Fixation

My chemo cookbook consists of five staples, with little-to-no variation.

1. Cream of wheat for breakfast
2. Peanut butter sandwich (with a touch of honey) for lunch
3. Steamed rice or boiled potatoes for dinner
4. A scrambled egg or two for some added protein…when I don’t feel like I am about to hurl
5. When I get a little crazy and adventurous, I’ll splurge on a banana for a snack

I already documented my previous food follies and their…consequences… which still serves today as an effective deterrent on any future kitchen expeditions.

That hasn’t stopped the stomach from what the stomach wants.

Therefore, to satiate my culinary cravings, I have turned to binge-watching cooking shows on Hulu (Jamie Oliver’s Quick & Easy Food is my current fav) and Netflix (too many good shows to call out just one), while also obsessively following the best YouTube cooking channels (Binging with Babish is da bomb – the chef recreates foods from favorite movies and shows) and constantly viewing recipe GIF after GIF on Tasty.

Psychologically, watching food being made fills ma belly and helps pass the cravings. I sure hope I am able to return to a “normal” diet, if only briefly, when my infusions finish in about three weeks.

As the doctor’s say, my stomach and intestines right now have the tolerance like that of a 6-9 month old baby due to the chemo’s effects on my healthy cells along with the cancer.

Of course, my diagnosis continues to lead the tectonic shift in the way I eat as I read about the growing scientific and medical evidence on the diet and cancer links. And not to forget the changes my pending stomach surgery will dictate concerning my future nosh program.

I meet with my oncological surgeon in about two weeks to discuss what comes after this first phase of chemo and when I can anticipate being cut open.

I pray my post-chemo, pre-surgery stomach can handle some of my favorite foods (Chik-A-Fil chicken sandwich I am dreaming about you, chased with a big scoop of gelato di nocciola). It may be the last time I get to eat them…or at least eat them without serious consequences.

Bon Appétit!