Well, as promised, I will begin to tell of my experience in finding a new oncologist down in South Texas. And, well, it wasn't pretty.
Without going into much detail, a doctor was referred to me from a survivor down here. He may be great. I wouldn't know because my case was "traded" to this other doctor. When I asked why, he told me, "we trade cases all of the time." I didn't know this was the draft.
But, my first tip-off that he wasn't for me was when he entered the room and didn't introduce himself. I think if I had of introduced myself as Sheryl Crow, he wouldn't have noticed. Then he proceeded to literally thumb through my medical records eventually saying, "I know this doesn't look like I can read this fast, but I really can."
He never asked me some pretty important questions such as "How are you feeling?" "Are you having any complications?" "Do you have any concerns?"
So, the next day I called my former oncology nurse to get a reading. Am I really being this difficult? His reaction was laughter. Not a good sign. Then again, maybe nurses laugh at doctors all of the time.
But, thank God for the Internet. My oncology nurse told me I could have all of my blood work and any CT scans down here, then just see the oncologist every six months. Yeah, problem solved.
And as I continue down the survivor path, I am trying to stay on the organic/all natural food route which isn't as easy as in Dallas/Fort Worth. But, last night, I did spring a vegetarian meal on my family. My husband lives for red meat. My kids think breaded chicken nuggets are fine dining. But, a girl has got to try.
So, I cooked spinach and ricotta-stuffed shells. I got all of the ingredients from Walmart including already diced butternut squash as a side. Here's the recipe:
20 jumbo pasta shells
24-ounce jar of marinara sauce (I combined marinara and vodka sauce)
2 15-ounce containers of low salt ricotta
2 cups organic fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Garlic powder to taste
Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup mozzarella
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta to package directions and drain.
* Spread marinara sauce in the bottom of baking dish
* In a bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic
* Spoon cheese mixture into cooked shells
* Drizzle a little more sauce over the top, sprinkle with mozzarella
* Bake about 10 to 12 minutes
While these baked, I sauteed the butternut squash in butter and sprinkle with brown sugar.
The results of my vegetarian meal? Well, my son ate every bite. My husband liked it and didn't ask "where's the beef?" And my daughter, who is the picky eater, first asked, "are these carrots?" Then she sniffed the pasta. But she ended up eating about half of her dinner. So, all in all, a successful venture.
Wondering if I can sneak two vegetarian meals on my family in a week? Nah.
The Wondering Texan
Without going into much detail, a doctor was referred to me from a survivor down here. He may be great. I wouldn't know because my case was "traded" to this other doctor. When I asked why, he told me, "we trade cases all of the time." I didn't know this was the draft.
But, my first tip-off that he wasn't for me was when he entered the room and didn't introduce himself. I think if I had of introduced myself as Sheryl Crow, he wouldn't have noticed. Then he proceeded to literally thumb through my medical records eventually saying, "I know this doesn't look like I can read this fast, but I really can."
He never asked me some pretty important questions such as "How are you feeling?" "Are you having any complications?" "Do you have any concerns?"
 |
| Found in the salad area of Walmart |
 |
| A vegetarian meal my family liked |
And as I continue down the survivor path, I am trying to stay on the organic/all natural food route which isn't as easy as in Dallas/Fort Worth. But, last night, I did spring a vegetarian meal on my family. My husband lives for red meat. My kids think breaded chicken nuggets are fine dining. But, a girl has got to try.
So, I cooked spinach and ricotta-stuffed shells. I got all of the ingredients from Walmart including already diced butternut squash as a side. Here's the recipe:
20 jumbo pasta shells
24-ounce jar of marinara sauce (I combined marinara and vodka sauce)
2 15-ounce containers of low salt ricotta
2 cups organic fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Garlic powder to taste
Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup mozzarella
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta to package directions and drain.
* Spread marinara sauce in the bottom of baking dish
* In a bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic
* Spoon cheese mixture into cooked shells
* Drizzle a little more sauce over the top, sprinkle with mozzarella
* Bake about 10 to 12 minutes
While these baked, I sauteed the butternut squash in butter and sprinkle with brown sugar.
The results of my vegetarian meal? Well, my son ate every bite. My husband liked it and didn't ask "where's the beef?" And my daughter, who is the picky eater, first asked, "are these carrots?" Then she sniffed the pasta. But she ended up eating about half of her dinner. So, all in all, a successful venture.
Wondering if I can sneak two vegetarian meals on my family in a week? Nah.
The Wondering Texan
No comments:
Post a Comment