OT August chit chat 2

[Cherie]

Jeanie,
Sorry your trip out meant having to stay in and feel awful.

Rough day. Dad is continuing to decline and the worse he gets and less he can do, the harder it is to be around him. My mom says they had the worst fight in 62 years today. I find that hard to believe as I've been witness to some rough ones but between them and two sisters and a brother, I have been on the phone for the past 4 hours. Nothing I can really do to ease things by driving up there. It's just a hard time. I suspect the cancer has moved to Dad's brain as his cognition and balance are deteriorating daily. And he has not eaten much or consistently in the past two weeks and loses at least half of each meal afterwards. Hospice Nurse there in the morning. I feel wrung out.

[agate]

Vicky, that asparagus looks good enough to eat right off the screen!

I'll just spritz some lemon juice on first. Is lemon juice good for a monitor screen?

Cherie, your dad's condition must be very heart-breaking. Hope you can rest from time to time.

[Cat Dancer]

Jeannie, I have trouble eating in Chinese restaurants not because of any sanitary issues but because many of them use msg or its derivatives to enhance the flavor of the food. Msg derivatives are common in China and used regularly. They cause severe diarrhea in me, as well. I always check first as much as I can to find out whether it is used, and of course avoid those that use it.

By the way, you will find msg in a lot of non Chinese food too --not in the quantity that some Chinese restaurants use it, though. I can tolerate a little of it.

[Howie]

Thanks Cat. I knew msg was in most Chinese food, but had no idea what it was, or why it was used. It's never too late to learn something.

[Gary]

Asparagus is one of the only foods I just can't stand I can't stand the smell of it cooking. Raw is okay though. Chinese food just the thought makes me hungry.

[Howie]

I'm the same way Gary, but didn't want to say so with all the asparagus lovers around here.

[Frog42]

We weren't going to offer you guys any anyhow, were we fellow asparagus lovers? That's more for us!

[Virginia]

Yep, let's just let them do without. No asparagus for Gary or Howie.

Vicky, that grilled asparagus did really look good - like Agate said, it looked good enough to eat off the screen.

I do not eat Chinese food. I love it, but cannot take it because it causes my heart to beat real fast. That is another symptom of MSG. Also, Mexican restaurants use quite a lot of it. I love taco salads but cannot eat them because of the msg. Like Cat, I can tolerate a little but I never know how much they are going to put in.

Agate, actually this really is a very little chocolate and that's the truth. I am eating Lindt's and it has so many calories it is unbelievable. They list one serving as 4 squares and 250 calories. So I had been eating 2 squares and getting 125 calories. The past few days I just had 1 square to cut down a little more. My Greek yogurt only has 80 calories, so I get the rest with chocolate.

Cherie, sorry your situation is not better. When things like this are happening in the family it is such a stressor. I had thought your Dad was entering Hospice, but guess I misunderstood that.

Jeanie, feel better soon.

Howie, thanks for cussing this disease for me.

[Gary]

There is one more thing I hate fresh tomatoes. Sauce or tiny, tiny pieces are ok. But stewed tomatoes and cooked asparagus together smell just like old gym shoes floating in a pool of rancid lard.

[Gary]

Sorry hit the send button twice.

[Frog42]

I like fresh tomatoes but stewed ones are vile, IMHO!

I don't want my asparagus in tomato sauce. Yech!

[Howie]

Virginia, you are very ****** welcome.

Gary, your description of the smell of asparagus was too kind......but accurate.

Uh oh, here comes one of those nasty asparagus eaters........HI VICKY!!!

[Cherie]

Chinese food is (or has been in the past) a major problem for me because of the mSG. Many places will prepare their foods with no MSG or let you know what items on the menu cannot come without MSG. It is a major source of symptoms of irritable bowel and headaches in people that are sensitive to it.

Yesterday was an awful day for my parents . Today is calmer but Dad is weaker and fell (no injuries) and needed several neighbors and friends to get him up and back in his chair (he decided to fix a screen door without telling anyone and lost his balance when he reached over his head....sound familiar Gary????). Dad has not taken any solid food now for more than a week (unless it's ginger snaps or homemade cookies). Mom feels the need to push food and beverage and Dad vomits. They are changing all his meds to liquid since he is gagging on pills and he is now on phenergan for nausea as of today. Everyone tells me it is not necessary for me to go up. I have to trust them on that. Frankly, this is not a time that I have a lot of energy to pitch in and take control. And my siblings who have remained relatively uninvolved over the past 2 years and now working out a system among them where he (and she) have at least one of their children there during part of every day. Hospice nurse has been coming every other week and n LPN every week but as of today the nurse will be there 2-3 times a week. My youngest sister is convinced he is holding out for his birthday in Mid October and will go after that. At this point, I am not sure he will be around that long.

Asparagus looks great. In fact I used some in tonight's stir fry of leftovers and it was quite good.

Thanks for tolerating the vent....

[SalpalSally]

I agree with Gary on the yucky tomato thingy, but Vicky, I loves me
asparagus spears, sans tomatoes of any kind.

Cat, my Mother discovered MSG when I was a kid and fed me lots and
lots of it. It's probably why I have MS...G?

So sorry ((((Cherie)))).

Feel better Jeanie..

Glad you are feeling a bit better Virginia.

Don't mess with our chocolate Agate. I can hear Ann screaming.

Hot and Stormy in my backyard today...Booooooo! Otherwise good.

Hi and love you to everyone else.

[SalpalSally]

Watch this. It will make you happy!

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