Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head

In the ‘70’s, B. Kliban published books of drawings (cartoons) mostly about cats. I was in college and found them very entertaining especially one not particulaly related to cats, Never Eat Anything Bigger than Your Head. The cover shows a man at a restaurant being served a huge mound of food – bigger than his head.

I’m not sure they were influenced by the book but I read an article recently about two brothers who studied the amount of food in various paintings of the Last Supper. While it is the same meal, portions have increased over the past 1000 years.

Apparently even the Last Supper has been supersized!

According to the study's findings after indexing the sizes of the foods by the sizes of the average disciple’s head, they found that portion size, plate size, and bread size increased dramatically over the last one thousand years. Overall, the main courses depicted in the paintings grew by 69%, plate size by 66%, and bread size by 23%. The study’s findings are published in the April 2010 issue of the International Journal of Obesity.

Last night Eunice and I ate something bigger than our heads. We had fried chicken, mashed potatoes and creamed gravy. We thought we’d have leftovers for a picnic today. Didn’t happen; none left. In our defense, Dallas got off work early, arrived home in time for dinner, and also ate something bigger than his head with a proportionally big smile.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Fried Chicken: Use the 4 Steps for Healthy Frying

Mashed Potatoes: My mother's recipe which really just depends on using as much butter and milk as you want for taste and texture.

Cream Gravy: I was going to say it won't kill you but it might - but not from the Tyramine.

Memorial Day Weekend

For me Memorial Day was always the beginning of summer. You got together with friends, had a picnic, maybe there was a parade, and things were good. My father was a WWII veteran and at those picnics he and his friends would “bore” each other with their stories. Our house came with a 48-star flag and we hang it on Memorial Day weekend (and others). As I was putting it out this morning I thought about something a friend, KC, told me a while back - that when I was in an airport (I’m in a lot of airports) and saw someone serving in the military eating at a stand, bar, or restaurant table; I should ask the server for their check, introduce myself, and tell them thank you. I’ve done it a couple of times. Their faces light up and you’ve made a friend and connections to the past, present, and future. Happy Memorial Day!

I'm feeling well and the second cycle is going well. Been napping a little more but that's OK. I have a scan scheduled for next Friday, the 4th and I guess we will get a sense of how things are going. I have mixed feelings about having the scan. If there can be a "good" scan then there can be a "bad" scan. But really, it's the last scan that's most important to me.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Deviled Eggs: Picnic fare. This is my grandmother's recipe and I've tried to add measurements. My daughter dislikes eggs but she loves these.

Welcome to My Yurt

My nephew and a friend each sent me a link that I thought worth sharing. Cory published an article: Dink Shui: The Art of Uncomfortable Living in My Yurt on McSweeney’s, a humor website and publishing house created by David Eggers. I enjoyed it and there are other pieces that are well written and humorous too. Check it out – it’s fun.

Jonathan B. sent me a link to Steve Jobs' 2005 commencement address at Stanford. He sent it to me because of something I said about Ann’s graduation – I think the part about Ann being good about figuring things out and my living with ambiguity. Jobs’ message to the students touches on those themes too. He shares three stories from his own life in his speech. But it isn’t a speech. They are three stories he weaves together beautifully. One story is about connecting the dots, the second about love and loss, the last about death. It’s worth 15 minutes to listen and watch.

I think both Steve Jobs and Cory are welcoming you to their yurt. And with any luck you’ll also get a meal.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Fried Macaroni: A welcoming dish meant to be shared.

Pitching Woo!

The Urban Dictionary defines pitching woo as: To flirt. To mac. To exhibit your game. To woo a hottie. That's pretty much what I meant except their definition makes it seems so contemporary and maybe even acceptable.

I had a steak in the freezer and decided to make it for dinner for me and Eunice. I had made Steak Diane for us many years ago and thought that would be a nice thing to do with a single steak that we could split with an added baked potato. I remembered that I used a recipe in the New York Times Cookbook. When I found the recipe for Steak Diane (page 91) I saw that there was a note: "Very Good. David made 12/83." It was beside the recipe for Steak Au Poivre not Steak Diane. 1983 precedes our marriage by about a year-and-a-half. I must have been pitching woo - and I'm thinking successfully.

