I didn't realise how important appetite was until I lost mine. Like all food bloggers I love food. I think about it constantly, talk about it with food passionate friends, blog about it, cook it and most of all enjoy eating it. Until I lost my appetite.
Imagine not being able to think of a single thing you felt like eating at any particular moment. Having a plate of appetising food placed in front of you and not wanting to eat it. This is how my life was for five weeks post surgery. Then last week my appetite returned and I've had a week of looking forward to breakfast and lunch. Dinner is still a problem as by the end of the day the nausea has kicked in again. Watermelon never tasted so good as it has this week. Last week I even managed a Thai lunch with a glass of Singha beer. Today I'm going to Yum Cha.
Tomorrow I start a 5 months regime of chemotherapy designed to kill any remaining cancer cells lurking in my body. If it is anything like my last round of chemo my appetite will say see you in a couple of months. I'll lose a few kilos is about the only positive I can see here.
However it appears I have found my own special way of coping. This week Bryan and I had a counselling session with the Cancer Society. One of the points Bryan raised was my crazy (his words) demands for what and how I eat. It wasn't until I said it out loudly I realised how crazy they must sound to others. We have decided to call these little tricks of mine "temporary insanity" .
In no particular order of importance here is how I cope at the moment. Food must be served on a white or beige plate. Soup must be in a noodle bowl. Tea must be in a blue and white mug but coffee can be in a different colour if it is a bone china mug. My daily marmite drink (Lots of goodness) must be in a white cup but I don't ever want a saucer under it. Bread must be cut a different way depending on the filling or topping. Toast, always buttered right to edge and crusts removed, with honey must be cut into 9 little squares, with marmite 4 diagonal pieces, crumpets with honey cut in half. Chicken sandwich (don't remove crusts) cut into four on the diagonal but a ham sandwich, remove crusts and cut in half. This may all sound totally silly but it appears it is my own way of coping with my situation. It works for me!
