It’s been a rough couple of weeks for cancer patients … or, well, I guess I should say for this cancer patient.
Not for the Princess of Wales, who released a commercial (?), video statement (?) (I’m not sure exactly what to call it) in which she announced the completion of her chemotherapy. It’s unclear whether that means that she is in remission or what but I suppose that getting to the next phase, completing any step is something to celebrate. At the end of her statement, she shouted out those “still on your cancer journey” (a phrase that I do not relate to my experience at all) and said that she’s still with us, hand in hand. I nearly threw up in my mouth a little bit (which might not seem to be saying much considering nausea is a side effect of chemotherapy but is actually saying something in my case as I haven’t been experiencing much of that lately). I don’t know. There’s just something about a Princess (who presumably has access to some of the top health care in the world and physical comforts) saying that she’s hand in hand with us commoners just because we happen to have the same class of (extremely varied and wide-ranging) disease.
I also attended a nutrition and cancer information zoom session recently and came out of it feeling pretty bad about my food options and choices. Here’s what I came away from it with: the only way you can recover from cancer is a diet of wild caught cold water fish, broccoli (and maybe a few other vegetables), and the occasional avocado as a treat. No fruit other than maybe a cup of berries.
OK. So admittedly it wasn’t quite as austere as that. But the nutritionist did advise us that all the carbohydrates we need can be obtained from vegetables and that rice causes bladder cancer (or at least the arsenic in rice does). Yes, this was an information session that was focused strictly on nutrition and its connection to cancer and healing from cancer. There was no room for discussions around food as central to comfort and community and tradition. I saw a quote from the former head chef at the White House talking about how there would be days when she would see what was going on in the world and decide to serve the President of the United States grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. Yes, even POTUS needs comfort food. Certainly cancer patients do too. Someone out there must be doing studies on eating comfort and cultural foods and the connection to healing. Our bodies can’t possibly be just this nutrients in/ nutrients out robotic contraption where love and comfort mean nothing.
The nutrition information session didn’t really change how I’m eating. In fact, one of the first things that I ordered up the next time we got take out was a big bowl of oxtail pho (yes noodles made of horrors of all horrors: rice!). In my experience, the brothiness and marrowiness and comfort of a steaming bowl of that dish is healing. And I tried to not focus too much on the Princess and her promises. This resulted in me being able to focus on those around me (nurses, my family, my spouse, etc…) who are actually here with me hand in hand, or otherwise.