Had an Appetite Today!

Today was the first time, for this round of chemo, that I felt like eating!  My sisters made me a slice of french toast and I also relished some lovely bacon.  Who doesn't enjoy a nibble of bacon now and then?  I sure do, and I really did this morning.


I didn't eat much for lunch, but I made some veggies and brown rice for dinner, simmered in a sweet potato and chipotle organic soup.  Oh, it was so good!  Jane went out and grabbed one of the newly grown Serrano chilies, and a good bit of the black opal basil, and we tossed that in, with some red bell pepper, grey Mexican squash, zucchini, roma tomatoes, and I finished it with a little garlic infused olive oil.  Ummmm, it was quite satisfying.  I am not eating lots, but I am eating, and that's a very good sign.  Thursday I was sure I was going to die, and frankly, I almost wanted to, and today, I can think happy thoughts, eat, and mostly agree that I can get through this round of chemo.


It's back to work, virtually, for me tomorrow.  And thank gods for the ability to keep one's mind occupied with doing something responsible and important.  Being productive and useful definitely helps keep me going.  Dr. Ramaswamy, my PCP, asked me on Friday how my mental health was keeping up through this, and I told him that of course, I cried when Dr. Fastenberg told me about the Adrenal tumor and how it had multiplied in size, but I also told him that once I cry, and get it out of my system, I'm pretty resilient.  But believe me, if I for one minute think I'm going to need some help emotionally, I have lots of resources available to me.


One of those is the oncology nurse that calls me frequently to check up on me.  This is one of my work benefits.  She convinced me that I really did need to start taking pain killers for the Neulasta problem, and we discussed how to prevent the same agony after my next round of chemo.  Her name is Beth, and she's in Minnesota, and she's fantastic!  She also helps me keep my prognosis and treatments in perspective.  


I was sorry to read that Harmon Killebrew is ending his esophageal cancer treatments, but I can certainly understand such a decision.  I admire his courage.  Safe to say, I think that decision is still quite a way off for me.  I still have a fantastic quality of life.  One of the other things Dr. Ramaswamy and I talked about was my home situation.  He's thrilled that I have such great care-givers in my sisters; that there is always someone here with me, someone to get me to treatments when I can barely move, someone to make sure I eat, and most of all someone that loves me.  Oh I have that in spades, folks. :)


So, tomorrow starts a new week, and things are looking brighter, and I'm happy, and the pain is settling into my lower extremeties, and not all over the place; I hear that's a sign it's almost over... YAY!  And if the Neulasta works, and I can do my chemo on schedule, .. then yes, even that horrible Thursday from hell was worth it.


Now, love to all; be kind and make someone smile.  

Veggies!

Dean and Wendy are here!  So for dinner last night we roasted a bunch of yummy vegetables (zucchini, jalapenos, Anaheim chilies, yellow squash, asparagus) in a light butter, olive oil and garlic sauce.  Oh they were so good, and the added bonus was that the oven was going. :D

Yes, we're still not using our heater and today's high is only going to be 62.  That's what layering clothes is for, folks. ;)  Oh, and with the roasted veggies, Wendy sauteed some catfish with rosemary.  It was SO good.  So, though it sounds like we were all very good....my oldest sister Cee had brought us MOUNDS of See's Candy when she was here, and we all had a piece for dessert.  Me loves dark chocolate. :)

When I was getting my Herceptin treatment yesterday, my oncology nurse, Tracy and I were chatting.  I was telling her about how I had such curly hair before the chemo.  But I told her that losing curly hair was fair trade off for getting more time, and she asked me if I would come to her Support Group.  She said it would be nice to have someone there with a really positive attitude.  There was one last night, and I told her I could not do that one because my company was here, but I'd go in January.  Apparently they are only once a month.  I can do that.  You never know what you might learn, too.  Anyway, I am MORE than happy to give back to the people at Ironwood Cancer and Research Center. 

Wendy and Dean are preparing to head out to several places around town.  Nancy's going to take them.  I told her to take my Equinox so they can listen to Sirius XM radio... CINEMAGIC FTW!!!

I'm going to stay home and relax a bit.  And keep warm. :D

Love to all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

With bright sunshine and cool temperatures, the Arizona desert gives me much for which to be thankful:  Fresh citrus fruits, fragrant verbena, cactus wrens, ravens, great horned owls, bougainvillea and hibiscus, and occasionally, clean air!

I am especially thankful to have a wonderful, supportive and loving family.  I could not do this cancer without you all.  When I have no appetite you tempt me with morsels no sane person could resist.  When I'm cold, you make me warm, knitted goodies to cover my mangy-looking head. :D

I have eight more radiations to go, for this round.  I think I have four more chemos, also.. for this round.  I don't kid myself that once this batch is done, I'll be good and not need any more.  Still, you know this is a small price to pay if I get another year or maybe more.  I am still hoping to return to work.  Perhaps once we're down to just a weekly Herceptin infusion, I can do it.  But, that's up to my wonderful oncology doctors, and yes, I am VERY thankful for both Dr. Fastenberg and Dr. Tsai.  How lucky I am that I once had a blood clot and Dr. Fastenbuerg was called in to consult.  I don't think I could go through this without such an amazing oncologist.

And the entire staff at Ironwood Cancer and Research Center; how you all do this every day, with smiles and great care  and kindness... simply awesome.  I might be wheeling myself down a hall towards radiation, when no matter who I pass, eye-contact is made and a smile is given.  It might be a small thing, but you can't know how much that smile means to all of us patients.  It means we matter, that despite our illness, someone cares and understands we are HUMANS.

The veggies have been roasted for the salad; butternut squash, parsnips, Anaheim chilies (wasn't in the recipe, but .. hehe, you know... gotta be true to the heritage), garlic, red onions, spritzed with olive oil.  Later, I'll wilt some spinach, toss with the roasted veggies, dress with sun dried tomato vinaigrette, and then top with pine nuts.  Yum.

Also just popped the jalapeno corn bread in the oven.  Cathy and Jane are out working on the bird, which has to be in the oven by 11AM.  We'll have a relatively early dinner just in case anyone needs to go elsewhere for another get-together. 

And now, time to go check that cornbread, and get something else to drink besides coffee.  I'm HORRIBLE at keeping myself hydrated.  I have bad (coffee) hydration habits.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, be safe, be happy and enjoy life!