Sunday Morning Shadow

Shadow...just lazing around on the lounge chair on a Sunday Morning.

Then, she's up when she hears other dogs barking in her neighborhood...lol

Happy Summertime Sunday to All, from me and Shadow!

Salmon Patties with Asian Cucumber Salad

You know when you cook something, and when you taste it, it's so good that you say..."damn!" in your head?  Well that's what I said tonight with these salmon patties! LOL  Here's how I made them...as usual, add or subtract any ingredient if you wish, and make them YOUR way.  

Diced red bell pepper, cilantro, diced Vidalia onion, grated garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, Mrs. Dash

I tried other brands of canned salmon, but I like Rubinsteins Red Salmon the best.  It's wild Alaskan salmon.  So after you open the can, drain out the liquid.  Put the salmon plus all of the above ingredients in a large bowl.  I also added some bread crumbs and some egg white because that's what binds everything together.  Mix everything together.  I use my best kitchen tools...my hands.

For a perfectly shaped patty, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of any appropriately-sized lid (inside of lid), as shown above.  Press the patty mixture into it, on top of the plastic wrap.  Then just lift up the plastic wrap slightly and remove the patty.  Leave the plastic wrap in place for the next patty.

Pan-fry until brown and crispy on both sides.  I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Plate them up and Enjoy!  


I made the Asian Cucumber Salad with sliced cucumbers, a bit of red bell pepper, grated ginger, grated garlic, salt, fresh-ground black pepper, hot red pepper flakes, a splash of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of sesame oil.  I covered it and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour so all the flavors could develop.  It's a nice, crispy and tasty salad for summer.

Feel free to post any questions or comments.  Happy Eating!

Dying To Live - Part 2

When I arrived in the Emergency Room, there were a lot of things going on.  I can't remember every detail because I was in "brain fog" due to the toxins that had built up in the blood.  I was shivering cold, but no amount of sheets or blankets could warm me.  Blood was drawn and sent to the lab.  Someone I had been seeing at that time arrived and stayed with me.  I still remember the look on his face of impending doom.  I think he felt more sorry for himself, than for me, for having to go through all that mundane "hospital stuff"...  but that's another story all together!


At one point, I remember turning my head to the right and glancing ahead, over to the nurses' station.  One of the nurses who was assigned to me, was talking with a doctor.  I knew at that second that they were discussing my condition because the doctor kept listening, but turned her head in my direction, and we made eye contact.  It was approximately 2:00 A.M. by this time.


The doctor, Dr. Rekha Ganguly, was the hospital's Nephrologist.  She walked over to my bedside and said, "Ms. DeLorenzo, I'm Dr. Ganguly.  I came all the way from Huntington to help you"  
Huntington is a town in Long Island, New York, and about a one- hour drive to the hospital in Astoria, Queens.
"Your kidneys are not working...that's why you are feeling so sick".  Whether it's temporary or permanent, we don't know yet, but we will need to do 'emergency dialysis', or you won't survive the night".
I said something along the lines of "o.k."   


The only thought going through my mind was my son, Angelo.  I knew that I couldn't go yet.  It was too soon...Angelo would not be able to handle my passing, and it would adversely affect him for the rest of his life.


Dr. Ganguly called for a dialysis machine to be brought to the E.R. where I was.  When it arrived, it was time to get "hooked up" to it.  She actually did the procedure herself and didn't want any of the nurses to do it.  A catheter had to be inserted into an artery in my groin area...sans anesthesia.  She may have used a topical anesthetic, but it hurt like the devil...hahaha.  At the end part of the catheter were two separate tubings.  One part for the blood to come out of, and one part for the blood to be returned to the body.  In between coming out and going back in, the blood runs through a filter, which cleanses the blood.

Dialysis Catheter

Dr. Ganguly told me that there was a very small chance that when my blood ran through the filter, that I could have an allergic reaction to the plastic material the filter was made of, and I could go into anaphylactic shock and die.  At that point, nothing seemed too dangerous for me.  I just wanted the poison out of my system.  I had been in an almost-3-week state of zombie-ness and I just wanted to be normal again.


I must have fallen asleep during the dialysis treatment in the emergency room because the next thing I remember after that was waking up in a regular room in the hospital, still connected to the dialysis machine.  They must have taken me up to a room when it became available.  I was going in and out of dream-like states.  At times I saw blurry outlines of nurses coming in and out, and their voices sounded muffled, as if they were talking through tightly-fitted face masks.  


