First, I want to send a special thank you to a very special lady.....Brenda M! She sent me a wonderful letter, my 2nd, that was covered with stickers that made me smile. If Brenda ask for your address, give it to her and you will receive wonderful, entertaining letters. It really did warm my heart and make me realize, again, just how lucky we are to have stumbled upon a site that has enriched both our bodies and souls. On EX, I lost my need for a cigarette but gained a treasure trove of wonderful friends.
Second, as I've blogged before, I have a good friend with stage 4 lung cancer and another friend that is battling breast cancer. I got busy and went a couple of weeks without seeing my lung cancer friend. Shame on me! I was devastated when I saw him the other day. His weight, appearance and overall health have changed drastically, just in that short period of time. His wife, my best friend, looked like she was ready to crumble into a million pieces. And I realized, what a sucky friend I've been! They need their friends more than they have ever needed them before. It's hard to know what to say or do sometimes. Both my friends are so strong. They are the one's that always take care of others, so they aren't use to asking for help or showing weakness.
Anyway, realizing they need help, even though they won't ask for it, I made a list of things I can do...starting with dinner delivery on hectic chemo days. My friend going through chemo has lost his appetite and can only eat soft foods the majority of time. He needs high calorie foods to try and maintain some weight. Anything cold (that rules out shakes & smoothies) or anything hard or gritty are to intense for him. His wife is more concerned about getting food into him than herself, so she isn't eating either. I did a combo meal yesterday of roast chicken (for the wife), small chopped mixed vegetables cooked soft, and hash brown casserole. which covered the high calorie food and was also something they could both eat.
Radiation is next on the list. So, if you have gone through chemo, radiation, or were the caregiver and can offer menu suggestions, please do! I need meals that are transportable for a long drive, can be reheated, and the higher the calorie the better!
With that being said, I have decided to spend my spare time helping my friends as much as possible. Don't worry if you don't hear from me. My quit is strong and so am I.
