2012 sisters

bevg49

ramols, I'm jewish and like most jewish foods (gefilte fish, lox), it is an acquired taste but so delicious. I grew up on chopped liver but haven't had it for a long while. It's time to go get some again....

bevg49

moonflower, after all the crap you've been through, I really am sorry I forgot to mention you. When I send those healing vibes, I try to imagine them flying through touching me then flying through the air and touching each of you .... so I meant aruba and ann as well and all....now I'm heading to our local NY Jewish deli for a chopped liver sandwich

Moonflwr912

Bev, you didn't really need to be forgiven, small matter. With all the crazy stuff going on, if our names were not tacked on automatically those of us chemo brained, would be posting and the other half of us would be wondering who the heck wrote what! LOL! So enjoy your chopped liver sandwich. I wonder if we didn't sign our posts if we could still tell who was who? LOL, LOL, LOL

Anonymous

bev - i don't recall where in queens you said you are, but when we lived in whitestone - we used to go to ben's kosher deli in bayside all the time. If memory serves, they have good chopped liver. And if you ever want to venture out east - we just found some good chopped liver this weekend at Patrami and Friends in Commack. And don't get me started on gefilte fish - topped with horseradish... yum! My dad makes a mean white horeseradish from scratch. He used to make a good chopped liver years ago, but has gotten lazy with his chopping skills and leaves it too chunky these days. Enjoy whatever you find!

marianelizabeth

Bev, thank you so much for your story and that you have a sense of humour at the end of the day. I loved reading Christopher Hitchen's work in Vanity Fair and only stopped my subscription after he died. I remember well reading his piece on Nietzse's saying, "whatever does not kill me makes me stronger." He disagreed in a big way! I have written his book on my "to buy" list. I know I have mentioned this before but not sure which thread, but Miriam Engelberg's book, "Cancer Made me a Shallower Person," gives me daily laughs. I orginally saw something about it on this site when I was firt diagnosed and ordered it then. Remember when you all woke up after surgery with a large or really large bandage (s)? I thought about it on Friday after surgery in kind of a dream state and sure enough, when I picked up her book on the weekend there it was, two page of cartoons of how they maybe got that ace bnadage on a comatose patient. 

And I detest liver of any kind too, Tazzy and have a beef aversion too. I am back eating wild salmon though since a friend brought over an amazing dinner last night. OK, time to really sign off and go for a walk now that I am committed with a friend!

Thanks to you all every day.

Marian 

Aruba

I want to kick a matza ball right up cancer's ass!! Zie gesundt sisters!

Nkb

Bev- wow you have been through a lot! Thanks for the recommendation re mortality by Hitchens. After the first review I really wanted to read it. The someone told me not to.

I definitely want uplifting or funny or distracting these days.

bevg49

Maria, without a sense of humor, what is the point of anything? I try to laugh at as much as I possibly can (easier now then 2 months ago).... Ramols and Aruba, I have a sneaky suspicion we share a heritage....Ramols, there is a Ben's Deli near Roosevelt Field that I've been to many times... Yum the corned beef on rye with mustard. Sandwiches are so big you can't even get your mouth around one. Even the kosher hot dogs are delicious. I live in Floral Park, right on the Nassau County border, about 10 blocks from LIJ. We have a pretty good deli in Lake Success called Deli King... It ain't Ben's but it's still good... 

As for the book, I know some of you (us) would be frightened of reading it because of the topic but this is my take on that. Mortality is universal, the only question being when. Because he didn't kick cancer's ass doesn't mean we won't. He is just a brilliant voice and he dealt with it all with dignity. As an atheist or agnostic myself (agnostic: atheist who hedges her bets???), I've read his books before. No reason to think this one wouldn't be as good. I am not quite done but almost, and I am really enjoying it. If you feel the topic of someone with terminal cancer will depress you, please don't read it but I have accepted that we all will someday have the same reality so to me, it was worth the read.

MrsCich

I detest liver, brains AND beans so.....



I didn't get my fill. He removed all of the steri-strip tape that lined my incisions and snipped off the outer stitches. When I told him I was afraid the expanders would know fall out (ya know, because the steri strips would definitely hold them in. Wth was I thinking?) he reassured me I had 3 rows of stitching internally. I also told him it felt like a ball was rolling along the incision, he said, "well we were missing one when we were finished with you.". Hardy har har doc!

