-
A Girl and Her Kitchen
The kitchen is my happy place. This has been true as long as I can remember. When my house is clean, I can’t wait to spread out all over the kitchen counters and cook something just for the fun of it. If I try a dish at a restaurant and fall in love, I have to research and play in my kitchen until I can replicate it. Rearranging my drawers and shelves until they function just like I want them centers me. Reading cookbooks like they are novels is a favorite past time. I love to feed people. Cancer took my kitchen away from me for a while. After surgery…
-
Three Months Out – Abundance
A little over three months have passed since my final chemo treatment. I had my first follow-up appointment last week, and it felt surreal walking back into the oncology clinic. There are days when I almost forget that the last eight months were anything other than normal – and then I remember and am instantly thankful to be at this point in recovery! Since the last time we were together, school and all the activities have ended, we’ve beached, and summer has fully descended (and throw my birthday, our anniversary, and Reese’s birthday into the mix as well). I’m actually looking at my calendar to remember what has happened because…
-
6 Weeks Out – Recovering
I am six weeks out from my last chemo treatment. I wish that meant I could snap my fingers and be at Disney to celebrate (with no crowds and perfect weather and no details to plan and for free), but it really just means that I’m actually doing most all the things that I normally did before (which in truth is it’s own kind of celebration). Physically, I feel pretty GREAT! My energy is back and my stamina is building tremendously. Reflux is waning. My body is allowing me to do things I haven’t been strong enough to do since November (I sometimes forget that my body underwent major surgery – and then I’m…
-
How’s She Doing? All Done!!
Today, Monday, April 10 marks the day that I actually feel like chemo is over. It’s the end of the 4th cycle. My last treatment was 3 weeks ago, and I can now officially picture all the medicines starting to fully cycle out of my body. The steroids that have been infused with each treatment really caught up with me this cycle. Reflux and weight gain were the effects I was most warned to expect prior to chemo, and wouldn’t you know, the warnings were correct – dang steroids! Spring is in full force with newness everywhere. That’s how my body feels – new. All the sloughed-off cells revealing young cells ready for…
-
How’s She Doing? Round 3 (Almost 4!!)
Chemo #4 is on Monday. I can’t believe that this day is already so close. When life is lived while broken down into week cycles (chemo week, recovery week, “normal” week), it tends to move pretty quickly. I’ve been very impatient during the last two weeks since I now feel like the end is in sight. It occurred to me recently that I haven’t really left the Jackson-Metro area since November (with the exception of a trip to Eupora at Christmas) – I’m beyond ready to recover and feel like I’m off my leash! Chemo #3 was very much the same as #2. I feel a little boring saying the same thing over…
-
No Really, I’m Good
By popular demand, we’re doing another tank order. Link to order is below. Thanks! Tank Order Form Link
-
How’s She Doing? Round 2
2 down. 2 more to go. To the halfway point. Number three is next week. The second treatment has mimicked the first in many ways. The infusion itself was uneventful and smooth. I felt completely normal for the first 2 1/2 days, and then fatigue started coming in waves, peaking on the evening of day 5 and totally gone by day 8. No painful mouth issues, but my taste fluctuated over the first 14 days. Appetite held steady. A rash or two, and some skin dryness. But, this cycle was different in one major way…I lost my hair. It started coming out on day 15. Though I tried to be prepared for this,…
-
“The Best” Fried Pies
Fried pies are heavily weighted with history to me. I don’t have many memories of my grandmother, but I do have some recall of her fried pies. She obviously made them often enough to leave quite an impression on my father though…my childhood is dotted with searches for the best fried pie – be it from gas stations or flea market vendors or restaurants and of course, our kitchen. There were so many discussions about what kind of crust truly made the best pie. Biscuit dough, pie crust, canned biscuits, etc. I was a little kid surrounded by adults all the time and just absorbing all this conversation. (I’m…
-
Cast Iron Magnolia. Who Knew?
When I originally tiptoed into the world of blogging, it was at the urging of a couple of friends as a way for me to share recipes. When setting up the site, I wanted a name that was fun and perhaps a little meaningful. Cast Iron Magnolia popped into my head and wouldn’t go away. The name felt a little silly or melodramatic to me at that time, but obviously I went with it. The reference to Steel Magnolias cannot be missed, and that was intentional. Southerness would ooze throughout my posts – people needed to know what they were getting into.[ I also want it to be noted that this…
-
How’s She Doing? Round 1
Chemo, round 1 complete. 25% done. 3 more to go. Details about how I have felt directly follow. If you’re more of a casual reader (or really don’t need this many details about my life *insert winky face emoji* ), follow this link to skip to closing (*insert thumbs-up emoji*). Infusion day – anticlimactic (as expected). The drugs take about 2 hours give or take to infuse. I get asked often about a port, but I don’t have one and won’t get one unless something unforeseen happens. I have strong, healthy veins and am prayerful they stay that way. I felt great post-infusion (thanks to a big ole bag of decadron). Ate well.…
affectionately known as "Mama Devin" to some…