Chicken Noodle Soup "Cooking Class"

Today, my 18 year old niece Megan and I made a pot of chicken noodle soup.  Megan loves chicken noodle soup and has been asking me how to make it for a while.  She sent me a text last night asking if I could teach her to make it today.  I was not prepared and had to go to the grocery store this morning to buy just about everything needed to make the soup, but I am glad that I did.  Honestly, I did most of the work - chopping the veggies, simmering the chicken, watching the pot, making the noodles, cutting up the cooked chicken and adding it back to the soup, etc.  Megan cut up at least one carrot and stirred the pot once or twice, but I guess that she was taking it all in.  I think that the soup turned out well and she took a bowl with her and I delivered the remainder of the pot to my sister Bonnie, so that the family could have it for dinner.  After she left, I poured the small container of soup that I had saved for myself in a bowl and took this picture before I ate it.  I am thankful that I am well enough to have done this today!  Hopefully, Megan will always have this special memory of learning to make chicken noodle soup.  I know that I will.

Milestone and things on my mind

Well, the milestone is that in August, it was two years since my last chemotherapy treatment!  Sometimes it feels like yesterday and other times, it feels like a million years ago.  It is a great milestone.  I saw the oncologist and all of my blood work and scans were fine, so all good news.  I still have joint issues, but that is manageable for now.  I do my shoulder exercises every other day and hope that someday, the operated shoulder will stop hurting.  I know that the other shoulder will need surgery sometime in the future, but I will make sure that is in the very distant future!  I have been very fortunate and I am very grateful for the freedoms that I now have and the fairly good health that I now have.  I think that the only thing or things that make the good news less good is that I don't feel as if my life has moved on and away from the cancer the way I would have liked it to do.  I think that it has a lot to do with not having gone back to work.  I feel as if I am still living a sort of "in-between" existence and I keep waiting for my real life to start up again.  I don't particularly like this day to day life of not having any goals or deadlines.  My daily tasks are now rather mundane and totally unfulfilling.  I have taken to cooking a lot - it makes me feel as if I have accomplished something.  It is weird though - I feel as if my cooking has gotten bad - nothing seems to come out "right" or really good anymore.  And the oddest part is that I have so much more time to cook, so it should all be better.  Strange. I am working on taking a class and I may join a gym or fitness class.  I need to do more things to help the days feel more productive.  That will be my new goal - to make my days more productive.

Update on Recovery after Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery

I don't know what happened to January - one day I was celebrating Christmas and the next day it was February 1st! For benefit reasons, I decided to have my shoulder surgery sooner than later, so I had total shoulder replacement surgery (on my right shoulder) on February 3, 2012. I was a little apprehensive about the surgery, but I tried to not think of it much. The surgery day was sort of an ordeal, I got bumped from the first surgery in the a.m. to a noon surgery and then after surgery, I was in recovery until after 5:00pm - my poor parents were freaking out! All went well (we think) and I have been recovering at my parents house. The first few days were very rough and then things eased up a bit. I was not able to get my arm up to the computer or use the mouse until this weekend (and it is still an effort). So far, I am only permitted to do some small gentle stretches and can't pick up anything heavier than a fork with my right arm. But here's the rub - I can pick up the fork, but I can't get it up to my mouth!!! :) Needless to say, I am eating just fine with my left hand - not much keeps me from eating. That said, on Saturday, I got some sort of stomach flu and was sick in bed all weekend. After all that, my whole body was so sore, that I didn't even notice the pain in my shoulder! :) I see the surgeon tomorrow (first pre-op appointment) and once they determine that the replacement parts are in the right place and healing properly, I think that they will send me to physical therapy. I have been told that the pt is grueling - I will need to get back range of motion and strength (most of which I lost prior to the surgery). I am kind of sick of pt - I have had more than my share of it these last few years, but I know how important it is and I will work hard to get good motion back. The other arm will need surgery in the future, but I don't even want to think about it - I am not spending all of 2012 recovering from surgeries! PS: Someone told me that there is a video of a shoulder replacement surgery on YouTube, but I chose not to watch what was being done to my body - some things are better not dwelled upon!).

All else with me is good - aside from the stomach upset, I have been feeling well and keeping busy. Now I am kind of bored - there are a lot of things that I can't do with one arm - especially driving. I don't know why I keep paying car insurance - I can't drive more than I can!!! Today, I directed my dad in how to make chicken salad - I had cooked the chicken and froze it before I went into the hospital, so we pulled it out of the freezer and while my mom worked, my dad chopped the chicken, parsley, celery and mixed it with the spices and mayo so that we could have it for lunch - too funny - working in the kitchen with my dad is an odd "bonus" of all these illnesses/recoveries. We bake a great apple cake together too!

