One of the challenges of being caregiver to a loved one with cancer

Dad is feeling stressed as Mom's caregiver during her treatment because she is very sensitive about her diet.  She will eat most of what Dad prepares, although she does not eat enough lately to keep her weight on.  The week of infusion is the most challenging time of all.  Mom doesn't want to eat anything to start with.  What she does eat, has to be something appetizing enough for her to take enough to keep her strength, while accepting that whatever she eats during this time she will reject later.  That is because humans associate nausea with whatever food they ate last.  It is a normal instinct to avoid eating poisons or otherwise harmful foods.  Chemo therapy causes nausea, but since it is taken through an I.V., when the nausea comes the drugs don't get blamed by the human response, rather the most recent meal takes the rap.  So Dad is stressed to figure out what to feed Mom starting Monday.  In the mean time, Jacalyn is visiting tonight, so Dad is making a special dinner.  He made chutney from our pluots yesterday which goes really great with pork.  Dad went to the farmer's market in San Francisco today to pick up dry-farmed early girl tomatoes and fresh-made mozzarella which he will make into caprese salad using basil from our garden to start the meal tonight.  The star entree is a bone-in, frenched pork loin roast from Golden Gate Meats.  Dad brought the roast home from the market this morning and put it into a brining solution to make the meat juicy and flavorful when cooked.  The butcher gave Dad some dry rub to add for the rotisserie cooking process which will give the meat a complex taste.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  With the chutney to compliment and fresh English peas steamed for a side dish, it will be a wonderful meal to share with Jacalyn.  Dad wants Mom to get ahead on calories before treatment, so he is working hard to make some wonderful meals this weekend.  Go Dad, go!

I wish Dad would spend as much time, or at least some time, thinking about and planning good meals for Lou and me.  The best we get is a can of dog food once a week (which I love a whole bunch).  Usually it is kibble.  Kibble for breakfast, kibble for dinner, rinse and repeat the next day.  If it wasn't for the tomato patch in the garden and the pluot tree my diet would be like cardboard with vitamins added.  Please Dad, make us a roast of pork!