking enough fluids is hard for me.
Not because I do not understand hydration.
I understand it.
My body needs fluids.
My blood needs fluids.
My platelets apparently appreciate fluids.
My poor little post-treatment body needs all the help it can get.
But I have one very specific problem.
I hate room-temperature drinks.
Always have.
For me, drinks need to be one of two things:
Ice cold.
Or hot.
That’s it.
Those are the options.
On the rocks or steaming.
There is no cozy little middle ground where I sip room-temperature water like a civilized adult.
Absolutely not.
Room-temperature water tastes wrong.
Feels wrong.
Acts suspicious.
I do not trust it.
And after doing some reading, I learned that I may not just be dramatic.
I mean, I am dramatic.
Obviously.
But this particular thing may also be connected to cancer treatment.
Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can mess with taste, smell, mouth dryness, and the way food and drinks feel. Some people get metallic tastes, bitter tastes, flat tastes, food aversions, dry mouth, or textures that suddenly feel disgusting.
And honestly?
That tracks.
Because room-temperature drinks feel almost impossible to me now.
They taste flat.
Sometimes weird.
Sometimes almost thick.
Sometimes like my mouth is looking at the water and saying, Nope. We do not recognize this substance.
But ice-cold drinks?
Those feel crisp.
Clean.
Sharper.
Like my mouth and brain can understand them better.
Hot tea or hot drinks are easier too because the warmth, smell, and flavor make them feel like they have a purpose.
Room-temperature water just shows up with no personality and expects me to be grateful.
No thank you.
From what I read, chemo can affect taste receptors and nerves in the mouth, tongue, and throat.
It can also leave that metallic, cardboard, chemical, or “everything tastes off” situation behind.
Even months later, some of those changes can hang around.
And since my body loves to collect lingering side effects like emotional support souvenirs, I am not shocked.
At this point, I feel like I need a vest or a sash so I can start sewing on little side effect badges.
Neuropathy badge.
Lymphedema badge.
Chemo nails badge.
Nausea badge.
Hot flash badge.
Weird taste buds badge.
Dry mouth badge.
Low neutrophils badge.
If cancer recovery is going to insist on turning me into a reluctant Girl Scout of medical nonsense, I should at least get accessories.
Radiation and chemo can also contribute to dry mouth or changes in saliva, and not having enough moisture in your mouth can make eating and drinking feel harder.
So if ice-cold drinks or hot drinks make it easier for me to get fluids in, then that is what I am going to do.
Hydration does not have to be boring room-temperature water.
Thank you, Google MD.
This was an important discovery.
I also learned something else helpful.
When you are counting your fluids for the day, it does not have to be just plain water.
Smoothies count.
Protein drinks count.
Ginger ale counts.
Electrolyte drinks count.
Other fluids count too.
Obviously, plain water is still great.
Fine.
We get it, water.
You’re important.
But for someone like me, who is trying to recover, keep food down, manage nausea, hit protein goals, and get enough fluids without gagging on suspiciously lukewarm nonsense, knowing that other drinks count too is a big deal.
So I have been trying to be smarter about it.
Gatorade.
Electrolyte additive in my ice-cold water.
Ginger ale.
Protein drinks.
Smoothies.
Anything that helps me get closer to where I need to be.
And yes, there will be ice.
Lots of ice.
Because if my body wants fluids on the rocks, then my body gets fluids on the rocks.
At this point, I am not arguing with anything that helps me drink more.
The whole reason I went down this rabbit hole is because of my low blood counts.
My platelets are doing well, and the nurse said staying hydrated can help keep things moving in the right direction.
My neutrophils, however, are still being dramatic little slackers.
They were not high enough for my fill appointment, which means now I am extra motivated to figure out what I can do to help my body recover before the next one.
Will drinking more fluids magically fix everything?
Probably not.
If it were that easy, I would be hooked up to a Stanley cup IV by now.
But hydration is one thing I can work on.
One thing I can control.
One thing I can do while I wait for my body to rebuild itself at whatever painfully slow speed it has chosen.
So this is my current mission:
More fluids.
More protein.
More electrolytes.
More ice.
Less room-temperature betrayal.
And hopefully, eventually, better numbers.
Because I would very much like my neutrophils to come back from whatever extended vacation they have been on.
They have had enough time off.
The PTO request is denied.
Get back to work.
Tiny Tina has fills to get, camping to enjoy, and a body that needs all departments functioning.
Preferably before the next appointment.
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💗 Tina –
One Badass Day at a Time
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