Eunice is a remarkable person. Everyone is better off having been touched by her. We went to Paris a couple of years ago and as we were walking to join a boat ride on the Seine I heard the clink of metal on the ground. There is a scam where someone drops a "gold" ring and asks if it is yours, identifies some markings indicating it is "real gold," and tries to sell you the ring. Eunice immediately told the person she was sure someone going to the cruise had dropped the ring and she'd be happy to take it to the boat so it could be returned to its owner. The scam artist was speechless. All he could do was let her keep it. As we walked I told her I had read about this scam and was sure he would come back. He did and asked for 5 Euro. Eunice politely declined and returned the ring to him. The scam artist merely smiled and nodded his head acknowledging her goodness. That's Eunice and that's the kind of support I am lucky to have during my chemotherapy and so much more.

I'm not courageous and I don't think I am fighting a courageous battle against cancer as some people have suggested to me. There is the love and support of family and friends that makes chemo seem a part of you that just is. I think more times than not it is harder for them. I'm just doing my part for Eunice and the kids, trying to have some fun, and pitch a little more woo.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Steak Au Poivre: This recipe is a combination of Steak Au Poivre and Steak Diane. It’s for a single serving that you can expand as you see fit.

I Child-Proofed the House, But They Still Get In

Eunice and Ann are on their way home from Chicago and from what I understand had a good trip. They did a lot of walking Saturday night and Sunday. Visited Millenium Park, the aquarium, ate lunch there, took a water taxi to Navy Pier, walked Michigan Avenue, did some shopping, and had dinner at Pizzaria Uno. Ann's interview went well and she likes the organization, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls and hopes to be accepted for an internship. She liked Chicago and likes the urban setting. Chicago is a great city and I love it there too.

Dallas was home for dinner every night. We had steaks with leftover grape tomato and white bean salad on Saturday , ribs and baked beans on Sunday, and Tuscan chicken with home fries tonight. He was very helpful while Eunice and Ann were gone.

I did paint the bathroom this weekend - a rich red called Salsa Dancing. I probably did a little more than I should have. Got tired and has some low blood sugars. It looks nice but needs a little touch up here and there. I had my Cytoxin treatment today and feel good. I did sleep through most of it recovering from the bathroom painting escapade. Booster shot tomorrow and then off for a couple of weeks. I'm planning a trip to Detroit for work June 7-9, looking forward to doing a little travel, and seeing the folks in Southfield. People like to see you to make sure you are OK. My mother-in-law said I was doing remarkably well and even cheerful. I wasn't taking Prednisone when she was here.

I'm beginning to believe Eunice has warned both kids about the effect Prednisone has on my patience. They are complimenting the meals I make and thanking me for them. I'm a little suspicious. I may have to make a tragically bad meal to test my theory.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Grilled Tuscan Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

Imagonnapaintdabathroom

I'm feeling well during this cycle. My infusion Monday will be the last for this cycle and then the booster shot of Neulasta on Tuesday. The Prednisone is doing it’s work - I have good energy - and the additional NPH insulin does a great job controlling my blood sugars. They are running between 80 and 150 which is great.

I slept well last night for about 4 hours. Sometimes that’s all I need. I fill my time with a variety of things like this blog, cooking, work, needlepoint, gardening, watching Twins games, walking, and so on. Not too exciting. It’s funny how the port gets in the way of little things like driving a car. The seat belt goes right over the port. A golf bag strap would go over the port. Eunice had a bad day and buried her head in my chest where my port just happened to be. Not sure who it hurt more but once I got it out of my lung and we iced her head, things were cool.

Today, Imagonnapaintdabathroom – on Prednisone. I’m not very handy. Oddly enough the one thing I can do is electrical stuff. My knowledge of electricity goes back to my Junior High shop class. I had a “deck” of cards with a scantily clad woman on the front and when someone opened the cards they got an electric shock. My shop teacher found it in class and took a liking to me. The class formed a circle holding hands and he opened the deck and had two students in the circle put their finger on the cleverly disguised conductors that administered a shock that went around the circle. This was great entertainment for 7th graders and I got an “A” in electricity. 1968 wasn’t all bad. We did not cover painting but Imagonnapaintdabathroom. The first coat may be on by the time you read this.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Salmon with Coriander Rub and Lime: Adapted this recipe from Bon Appetit. It was simple to make but a little fussy.

