Update on Dom

It’s been a rough week.

Dom’s 3 1/2 inch lesion is on his LEFT HIP.

This week, his RIGHT HIP started killing him.

I sent an email to our liaison nurse at the Slidell Cancer Center on Wednesday afternoon to request an MRI.  (Which is how they found his hip lesion)

She didn’t bother to return my email or call us.

Went to Slidell for his chemo on Friday.  Dom went into our doctor’s office to bitch.

Doc was OFF for the day.  Apparently, there were NO doctors on Friday.

He said that he wanted an MRI-  now!

Finally, one of the nurses told him to go the Emergency Room.  They would be expecting him.

Sure enough, they got him into a room quickly.

TWO HOURS LATER, the ER doc said that they had FINALLY got a hold of his Oncologist.  Said that there was no need for an MRI until next week.  The ER doc apologized for the lack of communication. (He was a sweet guy-  loved him)

It turns out that our liaison did, in fact, see the email.  Apparently ignored it.

When we Igot home, there was a phone message from her, asking how it went today.  You think I’m going to return her call?  NO EFFING WAY.

So, MRI is scheduled for Tuesday.

We switched from NOLA to Slidell for convenience.  We're having 2nd thoughts.  Going to see our Tulane Oncologist on August 31st.  She'll decide if he's ready for the SCT after doing a bone marrow biopsy and check his M-Spike.

Killer Green Beans! (With bacon and mushrooms)

We had A LOT of beans this year.  Green beans, Wax beans, and Purple pole beans.  I had to get creative-  These were delicious-

Ingredients:

6 strips bacon, diced
Handful of sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
1/4 onion, diced
Green Beans
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a frying pan, cook the bacon pieces until crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel to drain. Drain the bacon fat from the pan, reserving a couple tablespoons. Add the reserved bacon fat back to the pan. Add the mushrooms and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Over medium heat, saute the mushrooms and onion until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms have released their liquid and have begun to brown.

While the mushrooms and onion are cooking, put the green beans into a microwave safe dish. Add enough water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Drain.

Add the drained beans to the pan with the mushrooms and onions. Add the bacon pieces back into the pan. Add the lemon juice. While gently stirring, saute for 2 or 3 minutes.

New Raccoon Kids and Some Gorgeous Sunsets

Mama FINALLY brought her 3 kids for a visit.  They're THISCLOSE to eating out of my hand.  They watch intently as I feed their mama.

This is the 5th or 6th generation for us.  Looking back, the babies always appear in threes in Mid-July.  They give me such great pleasure.

Mama hates these hot summer months, as she can't get my attention.  We keep the a/c on and the house closed up.  Spring and Fall, we have the house open to get a breeze through the screen doors.  We'll be watching TV and hear a "rap rap rap".  It's my girl knocking on the screen door on her back legs looking in.

Sadly with the doors closed, we can't hear her knocking.  (Thus, I'm constantly getting up and peeking out the window)

We've been having KILLER sunsets this past week.  Glorious!

The Modern Jewish Table: 100 Kosher Recipes from around the Globe

The publisher of this cookbook was kind enough to send me this beautiful hardcover cookbook.

It's beautifully put together with gorgeous full-color glossy photos.

I've never cooked "Kosher", but I'll give some of these recipes a whirl!

It'll be nice to expand my cooking horizons!

Strap on your apron, reinvent tradition, and fill your Jewish kitchen with global flavors.

The Modern Jewish Table is the new, essential kosher cookbook for every Jewish home, whether you are a reluctant cook or a dedicated balabusta. Bringing their fun, upbeat, and infectious brand of energy to the kitchen, self-proclaimed Jewish Princesses Tracey Fine and Georgie Tarn don their high heels and aprons to revamp the kosher kitchen and raise the culinary bar. It’s no longer just chopped liver, chicken soup, and matzo bread; instead, learn to make Mock Chopped Liver, Sephardi Saffron Chicken Soup, and Princess Pitta Bread!

