Transitions

It's been nearly a year since I walked into my general practitioner's office complaining about a "droopy eye." I had NO idea that January 5 visit was going to be the start of the ride of my life.

Like the best (or worst) thrill rides, this one has had many unexpected twists and hair-raising turns, including a few where I just closed my eyes and prayed for the ride to be over NOW. But, in other ways, it's been like a passage through the "Tunnel of Love" with special time with family and friends as well as opportunity for reflection and leisurely travel.

Many friends have asked, "Is this the end of your treatment?" The answer is yes, for now. Who knows what the future will bring. The only thing that all of us, with or without Mantle Cell Lymphoma, can do is to enjoy each day as it comes.

As I grow stronger physically and mentally every day, I'm starting to think more about how I want to compose my life when it's no longer centered around chemo, blood tests, transfusions, harvesting, hospital stays, doctor's appointments and naps. One small aspect involves my blogging. For months, I've talked about moving from my Cancer Banter blog to my food blog, "Open Mouth, Insert Fork." Instead of an abrupt change from one to the other, I've decided to make a gradual transition.

I'm going to start by copying several of my food-related essays to Open Mouth. Then I'll post food writing on both sites. After that, I'll redirect Cancer Banter readers to Open Mouth for food writing. Eventually, most of my posts will be on Open Mouth, and I'll redirect readers to Cancer Banter when I post a cancer-related update.

In the meantime, I've contacted the good folks at Duke's Mayo. They've agreed to provide four jars of Duke's for upcoming contests. The first contest will test how much you really know about my food preferences. It's time to dip into the archives to bone up on questions such as "What kind of mayo does Susan like on her BLTs?" OK, that one was too easy, but you get the idea.

Let the transition begin!