Dilled White Bean and Grape Tomato Salad: Went well with the Salmon and very easy to make.

Home Alone

Eunice and Ann are going to Chicago tomorrow so Ann can interview for an internship, do a little sightseeing, and visit my brother and sister-in-law on the way. They are leaving me home with Dallas which means they are leaving me home alone. I may be able to lure him in for a steak dinner and if that seems like a theme - it is. He'll do almost anything for meat.

I've been grilling a fair amount of food which fits well with a low-tyramine diet. I haven't been adding grilling recipes because it's not like you need help figuring out how to grill something. But maybe you do. I saw a newspaper article on grilled chicken 101 and thought I'd share my grilling preferences with you. As they said in the article, chicken abuse is a sure sign of summer and it's time to end the violence.

I put together some tips for grilling based on what I do and some things in the article. I'll post the tips in with the recipes under Main Dishes so you can read/print it if you want to.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Tips for Grilling

Chemo Brain

I started my second cycle on Monday. The three infusions went fine and I'm feeling good. People ask me how I'm doing. I am fortunate that I have had very few side effects. The biggest one for me is one you can't see or feel. It's Chemo Brain. People have made fun of my memory but in the past I had a great memory. And my long-term memory is still very good. But...

I’ve heard of chemo brain before. Last time I had chemo I experienced a loss of memory or really not so much loss as the ability to remember things especially short term. It’s happening again.

Here are a few examples people call chemo brain I found on a website:
- forgetting things that they usually have no trouble recalling; memory lapses
- trouble concentrating; they can't focus on what they're doing
- trouble remembering details like names, dates, and sometimes larger events
- trouble multi-tasking, like answering the phone while cooking, without losing track of one of them; less ability to do more than one thing at a time
- taking longer to finish things; slower thinking and processing
- trouble remembering common words; can't finish a sentence because you can't find the right words

I have no trouble focusing. If anything I get over focused on what I am doing. I associate that with the Predisone. My favorite question is waking up and asking Eunice, "This is Thursday, right"? Then I know what day it is. It's a good start. I don't do it every day but more often than you might believe.

I've created a list to make sure I take my medications. I check them off so I know whether I have taken them or not. This includes my Lantis insulin which I have forgotten twice. Also the NPH I take with the Prednisone which I also forgot once. OK, I forgot my Coreg at night once too. So the list helps.

Chemo Brain. Google it and see what you find.

I can remember what I had for dinner last night, Fish Tacos. They were very good.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Fish Taocs: I was skeptical at first but no more. Everyone enjoyed them.

What I Like About the Chemo Room

I like the chemo room. I'd prefer not to be here but it's not a bad place. The nurses are great. As a whole nurses are great but chemo nurses specialize in nice. Today I came in and Mary Sue hooked me up, started the Benadryl, brought me a warm blanket, filled my water bottle, and brought me a couple of crackers. And I'm pretty low maintenance.

Benadryl is nice. I get the best nap as they administer the Benadryl. I probably shouldn't count Benadryl as part of the chemo room since it is one of the drugs but the nap definitely belongs. And a big part of the nap is the recliner that has both a massage and heat button. When the warmth of the blanket begins to wane, I hit the heat button to warm the chair. It's necessary to stay warm due to the fluids pumped into you and the lower temperature of the room.

I like the people too. This morning we were talking about names. Ingrid and Vicki go by their middle names. Both of them have the first name of Mary but no one, including their parents, ever called them that. Mary Joan jumps into the conversation. Mary Joan is the wife of another person receiving chemo. She introduced herself as a poet and teaches poetry and English. Her parents called her Mary Jo and wasn't until she started publishing her poetry that people began to call her Mary Joan as that is the name she uses to publish. She believes names are very important and that she almost has two personalities - one for Mary Jo and another for the poet Mary Joan. Vicki relates to this because she had a elementary school teacher who told her name was misspelled and told her to write her name VICKY. She did this until she got married. This is the first conversation of the morning.