Writing from the point of view of the average home cook, the Jewish Princesses dish out their witty know-how and inspire amateur cooks to create simple and hip recipes, with all the short cuts included, even as they entice “professional” home cooks to revitalize traditional Jewish fare with uniquely global flavors. Learn to make delightful pareve desserts and meals fit for a Passover feast, as well as:

• Street Food Gefilte Fish Bites
• Crème Fraiche Vegetable Latkes
• Cohen-Tucky Baked Chicken
• Princess Pad Thai
• Kunafa Middle Eastern Cheese Cake
• Cuban Sweet Corn Soufflé, and more!

Complete with stunning photography, outrageous tips, and a dash of chutzpah, The Modern Jewish Table introduces innovative dishes that will soon become Jewish traditions for the future.

PRE-ORDER Here. Releasing on Aug. 15, 2017

Multiple Myeloma | Symptoms, Signs and Easy Indicating Stages for this Disease

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxpkhjtsorA

Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7MRlT6lrFI&feature=youtu.be

ANOTHER UPDATE on Dom

Dom is having a pretty rough way to go during this treatment.  Actually, Thalidomide was like a walk in the park compared to Velcade, Revlimid and Dex.

His blood pressure is all over the place.  He’s been on blood pressure medication for many years.  Our family doctor took him off of it while he’s going through this.

A typical morning:

Gets out of bed at 8 am.  While watching television, sitting on the couch, his blood pressure is 130/80.  GREAT.

Gets hungry.  Walks with his cane 20 feet into the kitchen.  Grabs a bite to eat, then hobbles back to the couch.  Starts feeling woozy.  Blood pressure has dropped to 60/something.

An hour later, blood pressure returns to normal.

He cannot function with these fluctuations.  He’s also getting flashes of color in his peripheral vision from time to time.

I’m doing all of the driving.  We’re both very tired.  Drive into Bogalusa, LA every Monday for lab work.  Velcade injections in Slidell on Tuesdays and Fridays.  Drive into NOLA to see Dr. Safah at the Tulane Cancer Center every couple of months. Monthly infusion of Zometa.  Here’s a look at this month:

So, we're hanging in there and sure looking forward to finishing this treatment and get on with the transplant.

300 Big & Bold Barbecue & Grilling Recipes

I received this great cookbook the other day from the publisher.  It couldn't have come at a better time-  My brother is flying in from Ohio for a visit in a couple of weeks and we'll be firing up the grill often!  We're really looking forward to experimenting with these recipes.

300 Big & Bold Barbecue & Grilling Recipes

How to barbecue and grill everything from a steak to an apple.

This superb collection of recipes for the barbecue and grill is not only bold, it shares many grilling secrets from expert chefs. The recipes deliver flavors that will blow away the toughest critic in the family.

Each recipe has tips on how to build that bold flavor before, during and after barbecuing. The authors provide instructions for barbecuing or grilling virtually any food. From planking and rotisserie cooking to barbecuing a whole hog or lamb, from grilling "all piastra" to "alla brace," from stir-grilling to grill-roasting, from grilling foods wrapped in a banana leaf to grilling with a kiss of smoke, and from achieving a "bark" on barbecued pork shoulder to herb grilling, this book reveals all. Bringing a steak to that perfect "black and blue" or any other degree of doneness is easier than ever.

Here is a sampling of the recipes, which yield delectable results every time:

*Slow-smoked country-style ribs
*Black and blue beef sirloin served over greens
*Red-hot grilled wings with cold Maytag blue cheese dipping sauce
*Lamb souvlaki with grilled pita bread and Greek yogurt sauce
*Arctic char with grilled lemon halves
*Planked shrimp with garlic chive butter and ciabatta
*Prairie-style smoked bison chili
*Brie and pepper stuffed portobellos
*Grilled apple rings with cider bourbon cream sauce.