It was working though.  The dialysis treatment(s) were cleansing the toxins out of my blood and I was regaining mental clarity and physical "normality".  I remained in the hospital a little over 2 weeks, having dialysis treatments three times per week.  There was a slight possibility that my condition was temporary, and my doctor had hoped that after three or four dialysis treatments in the hospital, my kidneys would kick in and start functioning again.  This never happened, and I would need dialysis treatments three times a week for the rest of my life, or until I received a successful kidney transplant. 

Hemodialysis using a surgically-made access in the arm.

I was just so elated to be feeling good again, and to have the option of dialysis to keep me alive.  I guess you would say that the first year or so on dialysis was a "honeymoon phase".  All was well in the world and I made many new friends at the dialysis center where I went three times a week for treatment.  I became a patient representative and learned everything there was to learn about dialysis and how to remain healthy on dialysis while waiting for a transplant.


But of course, the honeymoon phase didn't last long.  Dialysis takes a horrible toll on the body, and I was on dialysis for 8 years until I received a transplant in 2006.  "Dialysis Hangover", or "Dialysis Washout" as it's called is the feeling after treatment.  Weakness, spikes or drops in blood pressure, dizziness, leg cramping are some of the symptoms of dialysis hangover.  A large amount of blood is out of the body at one time during dialysis and not only are toxins filtered out of the blood, but so are proteins, nutrients and electrolytes.  I will need to dedicate another post or two to "life on dialysis". 

Arrived one Halloween for my treatment, and tried to cheer up the other patients. 

After Notes:  
The dialysis I received that night, and for 8 years after that was "hemodialysis" ...where the blood is cleansed using an artificial filter, as in the picture above.  There also exists "peritoneal dialysis"...which uses the body's own peritoneal membrane, located in the abdomen, to remove impurities from the blood.  For the latter, a catheter first needs to be placed in the abdomen and this type of dialysis can be done at home.


My life-saver, Dr. Ganguly, who also ran the dialysis center where I received 8 years of treatment at, succumbed to cancer one year before I received my transplant.  It saddened me beyond belief, that it just wasn't possible for her to see how healthy and happy I became after the transplant...all because she insisted on excellence in running the center, and also because she made that drive from Huntington that night when she received that call.  She must have known, instinctively, that I was...dying to live.  : )  : )

Vampires No Longer Eat Marmalade Jelly Sitting Upright?

I'm still crossing my T's and dotting my I's on...Dying To Live, Part 2.


In the meantime, please take a minute for this short, funny post...Thanks!


When I was a kid in school, many moons ago (haha), we had to come up with our own "mnemonic" to help us remember the names and order of the nine planets.  This was mine, which got a chuckle or two out of the teacher and students:


"Many Vampires Eat Marmalade Jelly Sitting Upright, Not Prone"


Many              "M" for Mercury
Vampires       "V" for Venus
Eat                   "E" for Earth
Marmalade   "M" for Mars
Jelly                 "J" for Jupiter
Sitting              "S" for Saturn
Upright           "U" for Uranus
Not                   "N" for Neptune
Prone               "P" for Pluto


Now that Pluto has been dropped as a planet, a suitable mnemonic for today's kids to use may read as:


 "Many Vampires Eat Marmalade Jelly Sitting Upright?.........NOT!"

Dying To Live - Part 1

In May of 1997, during a routine pre-operative blood test prior to knee surgery, I was told that my kidneys were only functioning at 8%.  I was shocked, sad, mad, and in denial all at once.  According to doctors, my kidneys must have been on a gradual function-decline over those past ten years due to either a strep-throat infection left untreated, or undetected high blood pressure, or both.  Although I had been feeling unusually tired in the weeks prior to my diagnosis, and also had some night-time leg cramps, there wasn't anything else that would lead me to believe I was a walking time-bomb.  


Doctors told me to keep in the back of my mind, the fact that I would be needing dialysis in the very near future.  My denial was fast and furious...lol.  I would have been "gone in sixty seconds", but I needed to stay to have the knee surgery, which was an emergency due to a fall I took, and not elective.  I came through the knee surgery, barely, and wasn't even given full dosage pain relief because my kidneys would not have been able to clear out the meds.  


