In Case You Were Wondering...

WARNING! This post is not for the faint of heart. This post is for those of you that have been curious (maybe morbidly curious) about what a bone marrow biopsy involves. And after just having had a doozy of one today, I thought what better time than now to get into it.

First a little background info...
When I got my first one almost 4 years ago, I didn't know what to expect (and I think it was better that way). I had just gotten diagnosed with leukemia 30 minutes earlier, so I guess you could say I had a lot on my mind. But anyway, while it was a bit painful and quite uncomfortable, I think I was in too much of a shock to focus on that. All I really remember from it was feeling the rocking back and forth, the strange (but very quiet) sounds, and the mental image of a cork screw.

Now for the details...
Well, now I know what to expect each time...and it stresses me out. And I even have bad dreams for a few nights before. But anyhoo, back to the cork screw. Well, that's basically what it is! It makes perfect sense. They have to get into your bone, but they don't use a drill (I guess since this is a procedure that gets done over and over, a drill would leave far too big of a wound). So they use this tool that looks like a long and very thin cork screw. They numb the area (the back of your hip, right at the top of one of your butt cheeks) as much as they can, and then the Dr. starts twisting and screwing it in (hence the rocking back and forth I remember from my first time). As they go deeper, it becomes more painful (sometimes very sharp and sudden), and they stop and add more anesthetic. The sounds are the sounds of metal on bone, and you can't hear it as much externally as you can internally. Once they're in there, they take an even longer needle/syringe and send it down through the hollow center of the cork screw thing. They suck out a sample of marrow and remove the syringe. Then they insert another needle thing (which is best described as one of those things you see on the Sargento cheese commercials where they stick it in a wheel of cheese, twist it, and remove a cylindrical sample of the cheese) and they use that to remove a sample of the bone.

And as for today...
First, let me tell you about my Dr. He is a very kind middle-aged, Middle-Eastern man. Every time I see him, he asks about my parents whom he met maybe once, my sister and her twins, my brother who went to Afghanistan, my brother in the Navy (all of whom he's never met), and Kevin. He remembers those things very well and that is very comforting. However, he can't seem to remember saying the exact same things to me every time. For the first 3 years, every time I got a biopsy done, he would comment on my dense bones by saying (verbatim), "Wow, it must be that West Texas beef!"...every single time! Now, for the last year, the last 2 procedures I've had, we talk about Kevin Costner movies. It sounds completely random (and it is a little), but it all starts when he asks how Kevin is liking working for the post office. And then he says, "You know, Kevin Costner made that movie, The Postman..." And then he goes on and on about how weird and boring he thought it was, and so was Waterworld; but Dances With Wolves, JFK, and The Untouchables were great. Maybe he thinks he's taking my mind off of what he's doing...but he's not.

Once again, I digress. So we went throughout all of those conversations, was the biopsy itself. The numbing medication is never quite enough for my "dense West Texas" bones. I always have sharp, blinding, bursts of pain where he has to add more medication. The first couple of attempts were unsuccessful. There was apparently a lot of scarring on that area of bone which made the marrow very difficult to extract (that in and of itself was painful enough, but nothing I'm not used to). So he numbed a new spot and had more luck there. However, in order to do so, he had to climb onto a stool to get more leverage and use a larger/longer "cork screw". After he got in a little ways, I told him it was hurting quite a bit. He asked if I could just hang on, because he was almost there and it would be over soon if he didn't have to stop and get more anesthetic, so I said OK. So I closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, and tried to take deep breaths while he extracted a good sample of marrow (This, even on a good day, is the worst part. It's a painful, foreign sensation...like the opposite of a thick painful shot. You can actually feel it leaving your body.) A couple of tears came to my eyes, but I made it through. After that, they re-numbed for the removal of the bone sample, and that went off without a hitch.

So anyway, that's about it. I don't say all of this to complain at all...it is what it is, and I can take it. I don't say all this to get anyone to feel sorry for me, either...I'm very blessed, and I know that things can always be worse (and I'm thankful they're not). I just know that there are some people out there who have wondered and have never wanted to actually ask. So there it is. I'll be sore for a good 5 days, and I should hear something back in a week or two.

