HONEY, DO YOU HAVE TO GO OUT FOR ANYTHING???

Food always seems to be a huge issue for folks on chemo.  You either don’t want to think about it, smell it, look at it – or all of the above.  That was me, especially after that lovely surgery in 2008.  Between anesthesia, pain meds, and every antibiotic in the PDR – then chemo on top of that – food wasn’t high on my list.  I’d always thought that I’d look more fit and chic if I would lose 20 or so pounds.  Well, let me tell you, 45 pounds in a short period of time only makes you look saggy, droopy, and frayed. 

I got lots of tried and true advice like, “Watch food commercials on TV and, when something appeals to you, get it quickly.”  Or, “Look at magazine and supermarket ads for ideas.”  Restaurant billboards are good sources also, and actually helped lead me to KFC! 

My poor husband, God bless him, really tried to work with me on this plan.  He would run and get anything I thought I could eat.  He went for McDonald’s milkshakes, Subway sandwiches, different nutritional drinks, apples, Checkers’ Fries, special yogurts, avocados (out of season), anything, anywhere!  He even went for a KFC chicken pot pie when I was sure that was “IT!”  I took one bite and said, “maybe I’ll finish it tomorrow.”  It looked even worse the next day!

They’re all great ideas and, hopefully, one will work for you.  But, what worked for me was slightly different. Why does that not surprise me? When the nausea would ease a little, I began going through old cookbooks.  I had always loved to cook and bake (and eat) and I had a ton of recipes.  Out of all the years of collecting, one recipe saved the day.  Old Fashioned Baked Egg Custard – VERY COLD!  It was easy to make and it always tasted good.  For 6 weeks, I lived on cold custard, WalMart nutritional drinks, over LOTS of ice, and an occasional apple.  The weight didn’t fly back, but it began to stabilize until my appetite returned.   It’s become a habit now to make a batch of custard after a chemo treatment.  I usually feel pretty good right afterwards, but I know I’m going to need it in a day or so!

I need to say something here about caregivers – those folks who will run out at all hours to get you whatever you want, or think you can eat.  They are angels sent from God – BUT they’re still human.  So, when your private angel brings you your tiny dish of cold custard and ice water and then heads to the kitchen to cook sausage and peppers, hot dogs and sauerkraut, kielbasa with onions, boiled crab legs, mussels in garlic and oil, or whatever else he or she is in the mood for, forgive them.  Try not to gag, go into another room, and remember this is the person who made that midnight run to McDonald’s for that McCafe Shamrock Shake that you smelled briefly, gagged,  and promptly tossed into the trash!

OLD FASHIONED BAKED EGG CUSTARD

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of salt

2 ½ cups milk, scalded

Ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 350^o .  Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Gradually stir in milk.  Pour into six 6-ounce custard cups; sprinkle with nutmeg.  Place cups in rectangular pan so they are not touching.  Pour very hot water into pan to within ½ inch of rims of cups.

Bake until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean, about 45 minutes.  Remove cups from water.  Serve warm or chilled.  Refrigerate any remaining custards immediately.  6 servings – 150 calories per serving.

Also good with a few blueberries or blackberries dropped into the bottom of the cup before adding the egg mixture.  ENJOY!

SURVIVAL  TIP  FOR  TODAY:  The drug I’m currently on changes the taste of everything for about a week.  Even water tastes weird and the wine I love – what a waste!  Around day 5, acid indigestion sets in for 4 or 5 days.  Apparently there are quite a few drugs that do this.  TicTacs, Tums, Altoids, o/c antacids help only one or the other of the side effects and not for very long.  After much trial and error, I have discovered a great new product – at least for me.  Tums has come out with Tums Freshers.  They help with the awful taste for quite a while plus they’re an antacid.  2 for 1!!! Hooray! I’m not trying to be a product spokesperson.  I only want to tell you what I've found that works for me.