A Rude Intrusion :: Day 31

This is my blog for day 31 of cancer treatment, Wednesday, 9 Aug 2017.

I woke around 7:00 AM today, and finally finished reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I feel "okay" today, but no better. Am worried about nausea and dropping much more weight. Only radiation today, but they're making a new mask for me as I have gotten so thin, so my appointment is scheduled for 2:00 PM instead of 2:15.

The new mask was made on time, and so I had my appointment for radiation on time, as well. But that was it for the day, so we headed home from the hospital. I spent some time on the deck, reading Woodsmith magazine, but also falling asleep for a little while. It was really quite nice outside, the temperature made it seem as if the air wasn't even there. I couldn't feel it at all - neither hot, nor cold. Just . . . beautiful.

I've slowly moving to only tube feedings for nourishment. I did two yesterday, one with a gravity bag we received from Quorom, the healthcare provider which supplies my "clone feed" (you have to be a Doctor Who fan to get the reference). I have to tell you, Illinois may be one of the largest soybean providers in the nation, but you an have this crap! It smells like baby formula and comes out like baby poop. (You probably didn't need to know that.) But it's gross. Thing is, it's there to help me get through this. And I guess that's its saving grace.

While I complain about the clone feed, let me put together a list of those things I'm looking forward to having once I can eat again. Feel free to go out for any of them, if you'd like, in honor of my recovery! (You may have to travel, though.) Here they are:

1. Thin crust, pepperoni pizza from Nancy's 
2. A screwdriver in a tall glass, garnished with an orange slice, where the vodka, orange juice and ice are perfectly balanced
3. Steak and lobster from Bob Chinn's Crabhouse
4. The skin of a potato baked on the barbecue grill, crisp, smothered in butter and sour cream
5. Two eggs, sausage, hash browns and rye toast at "a good breakfast place". Especially the sausage.
6. A Margarita from Casa Rio, while sitting at a table alongside the San Antonio Riverwalk
7. Tacos and a cheese enchilada at Taco Cabana, where the tortillas are made fresh, right in front of your eyes
8. Leftover spaghetti, with Italian sausage, pan-fried, where the sauce is braised onto the spaghetti itself, and it's put on my plate steaming hot! (I cook it this way - it's delicious!)
9. A chocolate long-john and a carton of cold milk
10. Salad from the salad bar at work, with mixed greens, carrot, a sprinkle of cheese, a good shake of sunflower seeds, hard-boiled egg, kidney beans, cottage cheese and green olives piled in the four corners, and a nice stripe of honey mustard dressing
11. A hand-formed patty melt, with a side of onion rings and crisp, cold coleslaw
12. A dark chocolate and sea salt Kind bar, first introduced to me by our neighbor Debra, on a long, long drive back from Nashville, TN
13. Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and milk gravy, with green beans, perhaps at the Tip Top Cafe in San Antonio
14. A glass of Sprecher root beer, served on tap from the barrel, at the Tap House Grill. A bottle will do, as well, though it's not as good. But various Sprecher flavors are sold at Menards, and I've been known to pick one up every once in a while . . .
15. Marshmallows!

Interestingly, you won't find potato chips, Doritos or any other type of chip on this list. I'm finding I don't miss them.

Today's YouTube music is from Kristin Chenoweth, Your Love Is My Saving Grace - Link. It's for you-know-who, my help-meet and mate, Nancy.

For convenience sake, here a running list of all of the links I've posted to YouTube in the past few days:

According to Plan, Carolyn Arends - Link
And I Love Her - Link
Apollo 11 launch - Link
Back In You Own Back Yard, Al Jolson - Link

Because We've Ended As Lovers, Larry Carlton & Steve Lukather - Link
Blessings, Laura Story - Link
Comfortably Numb, Pink Floyd - Link
Cross Road Blues, Robert Johnson Link
Crossroads, Eric Clapton and Cream Link
Cry Me A River, Joe Cocker - Link
Cry Me A River, Diana Krall - Link
Gentle On My Mind, Glen Campbell - Link
Groucho Movie Clips - Link
I Love Being Here With You, Diana Krall - Link
In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening, Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman - Link
In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening, Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman, from the movie Here Comes the Groom  - Link
Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, Part 1, An International Collaboration - Link
Limbo Jazz, Coleman Hawkins and Duke Ellington - Link
Lookin' At The World Through A Windshield, Bill Kirchen - Link
Montana/We Are Not Alone, Univ. of Montana Percussion Ensemble - Link

My Funny Valentine, Kristin Chenoweth - Link

My Funny Valentine, Miles Davis - Link
On The Street Where You Live, Dean Martin - Link
Powdermilk Biscuit Break, Garrison Keillor, et al - Link
Questions 67 and 68, Chicago - Link
Route 66, Asleep at The Wheel - Link
She Used To Be Mine, Sara Bareilles - Link
Shim, Sham, Shimmy (dance) to Tain't What You Do, Jimmy Lunceford - Link
Sisters, Bette Midler and Linda Ronstadt - Link
Sisters, from White Christmas - Link
Sixteen Tons, Tennessee Ernie Ford - Link
St Louis Blues, Stephanie Trick & Paolo Alderighi - Link
Standing at the Crossroads, Elmore James - Link
Starts and Stripes Forever, United States Marine Band - Link
Sweet Georgia Brown, Wynton Marsalis/Mark O'Connor - Link
That's Jazz, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong & The All Stars - Link
Time, Pink Floyd - Link
Time to Blow, From That Thing You Do - Link
Your Love Is My Saving Grace, Kristin Chenoweth - Link
Zappa Medly, George Duke - Link