Their story is an incredible and powerful one and took me back twenty-five years ago when my daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. She was not quite three years old and I became her advocate and ally. Many of the "50 Tips" that Brian and Gerri share were things that I did as well.
- Trusting your own intuition. (I knew something wasn't right when I saw all the bruising on her legs)
- Carrying a notebook, asking questions and writing things down. (There were many different chemos, plus I had to learn to draw blood from her catheter for testing at our local path lab so I needed to know what the results meant).
- Make memories and share stories (We took a trip to Disney World during the middle of her treatment. Grandpa, Grandma, aunts, uncles and siblings and had a once in a lifetime experience!)
- Always think in terms of "we". (I didn't receive the chomo, the "pokes", the radiation-but I felt that we were fighting this battle together!).
- Celebrate the milestones. (We did that this past January when my daughter hosted a twenty-five anniversary celebration for doctors, nurses, friends and family who supported during the tumultuous time.
This book is an incredible tale of survival, love and committment and is a "must read" for everyone facing tough medical challenges.
It seems like spring as been a long time coming. One of the best "flavors" of spring is fresh asparagus. We've been sharing recipes for asparagus soup, quiche and more... When freezing asparagus remember these tips:
- Select young tender spears with tightly closed tips
- Wash thoroughly and sort by size
- Trim stalks be removing the scales with a sharp knife
- Cut into even lenghts to fit into freezer containers.
- Blanch small spears for 1 1/2 minutes; medium spears for 2 minutes; and large spears for 3 minutes. Cool and drain well.
- Pack spears into freezer containers and freeze. Or for smaller amounts, freeze on cookie sheets prior to placing in containers
