1 week since leaving True North

It has been a week since I drove away from True North. To say I appreciate food more now is an understatement. Many people go there to break addictions to food/salt/sugar/oils/cigarettes even. Sometimes I wonder if it has triggered something of a food obsession for me. /-:  I feel very hungry a lot and have gained back about 9 lbs. One doctor warned that our bodies may wonder if we're going to not eat again for awhile ...

I've been cooking a lot. I had a craving for boxed mac and cheese when I was at True North; I think I just wanted comfort food when I felt so terrible. I found recipes and tried one on my grandkids. Andy and Cam and I thought it wasn't too bad; in fact, it was surprisingly good with the cheese sauce made primarily from cashews, but the girls asked for the regular stuff. 

I made the most amazing tofu and rice that mimics Tso's chicken (kinda like orange chicken from a restaurant). Wow! It was amazing and will take care of asian food cravings for me. And it wasn't hard. I made a vegan breakfast sausage - nope - I won't be using that recipe again. And, last night, for the college championship football game with guests, I made cauliflower and tofu "hot wings" in the air fryer. Yummo!!!! I also made pulled pork sandwiches from jackfruit. It was a hit. I need to modify the recipe a little bit, but it was surprisingly good. I had a package of pre-made pulled pork ready for our guests, if necessary, but nobody wanted it. Pretty amazing. I've always been somewhat grossed out my meat, although I love the taste. I actually like some of these alternatives better.

We have been good in that we are having huge salads for lunches, mostly oatmeal for breakfast, and made a huge yummy vegetable/bean/lentil soup as our main meal between trying all these recipes. 

I feel like everything I eat is making me swell, however. Since I still had hand/wrist/ankle swelling while I was fasting, I don't think it is all food. But, it is pretty bad since I've started eating again. My knees no longer go back to normal overnight. This morning my face and hands are exceptionally puffy. 

As I went to see Dr. Raleigh last week and decided to do all labs and my annual PET scan mid Feb, I am trying to stay focused on God and healing, rather than feeling fretful about what appear to be clinical symptoms of the lymphoma. The plan, if things are apparently advancing, is to go see a specialist at Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago, taking all my records, to see if he has any new advice besides what I've been given. If I need chemo, I will do it at the Block Center in Chicago - chronomodulated, as I've explained before. I will fast 36 hours before and 24 hours after chemo, to make it more potent to the cancer and to protect healthy cells. If you want more info on this, look up Dr. Valter Longo at USC. Impressive research everyone on chemo should know about. 

If the testing does not show advancing lymphoma, I'm not sure what to do about this increasing swelling and discomfort and stiffness. There is a chiropractor that has helped my son tremendously with food sensitivities but she can't get me in as a new patient right now. I'm sure God will bring a new answer/resource across my path soon. He always does. 

I am thrilled about the apparent permanent resolution of the pain I had on my left side before I'd need to go to the bathroom and when I'd lay on my right side. That bothered me for a long time. I believe something healed there with the fasting. 

For now, I've started taking alfalfa today. I grew up knowing it can help with infections and inflammation and is a great diuretic. Maybe it will help me feel better. 

Love to al1.