Friday, January 14, 2011

Friday, January 14, 2011

A box of See’s candy usually does not last long around Kameis; my father was known for his partiality to See’s California brittle. I’ve made my fair share of German chocolate cake over many years and a rainy day is an excuse for hot chocolate with popcorn.

But while I know my way well around chocolate, it’s not one of my basic food groups. That’s fortunate, because right now while I’m on Bortezomib, chocolate tastes. . .absolutely terrible. Last Sunday at a business dinner, my colleague and good friend Jane kept offering me a bite of her fancy chocolate cake dessert. She finally asked, “Are you sure you don’t want any?” I looked at her reluctantly, sure that I did, but was unfortunately confident that I shouldn’t.

Most everything tastes “off,” ranging from “gee, that was fine but I bet normally I’d say it was delicious,” to “yikes, that’s off limits for a while.” Bortezomib has boron in it; I’m a walking biochemical experience.

Today my mother hosted a “ladies luncheon” at the Caltech Athenaeum for Akemi before she returns east to school. Joining us were Iris and June, two dear friends with whom I have grown up who also have watched Akemi grow up. (My mother grew up with Iris in LA and June is the wife of my father’s roommate and best friend from Caltech. Iris was a favorite babysitter when Akemi was young and at lunch, June reminded us that she knew my father before my mother did.) As treats June brought bags of See’s toffee-ettes. She knows us well.

Akemi will take her See’s treats with her to school, consolation as she propels herself back into the fray. I told June I will save mine, as I am sure the toffee-ettes will taste just as good as ever when I am finally off chemo. In fact, I find out this morning’s treatment that that will be mid-February, earlier than I had thought. Turns out the cycle I am in right now is counting as the third of four cycles, so after this, I only have one more to go. I can handle that.

Anticipation contributes to enjoyment. I’m not feeling at all deprived on my self-imposed diabetic diet – and we should all eat this healthily all the time, I know – and yet the See’s and other treats will really be treats in a month.

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