There is hope in the strangest places

A little while ago I popped a lemon starburst in my mouth hoping - really, really hoping - for some flavor beyond fried cardboard. That's one of the hardest things for me the first few days after chemo. I have to make sure I'm keeping up the food and liquid intake, but nothing tastes right and I'm basically forcing myself to eat and drink anyway even if it makes me gag. So anyone who has brought us food the past few days, thank you, I ate it and I know in my mind it was really good, but I'd be lying if I said it tasted delicious, sorry. Next time put yourself further down the rotation, say 1-1/2 to 2 weeks after the chemo and I'm sure I'll thoroughly enjoy every bite!

So back to the little lemon starburst. Their current slogan is "It's a pack of contradictions" and right now I'd have to agree because what I put in my mouth did not taste like lemon. There was sweet, which is nice, but NO TANG! No zip! No ache in the back of your jaw that you're supposed to get when you first bite down on one. And when you're already not feeling so hot, sometimes all it takes is the silliest most superficial thing to make you want to throw your hands in the air and resign yourself to thinking this is just the way it's going to be -- give it up!

And then a minute or so later, way in the back of my mouth, there was the slightest little whisper of tanginess. And sometimes it's that tiniest hint of normal that lets you know this will all pass.