A special chapter is devoted to rubs, brines, mops, sops, bastes, glazes, BBQ sauces, slathers, vinaigrettes, pestos, flavored butters and dipping sauces. Also included are charts for every type of food and cooking technique as well as an encyclopedia of ingredients.

This is the home chef's ultimate book on barbecue and grilling.

This cookbook is over 400 pages and loaded with beautiful full-color glossy photographs.

Get it From AMAZON here

A Walk With Purpose: Memoir of a Bioentrepreneur

I thought that this publication would be of interest to you guys-

About the Book:  

With a prolific career in biotechnology, serving as CEO of two companies who worked in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer, Michael Becker knew and understood cancer. It was his job. So, when he was looking in the mirror at age 47 and saw a lump in his neck that wasn’t there the day before, he knew something was wrong. After several tests and agonizing waiting periods for results, his worst fears were confirmed – he was diagnosed with stage IV oropharyngeal (head and neck) cancer in December 2015. While initial treatment appeared successful, his cancer returned in December 2016 and he was given about a year to live.


What does someone do with a diagnosis like that? Everyone would react different. For Becker, he became determined to share his story of adversity and daily triumph, which is all chronicled in his new non-fiction autobiographical book, A Walk With Purpose: Memoir of a Bioentrepreneur. Part memoir, part fascinating look inside the biotechnology industry, A Walk With Purpose takes readers down his career path from an investment advisor to chief executive officer of an oncology-focused biotechnology company, to finally ending on the other end of the industry: a terminal cancer patient facing his own mortality. This fast-moving, fascinating and heart-wrenching memoir shows a personal account of all sides of the oncology biotech industry: from CEO to patient.

Available NOW on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Purpose-Memoir-Bioentrepreneur/dp/152117976X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

A Patient Update

Dom will be finishing his 4th week of Chemo on Friday.... then off for an entire week.

This Velcade and Revlimid have been tough on the poor guy.  His blood pressure got very low, so he cut way back yesterday.

Needless to say, heads exploded at the Cancer Center today.

So.... tomorrow, our ONLY day off this week, we're headed BACK to Slidell to see our Dr. Culasso...  to get a handle on his blood pressure and our annual check-ups.

We have an appointment at our Tulane Oncologist, Dr. Safah on Thursday.  She's the one who's calling the shots.  Slidell is much more convenient for us, but Tulane will be harvesting the Stem Cells and performing the transplant.

Dom gets SO tired, has dizzy spells, has to lay down at times.  This has been rough on him.  The Thalidomide 9 years ago was like a walk in the park compared to this.  (Of course, he's 9 years older, too!)

So... thanks for your continued prayers and positive vibes.  We'll take whatever we can get!

Christine's Visit- What a Fun Week!

We had a GREAT VISIT from our daughter who lives in Colorado!

We did a lot of running around.  The above pictures were taken at Fatty's in Picayune.  About 20 minutes away.  Dom and I split their club sandwich, Christine got a Catfish Poboy.  Dynamite Onion Rings with an Abita Beer batter!

One of her local gals Nicole, who we adore, spent the night with us. We indulged in Moscow Mules.  The 3 gals went to The Italian Grille for one of their KILLER pizzas the next day.

Margaritas and a late lunch after one of Dom's doctor appointments at El Paso Mexican Grill.  This place is conveniently located next to Dom's oncologist!

We took a road trip to Pascagoula, MS. to see a doctor about a VA Disability Claim.  Thankfully, President Trump has the VA "farming out" patients to private doctors.  This guy was a doll!

Afterward, the 3 of us headed to The Texas Roadhouse for a lovely dinner.  (Christine found a $100 bill on the floor underneath our booth!)

We BBQd one day while waiting for Dom's shipment of Revlimid and steroid delivery.

Christine carted us around all week, which gave me a nice break.

We're back on our Chemo schedule for 2 weeks.

Our patient is doing very well.  Tired, but very well!

Thanks for the continued prayers and positive vibes.  We'll take them!

