Making lemonade (metaphorically speaking)

In a couple of weeks, I turn 43. When I was 20, I was diagnosed with cancer for the first time. Since then, in the last 23 years, I have undergone chemo/radiation 5 more times. Most recently in May of this year, when my Dr. found lesions growing on my stomach.

Yesterday, I found out that there are lesions growing on my kidney. I start another round of chemo/radiation on Monday.

In the 20 plus years that I've had to deal with this, the treatments have gotten better and better. It's no longer a vomit inducing nightmare, but a really "have no desire to eat" kind of feeling. That and a really nasty metallic taste in the mouth that makes eating more of a chore than fun.

So, since I got handed some lemons so to speak, I thought I'd make some lemonade...lol

My Dr.'s office is in the Garland Building, so after the bad news yesterday, I went to Heaven on Seven and had a bowl of gumbo. The waiter screwed up and kind of forgot about me and comped my lunch!
For dinner, I had an organic chicken that I rotisserie grilled, deboned and made burritos.

Today, I went to Mama Kitty's for that biscuit and gravy/hash brown/egg extravganza but they were closed... so I hit wishbone instead. Skipped lunch but am about to pick up Mr Delk and hit Ed's potsticker house. I've never been and can't wait to try it!

Tomorrow, we have dinner reservations at Alinea! Gonna take the other half to Ramova (been eating there sinced the '60's) he's never been, for breakfast.

Haven't planned Sunday yet....any suggestions?
At 8PM the fast begins, in the morning my first of a minimun of 5 treatments begin. Hopefully in October, I can enjoy eating again.[/i]

When I had chemo, I found that I could best tolerate sour, salty, and spicy foods. When my Mom had chemo, she had to literally force herself to eat, and so we tempted her with fresh berries with heavy cream and granola, summer puddings, also she liked simple things like a casserole of grilled mediterannean type veggies with LOTS of fresh mozzarella or a soup that could take a BIG dose of cream or sour cream (like schav or cold borscht).

So everyone is different.

That said, if I were facing it again I would use my pre-chemo time to eat sinfully rich things that wouldn't appeal to me at all during chemo.

I don't know if/how that helps with a restaurant recommendation, but it's the way I'd be thinking.

Good luck!

Delk,

I really hope you enjoy Ed's tonight. The family and I were there earlier this week and it was hopping. As always, we were very happy with our meal.

Bon appetit et bonne chance,
Antonius

It sounds like you have most of the food groups covered. The only things missing from your feast is some good Thai food (maybe TAC Quick or Spoon) or some BBQ from Barbara Ann's. Good luck with the chemo. I'll be thinking happoy thoughts for you.

Hi,

AFter a grueling day on Tuesday, I took my DAd to Ed's Potsticker House. Be sure to get the Chinese Menu rather than the American. My Dad was surprised this was one of the two menu places I've talked about.

My Dad loves the crispy fish with sweet sour sauce. I love munching on the crunchy fins and tail. I finally got an explanation for the Eggplant in Fish Flavored sauce. There is no fishiness to the sauce, though it is the typical sauce Chinese use for fish, hence Fish Flavored Eggplant.

Ice cream! Lots and lots of ice cream from Mario's Italian Ice to something wild with lots of whipping cream on the south side.

delk:

good luck with your treatments. You really do have a great food weekend planned!

I'm not sure what sort of Sunday breakfast/brunch you might be in the mood for after Alinea the night before -- and you seem to have already covered the traditional breakfast options -- but here are three ideas:

1. tacos and pupusas at the Maxwell Street Market. The weather forecast is for a high of 75 and sunny. Probably the most perfect weather of the year.

2. brunch at North Pond Cafe. (Didn't you say you had never been?)

3. The Turkish breakfast at Turquoise. I haven't tried it myself, but Mike G's post made it look great.
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3536&

Again, good luck. I hope that Lake Tahoe trip is still on.

Amata

Just a quick note:
Got out of the hospital yesterday. Because of my past history, my team felt that an aggressive approach would be best. Underwent two grueling radiation treatments. Will know in a week if more are needed. If so, they will be minor in comparison to what I just endured.

I feel a bit crummy. Not much of an appetite and horribly dehydrated. Mr Delk has been saintly, from holding my hand, accepting my fears and aggresively watching out for me to bringing me Jamba Juices, McDonald fries (I know, I know...cut me a break, stress brings out the worst in oneself...lol) and taking all my knives in for a sharpening!

Thanks for the thoughts, I'm on the mend!

xxoo, Steve

What, no raw peppers? No sprouts? For shame! Just so you know, even those of us who haven't said so and don't know you, but who read what's posted here, are thinking of you and pulling for you. As to food and illness (and heavily processed stuff) I was quite sick when I was a kid with a throat/mouth infection that left me unable to eat much solid food. My mom, not much the cook, didn't fix me up batches of homemade chicken soup, but she did provide me with lots of what was then a new product on the market-- Lipton's Cup O' Soup. I recall I really liked it a lot at the time, but once I recovered I never wanted to see dehydrated soup again, and to this day I can't see anything like it without feeling really ill. Now that I'm writing this I can see the roots of my aversion to processed food. Good luck -- hope the fries and Jamba Juice do the trick for you!

haha....My man has a cushy job that has hot catered lunches each day plus has free snacks. Lots of them, most of them crappy processed junk like every type of pop tarts....

Anyway, about a year ago, I mentioned "Spaghettio's" (uh-oh) Something along the lines of, "You know, it may be a nostalgic taste of my '60's childhood, or a reason to gargle and brush my teeth, but I don't think I've had Spaghettio's since 1972 or so."

"Well", Barry replies, "we have it at work, want a can?"

He brought home two cans...the first one was just out of the can, two spoonfuls were more than enough to make me understand why it had been thirty some years since I last indulged.

The second can got doctored...heh! Chopped some onion, celery and garlic. Grilled some sausage from Gepparths. Added some '71 Chianti. Grated some cheese. Roasted peppers....every damn trick in my book...

The result?

Fancy crap....yet crap nonetheless!

Thanks for the thoughts, I know on some level it DOES help, and a good laugh is as healthy as anyone could ever hope for...

Now, I'm compelled to make Barry get some Lipton's....

Sounds like a good standard recipe:

Open can of spaghetti-o's.

Chop and fry some onion, celery and garlic. Grill some sausage from Gepparths. Add some '71 Chianti. Grate some cheese. Roast peppers.

Throw out can of spaghetti-o's.

Mix rest together. Enjoy.


All the luck in the world.

Think twice about throwing out those spaghetti-o's. You never know what's really lurking in your plate of pasta: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/arts/design/29mons.html