The second group conversation involves chemo tips! Syl has replaced Mary Joan. Syl has lung cancer and never smoked. She is concerned that it is time to shave her head but Ingrid tells us a trick. You can use a lint roller to roll your head and pick off the loose hair. She has never shaved her head, only lint rolled it. I found this very entertaining. Hats came off at that point. How many sheets do you have to use? Ingrid uses 4 or 5. The women discussed the use of facial cream on their heads to keep it from drying out. Ingrid also uses neosporin on her head to get relief from the little bumps that form as hair grows back in. Vicki has a great wig and fake eyebrows that you can't tell aren't her own. Rolling your head with the lint roller is declared the Chemo Tip of the Day by acclamation.

Everybody makes an effort to share what they have. Ingrid was here when I had my first treatment a month ago. Her father was here too, visiting from Oregon. They were telling Eunice and I about their breakfast - a boiled egg and strawberry shortcake. They used scones that Ingrid had made for the shortcake pushing in the center of a scone and spooning in the strawberries. The scones absorb the juice without becoming soft and mushy. Her father left to walk the dog and get the recipe for us. LeAnn, another chemo nurse made copies for all of us. I'll share the recipe below.

Nobody leaves without saying good-bye. The scheduler came in and is talking to Vicki so you know her chemo is about done. As she leaves she is sure to tell us all good-bye and good luck. She gives Ingrid a hug. It's Vicki's last treatment; they may not see each other again.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Buttermilk Scones: Try using these for strawberry shortcake.

The House Will be Full

Ann is back from taking a class during the past week on outdoor first aid. And Dallas will be returning home from Ithaca this morning. They'll be home for most of the rest of my chemotherapy and that is nice for me. It's nice to have the house full even though I joke that it is disruptive. I start my second cycle on Monday.

Predictions are that Dallas will be home about 30 minutes before he calls his friend Matt and is off for the rest of the day. I think we can lure him back for dinner with the promise of steak. Matt will probably come for dinner too.

Last night we made risotto - one of Ann's favorite meals. We made the risotto and then took out a portion for me to add things I can have and Eunice and Ann added sausage, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese to theirs.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Risotto: This is a basic recipe that you can be creative with and add virtually anything. I used shrimp and mushrooms.

That's Amore

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore

I been reading articles on MAOI foods and diet and keep seeing that pizza from large commercial chains is OK. The problem is they never say which large commercial chains had been tested. Then I found this:

The forbidden foods on the MAOI diet used to read like a who’s who of all the things that our patients love to eat and drink: pizza, chocolate, brie, beer, fava beans with someone’s liver and a nice chianti (made famous by Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs) and many others. But that list has been changing in recent years, largely due to the efforts of a group of researchers at the University of Toronto who have been measuring the tyramine content of foods commonly contraindicated. To the delight of many patients, they found, for example, that major food-chain pizzas had safe quantities of tyramine, including a Domino’s double-cheese, double-pepperoni pizza (J Clin Psychiatry 1999;60(3):191-193). The serving sizes analyzed were by no means stingy: a half of a medium pizza. Because most pizzas are made with fresh mozzarella, which contains little tyramine, it appears that patients taking MAOIs can indeed enjoy pizza dinners, at least when they are made fresh to order and when the only cheese they contain is mozzarella. Note that some gourmet pizzas may contain other, more flavorful (and thus more aged and higher in tyramine) cheeses and should be avoided (J Clin Psychiatry [letter] 2000;61(2):145).

Last night Eunice and I ordered a Domino's pizza. I didn't do the pepperoni thing but had a thin crust with onions, green peppers, and mushrooms. It was good, kind of a treat, and I didn't have any reaction to it at all. I didn't eat half the medium pizza but had five pieces (squares). I'm also 10 days past when I last took procarbazine so I felt safe doing this. Anyway, it worked for me and is something I can do occasionally especially when traveling.

Silence of the Lambs is one of my favorite movies but liver and chianti (no matter whose it is) are definitely off the list.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Polenta Pizza: I make pizza skins at home but with yeast restrictions can't do that. And while ordering pizza out may be a treat once in a while, making it at home is more fun. This is a simple twist on pizza; any polenta grade cornmeal will work. I found this recipe in our newspaper.