Massive Hammerhead Shark Caught From Beach -July 4th Weekend - Panama City Beach - Catch & Release

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/07/wading_man_has_hammerhead_on_t.html

In a vivid hammerhead shark video from Panama City Beach, Fla., it's not immediately clear who's the predator and who's the prey.

Posted Saturday on YouTube by user Curtis Williams, the clip begins high above the beach, where a hammerhead is clearly visible a few yards from a lone person in the water. As the camera drove descends, closing in, the shark appears to turn toward the man, and the man appears to point toward the animal and approach it, rather than fleeing.

The reason for that behavior becomes clear after a few seconds: The shark is hooked and the man is pulling it in, hand over hand. With the animal apparently exhausted, he's eventually able to work it to shore.

The video doesn't show whether the shark was released afterward. However, when YouTube commenters asked about its fate, Williams responded that the shark had been turned loose and allowed to swim away.

THE COCOA EXCHANGE- POD & BEAN

 The folks at THE COCOA EXCHANGE were kind enough to ship us an assortment of their fine products.

The timing was perfect, as our daughter who lives in Colorado was in town for a visit.

These knocked us out!  Honestly, I'm not a mustard eater, but this Stone Ground Mustard was out of this world.  We had it with cheese and crackers.

Also baked some chicken thighs.  Dom's favorite was the Korean BBQ Sauce.  Mine was the Blackberry Chipotle Sauce.

Who knew that cocoa was so good to cook with?

We just broke open the Hot Sauce.  YUMMY!  We're going to start buying this stuff!

POD & BEAN™ 
This brand combines THE COCOA EXCHANGE™’s chocolate expertise with the culinary skill of its professional chefs to create one-of-a-kind gourmet food. Explore POD & BEAN™ and find out why the versatile richness of cocoa deserves a permanent place at any dinner table.

Highlights:
Dips, Spreads and DressingsInfused with cocoa and chocolate, POD & BEAN™ dips, spreads, and dressings add a satisfying layer of taste and complexity to a variety of staples, like crackers and veggies, plus, they dress up simple salads and meats. POD & BEAN™ turns the ordinary into extraordinary!

Hot Sauce:
Want to know why chocolate is such a good partner for hot sauce? It balances out the heat to deliver more flavor. Oh yes it does! POD & BEAN™ Gourmet Hot Sauces features traditional hot sauce recipes infused with both dark chocolate and white chocolate for a more enhanced experience. Give it a go!

Seasoning Blends:
Looking for an international taste explosion? In just one bite? Sure thing! Travel around the world with POD & BEAN™’s regionally-inspired blends. Each blend features traditional flavor profiles, intensified by the richness of cocoa. No GPS needed.

BBQ Sauces:
From good old Carolina BBQ traditions to trendy Korean flavors, POD & BEAN™ delivers a spectacular taste sensation for any BBQ-inspired meal - engaging all the senses. Sweet, smoky, tangy, it’s all here, and ready to be explored.Meal Starters and SaucesThere’s nothing more comforting than knowing you’ve got a friend in the kitchen. POD & BEAN™

Meal Starters and Sauces:
are like a treasured helping hand, adding depth of flavor through authentic, convenient and on-trend recipes. So good. So easy!

Coffee and Tea:
Nutty, earthy cocoa perfectly complements warm beverages like tea and coffee. POD & BEAN™ special roast their cocoa powder to add another layer of flavor to each unique beverage. Plus, they use real cocoa, not just chocolate flavor.

Product Sets:
Sometimes it’s easiest to have the curation done for you. POD & BEAN™ has developed a series of sets that make it easy to test and learn. From a Sides and Salads Set to a Taco Tuesday Set to Backyard BBQ and a Flavor Fusion Set, POD & BEAN™ takes out the guesswork and provides all the flavor an at-home chef needs for entertaining family and friends

http://www.mytcesite.com/pws/homeoffice/tabs/pod-bean.aspx