That's all for now...in case you were wondering!

Recipe Rut...

I am in a recipe rut. Even though I've got lots of recipes, it's been hard to find something I want to cook lately. I'm either too tired and what I want will just take too much work, or nothing sounds good. So, I'm looking for something super tasty, something different from my usual, and something fairly simple and/or speedy to make. I thought maybe a recipe exchange might work.

I've participated in many things like this before: kitchen towels, cute underwear (new, of course), recipes, etc. And I've tried it in a couple of ways: old fashioned chain mail letters and email. They never worked out for me. I would contribute my portion, but I never once got anything in return. Well, now I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and hope for better results by giving it a shot with my blog.

And, once again, I'll get the ball rolling. I'm going to go with delicious and easy to prepare dishes with some of my favorites from several recipe categories:


Main Dishes

4 Step Chicken
This is very simple, very quick, and it can be changed up in a variety of ways...

Step 1: Cook the chicken. (You can lightly dredge it in flour or bread crumbs if you want a slight crunch, or you can just season it on its own. But either way, you will cook it in a pan with a little bit of vegetable, canola, or olive oil.)

Step 2: Add the aromatics. (Remove the chicken from the pan, so it doesn't over cook. Add things like onions, garlic, herbs, and spices or any combination of them to the pan. Let it cook until tender.)

Step 3: Deglaze the pan. (Use chicken stock, lemon juice, or wine.)

Step 4: Finish the sauce. (Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan to slightly thicken the sauce. It will also add flavor and sheen to the sauce. Put the chicken back into the pan to soak up some of the flavors of the sauce for about 1 minute and then serve.)


Tater Tot Casserole
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 slices American cheese
1 bag frozen tater tots

Season and brown the ground beef (I like to add diced onion to mine). Put into 9x9 or 8x8 square baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spread enough of the soup (I like to use the cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup) to cover the top of the beef. Place the cheese slices on top to cover the soup. Use enough tater tots to cover the cheese. Put in the oven for 35-45 minutes (or until cheese is melty and tots are crispy) at 350 degrees.


Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup
2-3 chicken breasts
1 small-medium white or yellow onion
1 can beef broth/stock
1 can chicken broth/stock
1 can tomato soup
1 can rotel
1/2 can water
1/2 can corn
1/2 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
dash Worcestershire sauce
small (3 oz.) cream cheese cut into cubes

Cook chicken, let it rest, and cut into cubes or bite sized strips. Saute onions until soft. Put all cans, Worcestershire sauce and cream cheese into a 4 quart pot. Add chicken and onions. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 1 hour. Serve with strips of corn tortillas (or crushed tortilla chips), shredded cheese, and/or sour cream.


Desserts

No Bake Oatmeal Cookies
1 stick butter
1/2 c. milk
2 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 c. peanut butter
dash vanilla
3 c. quick cooking oats

Melt butter in a 4 quart pot. Add milk, sugar, and cocoa. Stir completely, bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter. Mix until smooth. Add dash of vanilla extract. Stir completely. Mix oats until combined. Remove from heat and drop by spoonful onto wax paper. Let cool in refrigerator for 15 minutes, until set.

Lemon Cake
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (3 oz.) lemon jello
3/4 c. water
4 eggs
3/4 c. vegetable oil

Mix cake mix and jello together in mixing bowl. Add water, eggs, and oil. Mix well. Pour into 13x9 pan or bundt pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Let cool slightly. If using 13x9 pan, leave cake in pan. If using bundt pan, remove cake from pan and transfer onto a plate or cake stand. While still warm, prick full of holes and spread on glaze.

2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. lemon juice (warm the juice and the sugar will dissolve better)


OK people, it's your turn. I'm really hoping this works. I can't wait to try something new, simple, and delicious! :) :) :)

Word to your mother...