Great West Health Care - Now a Part of Cigna

You've heard of Cadillac health care coverage? Well, we got the Yugo. You know a company is bad when they answer the phone and tell you they aren't who you think they are, they are someone else or least part of someone else. Cigna shouldn't be thrilled to have the taint of Great West on them.

Eventually every thing gets covered or 99% of it. And it takes hours of unnecessary time to make that happen. If I got hit by a bus tomorrow Great West would deny the ambulance because it was not pre-approved. Although they would be happy I'd been hit by the bus because as a company driven by expense control my death would save them money. Perhaps that's why they didn't cover my first cycle of chemotherapy.

They deny any claim first and then we and my physicians must start the paper work and phone calls. I didn't need CT scans because after 5 years they are unnecessary. The fact that I had and still have a living cancer inside of me is irrelevant. Fortunately I continued to have CT scans after contacting Great West (yes, every time) for pre-approval. Guess what they found? See my first post! And let's say you get the CT scan. The radiologist who works in the office that is covered by Great West may not be covered by Great West. So they deny the claim. More letters. Why would the radiologist not be covered? Because Great West is such a pain it costs more to be covered by them than see their patients. That's how I lost my previous endocrinologist of over 20 years. By the way, from what I can see radiology is the best part time job in America.

Great West Health Care - Now a Part of Cigna has no Moral Compass.

I feel better. This may be the best thing Great West has done for me.

Labs

Had labs drawn yesterday and the week before as well. They are good. Yesterday's results had my white blood cell count at 9.0 (normal=3-8.9) and it's OK, even good to be a little high. Hemoglobin is 14.9 (normal=12.5-16.6). Platelets are 155 (normal=113-364). White blood cells fight infection, hemoglobin carries oxygen, and platelets are important for clotting and stopping bleeding. It's good to have all those things. Chemo tends to wipe them out. I had the booster shot to stimulate white cell production and apparently it worked. So I'm in good shape for the next cycle that starts next Monday.

This cycle has been great. I've felt really well, not much fatigue, and good appetite. The only thing that tastes a little funny is tap water. That happened to me the last time too so it could be in my head. I've been drinking a lot of water but also a fair amount of carbonated water (Pellegrino). John sent me an idea for dressing up the water a bit and it is a very nice change of pace. If anyone has an idea for food or beverages please send them to me.

I have been playing around with different types of snacks. Olive tapanade or bruschetta on crackers with cream cheese works. Also Eunice and I made some crackers that I really like. I'll include the recipes below.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Tapenade: Easy to make and tastes great with cream cheese on a cracker.

Bruschetta: Simple recipe and good on crackers as well as toasted bread.

Rosemary Cranberry Pecan Crisps: I love these crackers. A imitation of Raincoast Crisps and a cross between their Cranberry Hazelnut and Rosemary Raison Pecan crisps.

Hallmark Holidays

Today is Mother's Day. We aren't big on "Hallmark" holidays. Eunice and I have a tradition for Valentine's Day and our anniversary of going to a card store, picking cards from the rack, giving the cards to each other, and then returning them to the rack. Ann is coming home tonight and Dallas will be home next Saturday so we've put off celebrating Mother's Day for Eunice until next weekend - she's their mother, not mine. And what a great mother she is.

Ann graduated yesterday. It was very nice. Every speaker said something about how the graduates would remember this day for their rest of their lives. I realized I have virtually no memory of my college graduation. Perhaps commencemnt speakers think too highly of themselves.

We went out to dinner and I realized it isn't as hard as I thought it might be. I had a plain hamburger and french fries. Ordering something to drink caught me by surprise. My concerns over eating out were always about the food not the drink. Diet drinks give me a headache, can't have a beer, caffeine is out, I rarely have soft drinks, so I had water.

Took a snooze in the car on the way home.

Graduation

Ann graduates from the College of St. Benedict tomorrow. She majored in French and History. Last summer one of our neighbors was lamenting that her daughter was starting Junior High School - which is a big deal. Sarah asked why everyone kept asking her if she was ready. I told her they ask because they aren't. I think I'm ready for Ann's graduation but it's a big deal. She is good at figuring things out and I'm pretty good living with ambiguity and that seems to work for us. Eunice told me last night she was accepted for a summer internship with Wilderness Inquiry. Their mission is to make adventure travel accessible to everyone, regardless of age, background or ability. It sounds like a good fit for Ann and gives her a chance to try outdoor leadership on for a summer. She and Dallas have always made good choices and decisions. I am very proud of her.

