No Sugar, and More

Late October dawn at home on Lake Hamilton

I have had no sugar for six weeks. No dark chocolate, always stashed in my a kitchen cabinet (The chocolate chips are still there, but I haven’t cheated. Well, once I did, gobbling a small, disappointing handful); no Walker’s Shortbread, even though a noticed a box in the back of my freezer; no peanut butter M&Ms; no mousse at my book group; no amazing looking chocolate mousse cake thing at my 50th High School reunion in Chicago a few weeks ago; no warm chocolate chip cookie handed to us as we checked into our hotel in Chicago after the reunion. No vanilla creams or dark chocolate crisps when my two lifelong friends and I wandered into a Fannie Mae shop on Michigan Avenue.

Fannie Mae is Chicago’s best and always appeared in our house for special occasions. I remember going into a particular Fannie Mae store with my father, who worked there on North Michigan Avenue and commuted on the Illinois Central for 30+ years, from Homewood, some 30 miles south.

So there we were—Joan from Tampa, Lynette from Portland , and I, wandering around Chicago for three days. Our actual reunion was in Alsip, which I don’t think existed when I was in High School. The reunion was pretty fun, but there were only a handful of people I really wanted to see and visit with. The ballroom was noisy and my throat became sore from trying to talk with people over the din.


Why are we at this party and who are all these old people?

So the next morning, after a breakfast with some reunion friends, we drove to our hometown, Homewood, where I actually took yet another tour of the house I lived in from birth until marriage, (The son of the family that bought the house from my parents, always insists that I go through the whole house, down to the the coal bin in the basement.)

Then we drove to Chicago and checked in to the Marriott Residence Inn, right off North Michigan Avenue, where we had a suite on the 18th floor for a pittance, thanks to Joan’s son who is in the hotel business in San Diego. We teased each other mercilessly, and giggled, and had a great time doing Chicago. (Not to whine again, but I had no cheesecake after lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in the John Hancock Building and no cream horns or apricot turnovers taunting from the window of the bakery near our hotel.)


Ann hanging out at the Hancock Building

We took in an improv club in Lincoln Park, and saw a terrific show called “Altar Boys,” at Drury Lane, near our hotel. An enthusiastic, hilarious off-Broadway musical featuring Matthew, Mark, Luke and Juan. And Abraham. We each picked one of the leads to take back to the hotel with us, but that didn’t work out.

So now I am back at home, eating nothing with sugar in it, no processed food or cereal. Nothing, zero, zilch, nada. I announced this commitment to a friend, who replied, “Well, how do you feel, besides righteous.” Now, one month down the road, I do feel better. I’m not any stronger, but seem to have a bit more energy. I am also eating a concoction of cottage cheese blended with flaxseed oil. The idea is that the flaxseed oil is a very effective anticancer treatment, and made more effective and water soluble when bonded to a protein-rich food, like cottage cheese. So I mix this tasteless stuff with fruit or a smoothie and eat a bit every day. Yum. Yum. If you are interested in this anticancer regime, you can read about the theories and research of German doctor Dr. Johanna Budwig on the internet. Specifically for the diet go to www.cancure.org/budwig_diet.htm.

Treatment is ongoing, about every other week, depending on my blood counts and scheduled around my little trips. The drug I have been taking since September, Gemzar, seems to be pretty effective. After the first couple of treatments, the tumor in my muscles visibly receded and my sternum, where the lesion was found, stopped hurting. Now I feel like I’m in a holding pattern.

I’m still trying to have as much fun as possible. In early September, I took a quick trip to California, visited with some dear friends, and hung out at CSE, my spiritual center. Then I flew to San Diego and drove out to Borrego Springs in the desert (it was about 110º) to work with Aminah Raheem, a mentor, body worker, creator of Process Acupressure, and divine healer.


My best buddies in California. Ann, Gail, Ellen, and Wendy.

Last week I was in Dallas for a few days, to spend Halloween with Tim and his family. Well, Tim was actually out of town for Halloween, but I got to enjoy the other kids (Harry Potter, two Hermiones, and a tiny fairy).


Carly, Cannon, Sydney and Brooke

Part of the plan was for me to baby-sit with Brooke for a day between parents coming and going. The weather was luscious and she and I were able to walk to the store and to the park, and spend lots of time reading. What a sweet, beautiful girl she is, at 16 months.


Hmm. Smells good. Why won't anyone open it for me?

At the end of next week, I’m flying to Denver. I’ll visit with friends in Boulder for a few days, then Tim and Amy and Brooke are going to pick me up and take me to Aspen with them for a few days. Mark returns from his six months of travel in South America that week, so I hope he will drive up and join us. We’ll fly home on Thanksgiving Day. (Check out Mark’s blog and journal of his trip at www.notesfromlatinamerica.blogspot.com)

Then...I will start packing the car, because on December 8, Andy and I are driving to Mexico. Yes! I’ve got lots of things to take for the house and Andy has a week off. I asked my doctor what he thought about my staying for a whole month. He said, “ I don’t why you are asking me, because you’ll do what you want anyway.” Then he reassured me that it would not be critical to my treatment, which will resume when I come back. And if I get scared, or notice more tumor activity, I can always come home.

So, I’ll be spending Christmas in my new home (well, my new bedroom) in Chacala, for the first time in three years. I am feeling especially blessed these days. I am meditating and exercising, and my life is full of good friends and loving family.


Chacala puesta del sol beckons.