Happy Mother's Day!! This is going to be a post in honor of all of the moms out there; both the ones I've known and the ones I never had the opportunity the know. But first...

Here's a video of Christina Aguilara's "I Turn to You". For those of you that don't know, it's a song that she did for her mother. You're welcome to watch the enitre video, but pay close attention to the section between 2.42 and 3.22 for these lyrics: "For the arms to be my shelter through all the rain, For truth that will never change, for someone to lean on. For a heart I can rely on through anything For the one who I can run to oh I turn to you!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbb2D4fL5Q8

Now, imagine that it was me singing it. Ahh yes...there it is...the effect I was going for. :)

Just some of the moms I know/have known

~My mom is amazing. I know that everyone says that their mom is the best (and I'm not going to take that away from anyone), but let me just say that my mom is better than your mom. :) Really, though, she is wonderful. She means the world to me. She is one of my best friends. If I'm half the mom she is, then I'll be doing a pretty good job. All of my best traits, I got from her (including my singing and dancing skills). I'm so proud to be her daughter.

~My sister is incredible. She tried for a long time to get pregnant, and when she did, it was twins! She is wonderful with those 2 boys. This is truly the happiest I've ever seen her. She is still her, shall we say "spunky" self, just a more joy-filled version. I'm so happy for her.

~My sister-in-law, Sheila, is another example of the kind of mother I want to be. She raises her kids with such a Christian spirit. She does her parenting with such joy, peace, and a sense of humor. And she has been an amazing help to Kevin over the years (what with all her praying and praying and praying).

~My mom friends at work help me stay sane. They understand the stresses and the guilt involved with being a full-time teacher, wife, and mother. They gripe with me, laugh with me, and they inspire me every day.

~My 2nd mom, Teena Wood. When I met my best friend in 3rd grade, her mom became a part of my life, too. She was such a fun, kind, and funny woman and she passed away almost 6 years ago. Every time I shake a mustard bottle or make snickerdoodles I think of her (only those who knew her will get that).

~And all of the other moms in my life: my aunts, my grandma Roth, my cousins, and my other sister-in-laws...you are all strong amazing women, and I am so blessed to have you.

The moms I didn't get a chance to know

~My grandma Mason. While she did get to know me when I was a baby, she died when I was so young that I don't remember her. I know the stories that my mom tells, and I see the pictures that she has, but I don't have any memories of my own. I think about how my mom and her sisters turned out, so I know she must have been amazing. I am convinced that she was my guardian angel as a child, and I pray that she would be proud of the mother that I am today.

~My mother-in-law, Beth. I never had the privilege of meeting her. Like my grandma, I've heard stories and seen pictures. She was a beautiful woman. The way her children talk about her, and the way their faces light up when they do is evidence enough for me that she was an incredible mother, too. I often think about what she would have thought of me. I imagine what it would be like to talk, laugh, and make meals in the kitchen with her. I wish I could have seen her with Hannah and Mason, and every day, I hope that she thinks I'm doing a good job with them.


So, again, Happy Mother's Day to everyone! And so we can end on a lighter note, just picture me singing that Christina Aguilera song again.

:)

Calling all Wine Snobs...

OK, I know there are a lot of people out there in the world that LOVE wine. And I happen to know a handful of them...and at least a few of those read this blog. So, Kevin and I need help. We are looking to go beyond Arbor Mist (I know, I can hear the hisses, boos, and moans now). What we're looking for right now is red wine. Kevin's looking to lower his cholesterol (no, wine isn't the only thing we're doing on that front), and I'm looking to increase my classiness (as if that were even possible).

We found a wine that we like when we were out at dinner with a friend (how 'bout a shout out to our friend Elliott)...Riunite Lambrusco. We can find it at the local liquor stores and even at Walmart (which may mean that it's not so good after all). It's a chilled, sweet red wine which I think is more up our alley than a room temperature red.

But I think we may be open to trying some different reds...we just don't want to have to snurl our lips with every sip. So, to all of you wine-o's out there...please post a comment suggesting a good red wine or two.

Thanks!!! And happy drinking!