My parents in-law, Ken and Alice will be arriving for dinner. Paul's Jane and Ben too. We'll all go to Ann's graduation tomorrow. It will be fun to have them and we can also celebrate Mother's Day with them on Sunday. Tomorrow after Ann's graduation I will eat out for the first time. We are going to eat at a family run diner rather than a more traditional restaurant. The food is simple and fresh. I'm looking forward to it.

Last night I made Chicken Fried Chicken with White Gravy for dinner. Eunice went to St. Joseph to pick up some of Ann's things and have dinner with her.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Chicken Fried Chicken with White Gravy: I modified this recipe from one on the Migraine-Free Cooking blog by Heidi Gunderson.

4 Steps to Healthy Frying: That may sound like an oxymoron but I borrowed these tips from Cooking Light. They worked well and little oil was absorbed by the chicken.

Turdulence

This is not a topic for a public forum according to my wife. I’ll try to keep it brief. When Ann and Dallas were little, we were reading The Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. The Watson’s car is nicknamed the “Brown Turd.” I kind of hesitated as I read that and the kids looked at me and asked, “What’s a turd?” I simply said, “It’s a poop.” They started giggling and laughing and it was one of those moments of truth gone well in parenting.

So what does this have to do with turdulence? And what is turdulence? It’s funny and a fact of life if you are having chemo. Almost every drug I take lists constipation and diarrhea as a side effect. C’mon, make up your mind! Constipation is a normal topic of conversation in the chemo room. Nurses ask about it and give advice depending on your situation. HIPPA would probably have a cow because these aren’t quiet, hush-hush conversations. I know the bowel habits of people I’ve never met before.

Drink plenty of water, use stool softeners if needed, and keep a sense of humor. The “transition” or “turdulence” happens Day 11 – 13. And please, don’t talk about it in public.

Biopsies and The Singing Anesthesiologists

Someone asked me about the Singing Anesthesiologists link. My sister-in-law's sister sent that to me. It was just a coincidence that she sent it after my biopsy in April. Somewhere it indicated the anesthesiologists were from Minneapolis and I thought I recognized one of them so naturally I wanted to include them on my blog. Turns out I was wrong. None of them was involved in my biopsy and they are from St. Paul. And apparently they aren't anesthesiologists but rather nurse anesthetists. But I thought the clip was funny and they're not bad.

The biopsy was before I started the blog so I thought I'd backtrack a little. I was hoping (expected?) it would show the lymphoma was the same follicular lymphoma I'd had for years and my treatment would be more along the lines of Rituxan which is a pretty mild form of chemotherapy. But it morphed into a large B-Cell lymphoma and a different, more aggressive treatment plan was required.

I have had three biopsies. In 1996 a mass was found but the biopsy turned out to be benign (probably not a good diagnosis). They did a mediastinoscopy and made an incision below my neck. They take a probe and collect tissue in front of the lungs. Relatively simple and a 3" scar.

The second biopsy was in 1998 after an X-ray showed the mass had doubled in size since 1996. This time there were 3 incisions - one for a scope (camera), one to collect the tissue, and one for a chest tube to help re-inflate the lung. They went through my right side to collect the tissue and got a larger sample for analysis. My lung had to be deflated to get to the mass. A little more invasive and three 1" scars.

The third biopsy was in April - April Fools Day. Somehow that seemed appropriate. Apparently surgeons don't like to take the same route. This time they went through my chest. The idea was to make an incision, go through the ribs, wiggle around the lung, get the tissue, and retreat. Turned out they had to remove a little cartilage between the ribs, deflate the lung, get the tissue, and insert a chest tube. Two scars, one about 1" and one about 4". I was surprised when I saw the 4" scar. April Fools!

I want to say the surgeon was great and did both biopsies #2 and 3 and got good samples. About two weeks later he put in a port for infusion of my chemo drugs. We are pretty much on a first name basis now. Big bump and 1.5" scar from the port.

I don't think I'll be taking my shirt off in public much anymore. I look like I've been in a knife fight and didn't do too well. My scars almost form the "Mark of Zorro" and with a little pre-planning I think the surgeon could have made an artistic statement. Perhaps surgeons should consult with tattoo artists to really surprise and delight their patients.

