"A" is for Appetite *

During chemo, my appetite falls off track faster than a 12th grader with senioritis.

I dutifully order the most nutritious items on the Hotel Hope menu, but a nearly full tray is whisked away hours later. And, I have to admit, that the possibility of the "second coming" (of the food, that is), is a powerful disincentive to chowing down.

The lousy appetite dogs me after my homecoming, but, like clockwork, it miraculously returns within 48 hours. After round one, the potato balls from Porto's Bakery reignited my taste buds. Pork and shrimp shumai from my favorite dumpling house did the trick after round two.

Two days after returning from round three, I offered to bring home pizza from Casa Bianca, a popular family-style Italian joint in Eagle Rock. My appetite hadn't returned yet, so I thought the large pizza pie sitting in the passenger's seat was safe. The aroma of the fennel-laced sausage hit me, and I thought, "Just one small square." But those tasty nibbles woke up my sleeping taste buds, and I couldn't stop myself. After consuming several more squares, I maneuvered the pieces around, hoping noone would notice that a fourth of the pizza was missing. (Unfortunately, I didn't fool anyone.)

Do you see a theme here? Carbs and fat are the perfect antidote to chemo-induced appetite loss. I'm already plotting a breakfast of old-fashioned, high-fat biscuits and sausage gravy to rev up my appetite after round four. Care to join me?