Moonflwr912

MrsCich, too bad you didn't get your fill, but your doctor sounds like he knows which end is up. And humor is good. My PCP has a good one. I went in for the fourth time in a month, this time for a broken toe, and I said, you must think I am a hypochondriac! He said" no, hypochondriacs don't have anything wrong with them, you, you're just unlucky! " I just cracked up. Maybe he's not really funny, maybe I just have a warped sense of humor! LOL, HMMM HARD TO DECIDE! LOL

2FriedEggs

Taz glad your foob got you on an even keel with the other side. it will make dressing lots easier now, won't it?

MrsCich how did the fill go?  I thought the 1st one was a little scary with those syringes coming at me, but after that I didn't think they were so bad. Towards the end when I was "filled up" quite a ways though, I did get quite uncomfortable especially trying to sleep.

Hope those in the BGC, under the "rays", and everyone else are doing ok today.

Yeah, hate hate hate what this stinkin BC puts everyone through.   It seems like we have to get used to wearing our big girl pants for a long time because there will still be lots of doctors visits,  blood tests, watching the diet and alcohol, and scrutinizing every bump, ache and pain. Hopefully though, BC will become a less frequent thought as time passes. <sigh> I'm so glad to have all of you great ladies  to laugh, cry, and groan with. Now I'm going to think about dinner-a much more pleasant thought than bc! Tazzy,I think a trip to the shed is in order. Where is your dang shed anyway? Lol

teeballmom

All of the talk about Jewish food and sandwiches is really making me hungry.  (I reading your posts I think I could eat a chopped liver sandwich and if it had horseradish on it, even better).  I miss living in a larger city with food options.  

allurbaddayswillend:  Thank you for the links!  I will definitely be looking online for the beef bones.  Here I live in cattle country (not kidding).  I see them all of the local cattle driving our kids to school, home from school, to and from the grocery stores, etc... and I can't find one grocery store in the area that sells beef bones.  There's even a slaughter house just down the road and nobody sells them.  I just have to laugh because it's unbelievable. 

liefie:  I actually picked up 2 containers of chicken liver today.  I looked at the beef liver (stared at mostly) and just couldn't do it.  I did hear that the chicken liver was milder in flavor and had a higher content of iron than beef liver so I'm going for it tonight. 

I think I'll sautee the chicken liver in olive oil with onions and garlic and some tomato, then put it on toasted slices of french baguette and grate some parmesan cheese over it.  Maybe broil it for a few seconds.  I think it will be the only way I may get it down.  Then I'll look for more recipes on line.  My DH said he would eat beef liver with me (although he hates it with a passion) because he said he loved me.  Nearly lost it when he said that. If it goes well tonight, I will be eating chicken liver every day I suppose.  They'll probably draw blood next week too so I need my counts to go up fast.  I do not want a blood transfusion if I can avoid it.

Take care everyone and thanks for the advice.

bevg49

I love a doctor with a sense of humor... My plastic surgeon is the one who did both of my emergency surgeries. After the second one, my chest was very swollen and hard as a rock. It felt like concrete was inside. Anyway, a bunch of medical staff was standing around my bed, talking about my condition and someone mentioned how swollen and hard my chest was and with a straight face my doc said "I know, in the ER we were pitching quarters off it and catching them in a cup"..... In my drugged out, anesthesia'd out condition, I looked at him and said "Were you REALLY doing that?" and he was nice. He didn't laugh at me. With the same straight face, he said "No, not really" as if this was a normal conversation.....I might be going way overboard but this guy saved me I feel and I've put him up on a pedastal and I worship the ground he walks on. Although, on the other hand, with all the complications I've had, maybe he almost killed me haha... No no no, I must not think like that or I'll drive myself nuts. You gotta laugh to keep from crying, right?

Moonflwr912

2fried, one year I craved red meat. Every time we went out I ordered steak. I made meat of some sort all the time, but I absolutely craved steak. Then after about a year, it stopped and I ordered chicken, looked up and everyone at the table was looking at me. LOL and my iron stats were actually fine, but maybe if I had them tested before it began, they wouldn't have been. Or maybe they were ok because of my eating so much meat. Maybe I am posting so much cause I am on pain pills? LOL

bevg49

Before I besmirch the good name of my plastic surgeon, he didn't almost kill me because we now know what did and I'm going to tell you so that each of you remember to ALWAYS look out for yourselves and not trust any health care professional. In 2002 I had a blockage in 1 coronary artery and they inserted a stent, put me on Plavix and 1 WHOLE aspirin a day. I was still on that when I got breast cancer. When I went to my relatively new cardiologist, he told me to cut back the aspirin to a baby, and told me to stop the Plavix for 5 days prior to surgery and that it was ok to go back on after. Well, the end result is that my blood was too damn thin and they found that I did not even have one working platelet. Hence, the crazy bleeding. They told me I should have been off the plavix after about 4 years but I was still on it after 10. So, I can blame the cardio guy if anyone but really, I blame myself. I have a bunch of doctors for different things. They are not in communication with each other so I should have been doing my research all along. I will know better from now on because the Plavix truly almost did me in.