After a few days, I regained enough strength to release myself - A.M.A.- Against Medical Advice - and hobbled my way out of the hospital.  During the next few months, I basically concentrated on regaining my knee's mobility and strength, and barely gave a thought to the impending doom of dialysis.  Going from two crutches, to one crutch, to cane, to nothing, took me the whole summer.  It would probably have taken six weeks for a normal person to recover.  I actually felt pretty good, for a dying person, and convinced myself that my diagnosis was wrong.  I mean, you see it on t.v. all the time.  I'm still amazed today, that a person can still go on with only 8% kidney function.  The human body is amazing.


A few months later, however, my life almost came to a slow, not screeching, halt.  I say "slow" because, at least in my case, I was ceasing to exist, little by little.  My knee doctor would later tell me that he wished, if he had to die of SOME disease, that it would be kidney failure, because you just kind of sleep and never wake up.  No pain.  Has anyone ever heard that a frog will let itself be boiled to death if the heat is turned up very slowly, in increments, and over a period of time?  It's true.  That's sort of kidney failure.  I WAS that frog.

It was right after Thanksgiving of 1997.  I just couldn't get out of bed...for like ten days to two weeks!  I had no energy and no appetite.  I hardly recognized myself in the mirror.  The face of kidney failure is horrible.  Monstrous.  Certain parts of the face swell, while other parts sink in.  The skin takes on a horridly pale hue, and other parts of the body develop spots.  Some red, some peeling.  Still no pain.  I thought I had the flu, but a flu without fever?


Then it happened.  I sat up to blow my nose, which was stuffy, but had nothing in it.  Blood started actually free-flowing out of both nostrils at an alarming pace.  Some of it liquid, some of it clumped up.  My son was the only one with me at the time, and he was only 10 years old.  I called a friend to come over to stay with him a while, then bring him to his dad's house.  I called 911, all awhile trying to plug up my nose with napkins, paper towels, gauze and cotton balls. 


When the EMT's arrived at my apartment, they stuck sticks, which I later learned were silver nitrate sticks, up my nostrils, which burnt like hell, to stop the bleeding.  Then they took my vitals and I went by ambulance to the Emergency Room of my local hospital.  My kidneys had totally shut down.  The bleeding was partly due to extremely high blood pressure brought on by kidney failure, and an extremely low platelet count, also caused by the kidney failure.  I was fading fast and needed immediate help.


Please stay tuned for Part 2...to find out how one particular doctor saved my life that night, and what I had to go through after that.

Searching For Mrs. Beasley

Me and My Mrs. Beasley Doll

This is me and my Mrs. Beasley Doll.  I must have been around 6 or 7 years old at the time.  This photo was taken in our living room at 31 Oliver Street, New York City, NY, before the fire of 1971.   The window behind me is the actual window a fireman pulled me through to save me, when the building was on fire. (See my previous posts, Tenement Life, Parts 1 and 2).


She was my favorite doll and was supposed to portray an old woman.  Nanny?  Teacher?  I'm not sure.  Mrs. Beasley was seen on the television series of the mid 60's - Family Affair - about a single dad raising three kids with the help of a butler.  Butler?  Wow, weird now thinking back...lol.  Mrs. Beasley was the doll of the character "Buffy", the little girl.  She had a twin brother, "Jody" and an older teenage sister, "Cissy". 

Family Affair

Mrs. Beasley said 11 phrases when you pulled her string.  They were:

1.  "Long ago, I was a little girl, just like you"
2.  "You can call me Mrs. Beasley, would you like to play?"
3.  "Do you want to hear a secret? I know one"
4.  "If you were a little smaller, I could rock you to sleep"

5.  "It would be such fun to play jump rope...don't you think?"
6.  "Would you like to try on my glasses, you may if you wish"
7.  "I do think you're the nicest little friend I ever had"
8.  "Speak a little louder dear, so Mrs. Beasley can hear you"
9.  "Do you want to play?"
10. "Gracious me, you're getting to be such a big girl!"
11. "If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?"

Mrs. Beasley was left alone in the apartment during the fire.  Some days later, as far as I can remember, we were allowed back in our apartment to see if we could salvage anything.  I guess this was because the fire originated on the top floors and we lived on the second floor.  There was a lot of water damage to everything in the apartment, and the smell of damp stuff combined with the smell of stale smoke, was more than my little mind could take.