My sister and Hannah dropped by and took me to Panera Bread for a bowl of soup as a surprise (I had the cream of chicken with rice - yummy) - it was nice to get out. Mom and Dad joined us. It was a quiet, casual affair. I was craving a Linzer Cookie, but they didn't have any. I was actually surprised that they didn't seem to have anything special for Valentine's Day. Oh well, I will have to find my Linzer Cookie somewhere else.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! I know that a lot of single people don't like Valentine's Day, but for the most part I have always liked it. I do remember a few single years when it seemed as if everyone in the office, but me, received a big bouquet of flowers or candy or a singing telegram. I also remember friends and co-workers coming in after Valentine's Day with their stories of romantic dinners and even engagements. I guess that some of those times were sort of depressing, but I actually always like the holiday. Something abut all the bright reds and pinks during the dreary part of winter - something to help get over the doldrums of winter. I know, this year, Baltimore really hasn't experienced the doldrums of winter, but we usually do! And yes, I understand all the complaints that it is a holiday designed to sell greeting cards, candy and flowers - but really, are those things that bad! No one is telling people to go out and mortgage their house to buy a Valentine's Day gift! I know, like all holidays and celebrations, people have gotten carried away with the gift giving and the hopes and dreams related to the holiday, but the sentiment should be the real thought - letting someone know that they are special really should be all that is needed. Okay, I guess that I could do with a few less lovey dovey Hallmark Movies, but for the most part - all the romance in the air (and on tv) are pretty nice.
So, whatever your love-life status is, enjoy the day, enjoy the sentiment, lighten up a little or at least just enjoy the bright colors of the holiday! Happy Valentine's Day.

"Red Solo Cup" and other stuff on my mind

I woke up kind of down. Another surgery ahead of me. Heading towards yet another annoying medical test. Uncertainty about benefits. Thinking of some friends who recently had family illnesses and other bad things to deal with. Anyway, I was feeling blue and rushing along and I switched on the radio and heard a fairly new country song called "Red Solo Cup". I believe that Toby Keith sings it. Well, it was such a simple song and sentiment, but I found myself smiling from ear to ear and after a few moments, I was singing along. "Red solo cup, I fill you up, let's have a party!" Too funny. Well, it cheered me up all day. Sometimes it really is the little things that can make or break your day. Laughter truly is the best medicine sometimes.

Random Thoughts and Happy New Year!

2012 - WOW! These last couple of years have not been my "best" and 2012 hasn't started off great. After getting back from New Years Eve in Atlantic City, I caught a terrible cold - it started in my head, worked its way down to my chest and now it is upsetting the stomach! I am beginning to feel better though - I just feel bad that I am wasting all these good days being sick - and I only have so many good days before surgery! Aside from the surgery, I know that I will be facing and some other not so happy happenings in my life (like maybe not having benefits soon), but for the most part, I can't complain. Well, I really could complain, but choose not to. Instead, I will mention some of the things that have happened recently that were good things. I am in a sort of "stream of consciousness" mode, so these are random thoughts in no particular order:
Everyone in the family has been sick lately - cold/flu/congestion stuff - I was able to make chicken noodle soup and deliver it to Bonnie for her family and to my parents and also had some for myself. I don't make the "best" chicken noodle soup, but it is homemade and has lots of fresh ingredients - so it is probably healthy and hopefully helped everyone feel better. Although, Hannah did tell me that you have to eat Lipton Noodle Soup from the box if you want to cure your "sick throat". I also heard that my mom mixed my homemade soup with a box of Lipton soup - if you believe it helps, I am sure that it does. Probably all the added salt! I mention this as a "good thing" because even with my memory issues, the shoulder issues and pain, I was still able to make soup and deliver it to my family. It is one of those things that makes me feel good - it is also one of those things that for a long time, I couldn't have done at all - other people had to make soup and bring it to me!

As I mentioned earlier, I spent New Years Eve weekend in Atlantic City with mom and dad. I have been before and it isn't my first choice of things to do, but it was nice and I spent time with mom and dad and I know that mom really wanted to go. Unfortunately, dad was getting sick on the way there and spent most of the time in the hotel room coughing (and keeping me and mom up). I don't think that he had a very good time and we were all exhausted, but we did try to enjoy the trip! The weather was so warm that I was able to walk on the Boardwalk and even walked on the beach for a short distance! Mom and I walked to a few of the stores on the Boardwalk the one day - that was a pleasant surprise - especially in late December to be able to walk around outside with only light jackets on. (HMM - maybe that is part of the reason that we were all sick!) The dinner/dance on NYE was very fancy, but it is not the best fun when you are at something like that with a bunch of strangers. The brunch the next day was really delicious and even Dad joined us. I ate way too much!

I have been able to help Bonnie off and on by picking Hannah up from school these last few months. I torture Hannah by getting out of the car and waiting on the school steps for her - she complains that I am supposed to sit in the car like all the other parents, but secretly, I think that she enjoys the added attention. I try to bring her a healthy snack - usually a Granny Smith Apple when I pick her up. She is always hungry and that way I don't feel guilty for giving her more junk food.

Bonnie and I baked over 1,000 Italian Cookies this year. I don't know where they all went - I barely ate any and they are all gone. We had to make some to have for Christmas dinner at Lynda and Dave's house and we did give some away, but there were a lot of cookies and they all disappeared! I also made 3 or 4 batches of pizzelles and there is only a small can of those left. Again, where did they all go! I am glad that Bonnie and I continue the tradition. I like to joke that she even made me bake cookies on my death bed. I actually love to make them, but I don't think that she really enjoys it. The kids never want to help anymore, so I don't know if they will continue the tradition or not.

There are lots of other things running through my head right now, but I think that it is time to try to sleep. Sleep has been a bit elusive lately, but maybe now it will work.