Moonflwr912

Bev, sorry you had to go through that, but glad you let us know about it for a teaching lesson. I am sure you have helped someone with your story already. Much love.

bevg49

teeballmom, I wish you were in NY because I'd come over for some chicken liver with onions and garlic. It sounds delicious. Also, you DH almost made ME lose it. How sweet is that? To eat liver for love ..... For the record though, chicken liver is probably about 50 times tastier than beef liver and it looks more appetizing also. It brought up a memory. When I was a little kid, my mom used to make liver and onions once a week. I despised it. So she made it for her and my sister. My dad, who NEVER cooked, only cooked that one day a week. He always made broiled fish because it was simple. He would put garlic salt and pepper on a piece of macarel and stick it under the broiler for himself and me and not only do I love macarel to this day, I love the memory because I miss my dad and it was a bonding experience.... Now, that is sooooo off topic and I am sorry, but I got that nostalgia pinge in the heart and had to share......

jpmomof3

wow, its hard to keep up with you all, the posts come in fast.  What a great group.  No way am i eating liver though...

I had my PT appointment early this morning.  She hurt me but made me better.  She popped about 9 of my cords (axiallary web syndrome, another gift from the gift that keeps on giving).  It hurt like hell but my arm is about 90 percent better.  I can reach up with hardly any pain and only a little tightness now.  That was awesome.

I had my 3rd of 33 rads today.  Still nothing to report there.  Though the physical therapist warned me that the muscles on that side of the body will contract and it is important to stretch them a lot to counteract that.  More gifts... f'ing cancer.

At work now.  I just ate my PBJ and there is no liver in site. 

Moonflwr912

Bev, sweet memories. Enjoy.

juneaubugg

Liefie; SO TRUE- all we can control is our attitude.



Went to support group this m

juneaubugg

Liefie; SO TRUE- all we can control is our attitude.



Went to support group this morning. Both women there had diff camcers but no matter this bitch is still the same bitch. Finally...someone in the flesh who understood me. I was so exhausted after I didn't get to PT but right home to sleep for five hours. Another beautiful day slept away.



At eye dr now. Was supposed to be my annual, but since I have chemo eyes I am asking for an interim Rx and for color contacts perhaps. Not sure when my vision will come back either. Maybe he will know?



Hugs to all.... Dinner with my DH after. He's here too. Poor boy really needs new glasses more then my readers!

Scorchy

A quick note before I duck into class tonight:

I FIRED MY ONCOLOGIST!  And it's the best feeling E.V.E.R.!!!!!  Woooooooooooooooooot!

Okay, now back to feeling shitty so I can teach for two hours (why am I doing this?).

Scorch

Cottontail

I was borderline anemic during chemo. I was hardly eating anything at all, how was I supposed to get nutrients? After the infusion nurse tut-tutted me I started eating fresh spinach (the big dark green kind, not baby spinach), but it seemed like the more spinach I ate, the lower my hemoglobin would go. I recently switched to a multivitamin with iron, so hopefully that will help. We'll see when I get labs done next week, I guess. (Even back when I ate meat, you couldn't pay me to eat liver.)





I'm not supposed to eat avocados anymore, either? What?! Yeah, that's not going to happen. I could live off homemade guacamole in the summer.





I just got my first post-op allergy injection. The nurse seemed annoyed that she can only use my right arm now for all 3 shots. Oh well, deal with it. I hope I don't have much of a reaction this time. Last time, five weeks ago, my face ended up red around my eyes, nose, and mouth for two days. I looked awful! I do not need that right now.

liefie

Teeballmom, let us know how the chicken liver and onions came out. Never had it myself, but it sounds good. Any other liver grosses me out too.

