My news of the day
Friends, I have something toshare. If you look inside my fridge tonight, you will not find the usualleftovers from a family dinner nor the half-full bottle of chardonnay. Instead youwill find yogurt, applesauce, chocolate protein drinks, and some non-alcoholicwine. A lifetime of drinking wine has come home to roost, and I am facing a fightagainst a small throat cancer. Not to worry: we caught it early, and the curerate is high. The next couple of months will be difficult—a soft diet, lots ofspecialists to see, six weeks of radiation, but after that I am confident oftaking up my life again. At this point, beyond a definitive biopsy, I will notneed chemo or surgery. I will always be at my computer, and I plan soon to beback in the kitchen.
In fact, I’ve been making alist of foods that go down easily. My list can get pretty imaginative—smoked salmonwith cream cheese, chopped liver from Carshon’s Deli, polenta, tuna salad, eggsalad, a loaded baked potato without the bacon. Tonight Jean brought pasta witha marinara sauce—she very considerately asked what I thought about meat andmushrooms, and I opted for the marinara—it was rich and tomato-y and absolutelydelicious. She had simmered it for over two hours until it was thick and wonderful.Another friend has offered to host me the next time her retirement communityhas a creamy soup entrée. I have lost a few pounds because I was not swallowingsolids, but now I see my way forward to some quite good meals. And I’m hungry.
I can not ever again have analcoholic drink. Oh, wait! The doctor said maybe on my birthday. But my days ofenjoying a couple of glasses of chardonnay in the evening are over. This has beencontroversial, with several friends saying they never heard of alcohol causingsuch tumors. But the new doctor, an ENT specialist that I like and respect, wasquite firm, and I will follow his orders. Statistics on survival really supporthis position, and I want to be around yet for years to come. Yes, I knowhundreds of people who drink more heavily than I ever did and never developtumors. Good for them—but it happened to me.
Benji is a great comfort. Ithink he senses something is wrong, because last night he was all over me—in mylap (for which he is too long and leggy), head resting on my leg, lying on thefloor watching me. When I went to bed, he ostentatiously lay on the floor nextto the bed. Tonight he has not been quite so attentive—he got into hisfascination with the motion-activated garbage can and then he paced thecottage. He is confined to quarters because he barked so much, but he is quietlylying in his crate on the other side of my desk. I find his presence a comfort.
Jordan and Christian have beentremendous support, and doctors’ visits have become family affairs. Jordanmakes lists of doctors I have to see and things that must be done, and shesupervises what I eat—why won’t that child let me have chopped barbecue?Christian has run so many many errands—returning this that I ordered, pickingup prescriptions, scouting out a new pharmacy since ours is closing. Thisweekend my other three children will be here for an event marking Jacob’s highschool graduation—but also to rally around their mom. I couldn’t be more blessedand more grateful.
So, my friends, if I’m hereagain and gone again, more irregular than usual in posting blogs, I ask you tobear with me. Minor and temporary lifestyle adjustments coming up, but all willbe well. Prayers are of course appreciated.
PS Please note that I still have a new Irene in Chicago Culinary Mystery, Irene in a Ghost Kitchen, coming out in late June. It's not on Amazon yet but will be soon. Watch for it--it's got family secrets, French food (and lots of recipes), one bad dude, and enough mayhem to make you turn the pages (I hope). Given the direction my writing has taken of late, it's fitting that I frame my current situation in the context of foods I can eat, don't you think?
