Hey Everybody... I'm Diet Queer*...

Hey Everybody... I'm Diet Queer*...

Dude. Can we talk about how much all of us are in each other's business about what we EAT?!

Then... add to that a cancer diagnosis and people REALLY want to know what you eat, what you don't eat, and why you do or don't eat something in particular. Whew! It's a lot.

At a recent party someone asked me, "Oh, are you vegan?" I said no.
Someone else said, "Are you gluten-free?" Again, I said no.
Then a third person wanted me to explain my diet.
I flippantly answered, "Actually, I'm Diet Queer.* I don't fit into any category."

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I'm back from my 2nd treatment in Germany...

I'm back from my 2nd treatment in Germany...

Wow. Where do I even begin? So much has happened in the 6 weeks since I last wrote an update; therefore, this will probably end up being a bit on the very long-ish side (…like almost 2,800 words on the long-ish side). The weeks I spent at Hufeland Klinik in Germany were just as magical as they were last year. Before I left I thought, “Am I hyping this place up too much? Am I going to be disappointed?” Not.In.The.Least! I flew back to Philadelphia on Tuesday, June 22, 2016 and... 

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We're back!

I feel a bit like a broken record, but thank you for all of the prayers and many ways of support you all continue to give to Josh and me. (And no, it’s not “Josh and I,” in case you were wondering… I graduated with an English degree… which does come in handy, Dad! See?!) 

Here are answers to the Top Ten Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) we’ve gotten since we returned:

1. Are you happy to be home?

Yes… and no. Of course we love seeing our family and friends, but reverse culture shock and other things have made it difficult...

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Praises!

Praises!

So for months I've been asking for prayers... this is the non-exhaustive list of answered prayers that Josh and I have come up with...

  1. My immune system has responded extremely well to the Fever Therapies here... my white blood cell count is over 26,000!
  2. I've gained 7 wonderful pounds... and let me tell you, this takes A LOT of chewing... chomp, chomp, chomp of the vegetables!
  3. ...
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Food in Germany

Food in Germany

So far all of the food we have eaten here has been at the Hufeland Klinik... and oh... my... goodness is it good! Imagine having the best quality food prepared excellently for you and then served beautifully... then times that by 10 :)  Seriously, as someone who has avoided dairy (milk products like cheese, butter, cream, etc) for years, it’s refreshing to see how easily they can accommodate my dietary restrictions...

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Surgery Blessingway Prayer Circle

Surgery Blessingway Prayer Circle

My friend Jenah reminded me about the "circles"... have you read this? I've purposely let this news out slowly because I don't want people to barge into my life telling me negative stories or contradictory advice and the like... I really like these 2 articles about the circles or rings of people surrounding me: http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/07/opinion/la-oe-0407-silk-ring-theory-20130407 and http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2015/06/02/our-family-cancer-manifesto

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