Mrs. Beasley lay in a corner, damp, smelly and smashed.  Her glasses were nowhere to be found.  Although my grandmother said she could wash it, I left her there and sobbed.


Now I want another Mrs. Beasley doll.  I've been looking on E-Bay and they have quite a few.  For some reason, none of the ones I've looked at have any glasses!  A vintage Mrs. Beasley Doll runs for around $100, so I'm pretty sure I'll have a replacement Mrs. Beasley soon.  Heck, it only took me 40+ years!


If you stay tuned and look at my posts regularly, you will see a new photo of me with my new vintage Mrs. Beasley!  I'll try to get my hair up the same way it was in the 60's photo.  I make no guarantee of wearing a purple blouse with a very large tulip, though!  : )


Although I've been through some pretty rough things in this life, I still consider myself one of the lucky ones.  As for "Buffy", played by actress Anissa Jones, she passed away at age 18 in 1976,  from a drug overdose.

"Buffy" played by Anissa Jones, with Mrs. Beasley

Rest in beautiful peace, dear Anissa.  Thank you for the memories.  I hope you have a brand new Mrs. Beasley Doll keeping you safe and warm.  

My Dermatologist Thinks I Kick Cans

So I went to my usual dermatologist today in Astoria, Queens (New York City) for a routine exam, as well as for him to take a look at a slight rash on one ankle.


Back in the early 90's, a friend of mine used to clean his office and she knew him well.  He was known as the "crazy Greek" because he wore his hair as if he had his hand in an electrical socket, kind of like Einstein, and he would always rant at his secretaries.  He was an excellent dermatologist, though.  


It seems that, unfortunately, he's losing his edge, or he's been at his job too long.  Without an ounce of humor or a hint of a smile, he urged me...NOT to wear sandals in the summer because New York City is very dirty and filled with germs, and that, because I take immunosuppressants, if I cut myself while "kicking cans" I could get a bad infection.


Really?  Kicking cans?  Did he think I was 8?  This is the same dermatologist who once told me not to use the gift-card my son gave me for a Mani-Pedi because nail salons are breeding grounds for fungi and bacteria, and most likely I would become infected.


He needs to take a refresher course in positivity, and how to make patients feel at ease, and not fill them with paranoia about everyday activities.


I worked for an Ophthalmologist who once sarcastically mentioned that...all dermatologists do is - make wet things dry, and make dry things wet...hahaha, I thought this was very amusing at the time.

Now I have to look for a new dermatologist because it seems this one is quite sick of making wet things dry and making dry things - wet.

I Met Samy Today

I met Samy, the famous hair-stylist, today in my neighborhood.  He was extremely nice and personable, and said that I "have pretty eyes".  I'll take it!   Mood: Alive!

Gina's Ginger - Snap Pea Stir-Fry

Gina's Ginger - Snap Pea Stir-Fry

I wasn't in the mood for meat today, and my market had some really nice looking snap peas, so there you go.  I lucked out because I had all the other ingredients at home.  Below is what I used (clockwise, from top)... red bell pepper, green bell pepper, carrot, garlic, ginger, scallion (middle).

I had to remove the end thingy's from the snap peas because they are kinda pointy and inedible...then I rinsed them. 

Get washed little snap peas...lol

I heated up just a little olive oil (yes, I use olive oil even in Asian recipes...my kitchen, my rules, lol).  I sauteed the ginger and the garlic first until they were jumping around and scented up my kitchen...mmmmm.  I used really a lot of ginger because I love it.  Ginger is really good for us too.  Has amazing healing properties.  I also added some red pepper flakes for some heat.


After that, it's basically everyone in the pool.  I added the red bell, green bell and carrot.  Leave the scallion for the end.
Some low-sodium chicken broth went in to provide a steaming environment, along with just a bit of soy sauce.  Cover and simmer over low heat for around 5 or 6 minutes.


At the very end, I added the scallion and a spoon of sesame oil.  I kept the lid off for another minute or two to allow the liquid to reduce down.  I served with white rice, but of course, it's always up to you.  Your kitchen, your rules.  : ) 


Enjoy!

Anyone interested in being a guest author to submit a recipe or any other interesting or funny written piece, please just e-mail me.  Thanks!   

