Let me tell you one serious, fundamental, non-negotiable fact: I love food.
Between the throat-swelling heartburn and malfunctioning taste buds caused by chemo, eating ranged from uninspiring to impossible. It was physically painful to eat at times. A sensation most of us don’t notice after swallowing, I could feel my tender esophagus attempting its wave-like motion to move food down. Ouch! Meat, bread, even my birthday cake was not possible. I choked down over-cooked noodles and ice cream or didn’t eat at all.
When I could eat, the taste of food, even food I love, was severely muted (bland) or incredibly intensified (think mildly spicy became aflame, pickles turned wasabi harsh). Some foods even tasted as though they were spoiled or rotten. Water had an unfamiliar medicinal flavor. Wine was disgusting. Eating, a ritual I have always enjoyed with giddy enthusiasm, became a dreaded chore.
Every 3 weeks, I would feel good enough to stuff my face for a few days and then do it all over again. Chemo’s repetitive torment is the worst.
I’m nearly 3 weeks from my final chemo treatment; the “stuff my face” phase. But, I don’t have to do it again!! A trip to Trader Joe’s yesterday nearly brought me to tears. I bought dill pickle potato chips, chocolate almond trail mix, sourdough, and chicken breasts. I spurlged on charcuterie and expensive cheeses. Can somebody say frozen pizza?! I luxuriated in the aisles with dream-like hypnosis. I went through again to catalog what to get next time and lovingly touched labels like a junkie at a 1970s NYC after-hours nightclub. Glory hallelujah! I can eat again!
For those of you going through chemo or preparing for it, eating will no doubt be a challenge. I’m sorry to say I had to learn some food-related lessons the hard way. For example, just because I felt good enough to leave the house didn’t mean I could order fried chicken with poblano gravy and fries.
Fortunately, some foods were both easy on my digestive track and tasted ok. I went through gallons of ice cream over the last 5 months which may explain why I didn’t lose any weight during my treatment. Strangely, sushi was a pleasant surprise. The soft fish was easy to swallow and the tanginess of soy sauce and roe was a delight. Ok, it wasn’t a delight. It was unrevolting and painless enough to eat. Everyone is likely wildly different in this area. I wish you the best and, most importantly, want to remind you chemo ends and life gets (sorta) back to normal. Last night I made beef stroganoff! You’ll be tucking into your favorite dish again soon too.
Now for a grilled Italian truffle cheese sandwich and tomato soup with a salad and an ear to ear grin.
OMG. Coffee! I’ve missed you my friend.
Photo by Spencer Davis: https://www.pexels.com/photo/delicious-burger-with-fried-egg-and-fries-4393021/