stat counter

Thursday, February 11, 2016

My 5-FU pump is now a heat pump!

Day two  of being tethered to the portable 5-FU infusion pump. I've found it's easier for me to wear it like a  handbag across my chest than around my waist. The strap  rubbed across my collar bone, though,  making it sore, so Mr. G cut a foam strip and taped it to the strap which takes the pressure off. I haven't felt as much fatigue today, but did  take a nap this afternoon and have been pacing myself.

The one really uncomfortable thing has been heat building up in my face-I had forgotten  that from last time.  It felt as though I was running a fever and  slowly heating from the inside out, although the temperature reading I took was perfectly normal, maybe even a little low. The heat finally manifested itself this afternoon just before supper  when my face and neck  turned  bright red as though I'd been out in the sun too long.  It felt like  I had just opened the door to a very hot oven and stuck my face inside! Maybe this is how chemo brain  happens-  so much heat builds up inside your head that your brain cells begin to boil! I kid you not- it got THAT hot! Needless to say, I decided NOT to cook anything for supper that required heating in the oven! Besides, I needed something  that could be put together quickly so  there would be plenty of time  to eat and then watch the Democratic debate tonight.

I opted to do a redux of  a Pollan cookbook recipe from a couple of weeks ago: Creamy spinach pasta alfredo with crispy pancetta. I had bought diced pancetta so didn't need to cut that, but I  was able to  use my brand new chef's knife to chop the spinach and mince the garlic- worked like a charm, and was very comfortable to use, just as the  description said.
The  pasta  turned out very nicely, was  a one-dish meal (except for the extra pot to  cook the  pasta, as Mr. G pointed out to me after he'd washed the dishes).  I also used a spoon form the new utensil set I bought with the chef's knife. The long handle on the spoons allows you to  stir   without  getting steam burns,  an important  consideration for clumsy cooks, and unlike my  long handled spoon with the metal handle,  the  handle stays cool to the touch. Here's a pic of the  new utensil set- $4.95 for the  set- a bargain , I thought.

And here's a pic of the pasta, ready to serve.  It went together  quite quickly and we  had time to eat in a  leisurely fashion before   time for the debate.
The pump comes off tomorrow.  The time should run out early since I was hooked up a few hours earlier than usual.  Maybe Mr. G will be able to unhook me  and still have time to get in a little fly fishing tomorrow.  The weather is supposed to be a little warmer and the power company will be turning the generators off   at the trout stream   mid-morning. Some fresh trout for supper tomorrow would be a good thing, I think! 

2 comments:

Rick Watson said...

Dang! Your dishes always look scrumptious.
Jilda is feeling better we should have yoga Monday. I hope you can come.
R

Unknown said...

Thanks, Rick. Sometimes they look better than they taste, unfortunately, but this one was really good. Did Jilda get my message saying I's have to pass on yoga this past Monday? I am hoping to be there this coming Monday, though.