Die, Grain of Rice, Die

I woke up this morning, and as usual, went to the kitchen.  First to feed Shadow, then to make myself a hot tea with soy milk.  


As I set my cup on the table I noticed this tiny piece of rice.  Now I never go to bed without first making sure the night's dishes are washed and the table is clean...so this little piece of rice really got me mad.  I know it shouldn't have, but it did.  I picked it up with a napkin, smashed it, and threw it away.

Is this a light form of OCD?  Is there such thing as a "light form" of OCD?  LOL, I don't know, but I'm sure I'll google it  in the near future.


I always dunk my tea bag 7 times in and out of the hot water (after 2 minutes of steeping).  Before pouring in the soy milk, I shake the container 13 times.


Also, it takes me 20 minutes to brush my teeth.  Preliminary brush, rinse, floss, mouthwash, secondary brush, brush gums and tongue, rinse, mouthwash, rinse.

When I was around 6 years old (before the fire of 1971), if I couldn't get my pony-tail to look perfectly the way I wanted it, I would pull my own hair and cry in frustration.


I'm trying to think of what other things I do which would be considered part of OCD, but I have to go wash the dishes.  


And anyway, 7 dunks makes for a nicely flavored cup of tea, and 13 shakes of the soy milk container makes the soy milk smoothly blended.  As for the teeth, well, I have zero cavities, I've never had a filling, and I don't know what a toothache is.  
For now, I think my "OCD" will be o.k.

Quick, Delicious, Chicken & Pasta

This is one of my favorite "go to" recipes...I recommend using chicken breast pieces that have been marinated over-night.  It enriches the flavor of the entire dish.  I marinate mine in olive oil, chopped garlic, fresh black pepper, and some red pepper flakes.  You can use any herbs and spices you like, of course.  

Marinated Chicken Breast Pieces

I heat up some olive oil and saute the chicken in it over medium heat.  Brown lightly on one side then turn.  When the pieces are brown-side up, I add half a cut-up red bell pepper, one scallion, and quarter diced vidalia onion (because I had it already diced and in the fridge from a previous recipe...lol)  I also added some cilantro because, again, that's what I had on hand.


(Boil up some pasta of your choice while or before all of the above...lol)  I used thin linguine.  This recipe is also great over rice.  The choice is always yours.


While all this is simmering away nicely, I added one packet Herb-ox Chicken Bouillon which I first dissolved in some of the pasta water and then added to the simmering chicken.  I used the regular one, not the low-sodium one...why?  Well, I didn't add any salt to the marinade, or the pasta water, or anywhere else, and this recipe feeds around 3 people, so it'll be o.k.


Keep simmering on low heat now for around 10 or 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and soft to your liking.


Instead of draining the pasta and adding it to the chicken medley, I use a pasta fork to transfer the pasta.  Also, I add the pasta to the chicken when the pasta is still a bit under-cooked.  That way, not only will it continue to cook (under low heat) along with the chicken, but the pasta will absorb all of the great flavors of the chicken and everything else in the pan.

Chicken Medley simmering with Pasta

You will see, after you add the pasta, if it seems to0 dry or not.  If it seems too dry, add more of the pasta water as you go.  Keep simmering on low until the pasta is cooked to your liking.  In this particular dish, I like the pasta cooked all the way.


The last thing you have to do is Eat!  The first bites taken right out of the pan when it's  just about done are the best!  Don't burn your tongue like I did...LOL.  


I welcome any questions or comments...If you made this dish or anything similar to it, I'd love to read about it!

“When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done.”
—Stephen King

Rainy Day Shadow

What does Shadow do on a rainy day,
a day so dreary that she can't go out to play?


With clouds that threaten to release their surprise, and
Skies much gloomier than the saddest surmise.


With thunder clapping louder than cymbals, and
Lightening flashing its bright blue fright.

Does she sulk and mope?  Nope, indeed she does not.
She plays hide and seek with her favorite stuffy named
Ratty, and
Turns one biscuit into taffy, to last throughout the day.


Then curls up into a ball and dreams of 
Fluttering butterflies with glittering wings.


Until the morning when she awakens to see the 
Sun's sassy wink, then with a
Hop and a lick, she gets her wish -


For just as she goes out to play,
a butterfly with glittering wings 
lands on her nose and makes her day.