Learn to Chew

This past weekend I have been having a hard time eating anything. Every time I take a bite of something my body just wants to throw it back up and when I do manage to swallow something I develop these horribly violent hiccups. Did you know there is medication for hiccups? Neither did I. It slightly helps - still shocked there is a pill for hiccups. What an amazing little world we live in.

I have always been a super fast eater. When we all sit down to eat, Paul and Zach will barely take two bites of their food and I am getting up from the table already finished with my meal washing my dish and on to the next thing. I inhale my food. Paul always asks me, "Where is your food?" when he looks over at me while he is eating. "I am already done." Ever since I was a kid, I would just shovel my food in and I was off and running. We have to eat to survive, it's something we have to do and I find it boring as hell.

But now that I have to chew every bite like 20-30 time before swallowing it, I get why people sit and savor there food and take the appropriate time needed to eat. It tastes so much better and it relaxes the soul and makes for better digestion. Also, my diet has been turned upside down and I can only eat a handful of items, so this has given me a new outlook on food and how creative I can be with making bland meals exciting.

Now you may be wondering why do I need to eat slow during cancer treatment? Why does my diet change? First off, I have zero to little of an appetite from the chemo - it makes you not want to eat a damn thing. Secondly, the radiation is localized to my pelvis/stomach area and this radiation is so strong it is literally burning my insides - which means the longer I go through radiation - the more sensitive my digestive track is. We all know the foods/drinks that mess with our stomach (spicy foods, hard veggies, fruits, nuts, fried foods, coffee, dairy etc.) - all those things I need to stay away from. The more bland and soft the food is the better.

The positive of all this...once I get through treatment and over cancer, I am going to savor my food. I am going to sit, breath, chew, breath, eat and enjoy:)