My son has a tattoo. It's a roman numeral 13 (XIII) on his upper left chest just below the collarbone. It's where my port is. I hope his tattoo always remains undisturbed.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

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Omelet: The Lincoln Del in Minneapolis used to have a cream cheese and corned beef omelette. I can't have aged or preserved meats so I made mine with cream cheese, onions, green peppers, and a chopped up hot dog (uncured).

To the Pain

There is a scene in the Princess Bride where Wesley threatens to fight the Prince "to the pain." The aches and pains did come from the booster shot. Started in my arms, moved to my knees, and then my pelvis and base of my spine. It's more of a big bone body discomfort. It's not really pain but it was a catchy title for this post.

Last time I had chemo Adriamycin was part of the treatment. It's not good for your heart and I had some problems a few years ago. They put me on Coreg which is a beta-blocker. My heart functioning returned to near normal but I still take the Coreg. Beta-blockers block that rush of adrenalin you get when the person sitting next to you in the car screams, "red light!" That doesn't really bother me anymore. For a diabetic the downside is that beta-blockers mask the synmptoms of having low blood sugar. Growing up I could always feel my insulin reactions and was pretty well in tune with how my body felt. I could almost predict my blood sugars based on the taste in my mouth and other things. Coreg took that away about 4 years ago. The Neulasta and its discomfort have brought some of that back for me in the sense of feeling something about how my body is working. Kind of like an old friend. To the pain!

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

Click below for the collection of recipes or for an easy to print copy of a single recipe.

Collection of Recipes

Spaghetti Sauce: We had spaghetti for dinner last night. Eunice makes a great sauce that we've used since before we were married.

Reflections and Recipes

I feel like I've completed my first cycle although there are still a couple of weeks until I start the second one. I had a little soreness in my left shoulder and arm from the Neulasta (white blood cell booster shot) but nothing dramatic. Knees are a little sore (weak?) too. I finished my ten days of prednisone and procarbazine last night and am looking forward to seeing how that effects me the next two weeks. Feeling a little tired, I took a nap yesterday afternoon. I realized I was a little low on sugar and that may have contributed to my fatigue. I'm doing well and will start my second cycle on Monday, May 17. The key thing there is Monday. Being able to move the start of the cycle from Wednesday to Monday is important to me so that I can travel more easily for work. Only the first week of the cycle requires me to be home. Mondays give me more flexibility.

Yesterday we planted two trees. Our community has a program where you can purchase trees relatively inexpensively for planting in your yard. We planted a flowering crab and white oak. We also did a little cleanup around the yard and in the shed and started planning some enhancements to our gardens. We want to incorporate more species native to Minnesota in one area in particular.

We also prepared some great meals. We had ribs, cole slaw, and Bush's Vegetarian Baked Beans (yes, out of a can but the ingredients were OK) on Friday. Saturday we made Bison Burgers with home fries.

Eat Good Food, Be Kind, Tell the Truth

Click below for the collection of recipes or for an easy to print copy of a single recipe.

Collection of Recipes

Baby Back Ribs A friend of ours makes great ribs and we have used it for years. It's not so much a recipe as a prepartation guide. The real recipe is the sauce which I tried to model after Gates BBQ in Kansas City.

BBQ Sauce Sauce ingredients can be a problem for me so I've started to make more of them and other condiments. This sauce is very good and easy to make.

Cole Slaw What are ribs without cole slaw? I didn't want to buy it without knowing the ingredients. This is a great recipe for cole slaw. The spices really make it. The major ingredient is mayonaise so I made my own.

Mayonnaise A little fussy but it wasn't that hard to make. It turned out thin which was fine for the cole slaw. I have since found that I can get mayo with approved ingredients at Whole Foods and will do that in the future. But since I made the mayo - thought I'd include the recipe too.

Bison Burgers Simple and delicious. I really haven't prepared bison often but decided to try it. It's better than beef for burgers - tender, juicy, and so simple to make.

Home Fries Years ago I found hints to this recipe in a mystery I was reading. They are very good and our kids have loved them for years. And yeah, they're great with ribs and burgers.