Food Glorious Food
WGarth Callaghan
From Oliver, the musical:
Food Glorious Food
Is it worth the waiting for?
If we live 'til eighty four
All we ever get is gru...el!
Ev'ry day we say our prayer --
Will they change the bill of fare?
One of my biggest challenges while undergoing cancer treatment is something many of us take for granted: eating.
I have no desire to eat. The medicine suppresses my appetite. The medicine has altered my taste buds and most of the food I could eat tastes like wet cardboard. (Well, I am guessing. I am NOT a wet cardboard gourmet!) I used to love to eat spicy foods. I would eat at Thai restaurants and would shake my head when the servers offered me "American Hot." I wanted more heat! Now, if I eat anything that is higher than black pepper on the Scoville scale, I cry in pain. It's like putting shards of glass in my mouth.
I have a list of enjoyable foods that becomes smaller and smaller each day.
- Applesauce
- Red grapes
- Bananas
- Shrimp
- Cream of Wheat
- Strawberries
- Costco frozen yogurt parfait
- Green beans
- Pears
- Pineapples
- Egg Drop Soup
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Various cereals and milk
- Homemade chicken soup
- Arnold Palmers (Iced Tea mixed with Lemonade)
- Eggs, but not scrambled. (Scrambled eggs fell of from the list a few weeks ago)
That's it. Sixteen things that I look forward to eating. Sheesh!
On top of the food and eating issue, my stomach is often upset. My intestines and colon aren't all to happy, either! So, why would I eat? The whole process is problematic! I really don't have much incentive to eat.
My wife, Lissa, is very focused on my nutritional and caloric intake. She can magically tell when I haven't eaten enough and appears out of nowhere with a snack or food. It's eerie. I know one of her tricks. My lips turn purple when I am not feeling well and that's one of the signs that I really should have eaten already. Honestly, if she's not there to remind me at times, I would skip eating until I passed out.
I've lost about 34 pounds since my surgery in October. I have lost 25ish since I started my meds in mid-February. The good news is that I really should have lost that weight anyway! I wouldn't necessarily recommend this method, but it is what it is.
I think this might be what some pregnant women feel like. Some foods look and smell completely disgusting to me. I actually had to leave the house once when we were making Turkey Burgers. How sad is that? My favorite foods - they are completely off of the list. I miss peanut butter. I miss salad.
Why am I sharing this? I am sharing this because I actually look forward to eating from my limited menu when I am hungry! It's a blessing to have this food. I will never take food for granted for the rest of my life.
A special shout out to Little Szechuan Chinese Restaurant on Staples Mill Road in Glen Allen. I get Egg Drop Soup from them 3-4 days a week! They are directly responsible for a major amount of my caloric intake and I am eternally grateful! If you live in RVA, you should go eat there! Tell them I sent you!