2friedeggs, Sorry that I did not express myself well enough as far as the hysterectomy, and that you misunderstood my intention. English is my second language. I was merely trying to say that chicken livers helped me get my HB count up from 59 to normal(120), and my anaemia under control after I had lost so much blood post-hysterectomy. Also took iron supplements in pill form for a while there (with lots of prunes, because it causes you-know-what).

marianelizabeth

Great posts all of you. Food - no to any kind of liver - I know it would make me gag likes tomatoes do for all 3 of our kids. Laughing - some of your posts made me LOL, escpecially the the doctor stories some of you have. liefie what is you first language? Scorchy, good for you! Love the grin! Juneaubugg, new eye colour sounds good and I think whatever colour you choose you will look beautiful and keep up the bitching! Back to food; I ate a huge amount at 3:30 PM as I realize that I get so crabby by what I consider dinner time that I should spare my family from that. Cottontail I ate half an avacado today and will continue to eat as many as I want! Mrscich I get you will get your fill of all those fills!

So finally went for a long, walk, ate my early dinner, checking in now on BCO and can't wait to have my shower tomorrow and see my physio. This breast cancer business is busy - again impressed totally with you who are working and/or have young kids. We have two out of three kids living with us (and a girlfriend of one) but they are young adults so quite fun. Andy our youngest saw me struggling with washing my hair in the kitchen sink yesterday and did it for me in exchange for a ride to work - me in pj's and slippers of course as I would not want to dress too early in the day or at all!

Marian 

2FriedEggs

Liefie, no lol I didn't misunderstand you at all. You just brought up the liver and someof the girls said they hated it- So I was joking that just because I had a hysterectomy then craved and loved liver after I had it that I still wouldn't suggest having a hysterectomy to see if it worked for anyone else.  Your English is great by the way! (a friend used to fry chicken llivers and sprinkle with rosemary and they were really good!)

As far as the avocado goes, cottontail, I really enjoyed mine today too. If that article is correct and avocados are bad whats left?! I'm afraid to look throught the other pages  http://foodforbreastcancer.com/foods/avocados

Jpmom glad you got popped and feel better.

Scorchy glad to hear you fired you mo! Way to go girl!

Juneau, maybe you should get 2 different color lenses in each eye and tell people that the chemo did it just to see their reactions.

teeballmom

Well all I can say is that I didn't care for the taste of the chicken liver and onions with garlic (neither did DH - so the dogs ate the leftovers).  But I'm still determined (and DH said he'll still eat liver with me), so I'm deciding between Paula Deen's Dirty Rice recipe using chicken livers or her Buffalo Chicken Livers with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce.  I'm leaning towards the Buffalo Chicken Livers because I think the hot sauce and blue cheese dressing would taste really good and normally I can eat anything deep fried.  I mean as a kid my mom used to deep fry chicken gizzards and I could sit in front of the tv and eat them like popcorn.  Yeah........ I'll let you know how it goes.  The photo of the dish looks really good.

 http://www.pauladeen.com/index.php/recipes/view2/buffalo_chicken_livers_with_a_blue_cheese_dipping_sauce/

bevg49

go jewish - try chopped liver. It really doesn't taste like liver. It's really good... Well, maybe it's an acquired taste lol.

allurbaddayswillend

cottontail, I think the iron in spinach is not as "bioavailable", as they say, as animal sources of iron and on top of it, chemo affects our gut health and ability to absorb. One recommendation I have heard for vegans and vegetarians (if you are) is to consider including non-sentient mussels and oysters when iron, B12 and some other nutrients are needed sinxe "...bivalves don’t have a central nervous system and are generally not considered sentient by traditional criteria, so vegans who avoid other animal products may be more ethically comfortable consuming a few oysters..." hth

Cottontail

Yeah, I'm not cool with eating bivalves, so I'm going to stick with vegetable sources of iron, and a supplement.  My criteria is, if it poops it's not food.    (I've been taking a high-dose B12 supplement for years, it's sublingual so it dissolves in my mouth and bypasses my gut.  I didn't absorb B12 properly even before I was vegetarian.)  Thanks, though!

Aaaaaand the allergy injection didn't go so well.  I'm now covered with red itchy patches.  Not quite hives, but red and itchy nontheless.  If I didn't look "diseased" before, I certainly do now.  Oh well, it's just for a couple days.  Looks like I need to drop back to going every two weeks instead of every four - I had no problems when I was going every two weeks.  Of course, I see my nurse in the morning about my infected drain site, so she's either going to be upset or laugh at me.  Boo.