Hi Friends,
After 12 days in the Frozen Tundra, otherwise known as Northern California, I finally returned home late Monday night.
Before heading to the Sacramento airport, I had lunch with 19 of my dear friends.
We met at Nectar Café, which is simply one of the BEST vegan restaurants anywhere. I had the Cashew Baked Brie and it was absolutely divine.
As wonderful as it was to see everyone, I was very happy to get home to my pack: Charles, Shiloh and Trixie.
I was greeted with hundreds of slobbering kisses.
From the dogs, that is. 😂
There truly is no place like home—and nothing quite like sleeping in your own heated waterbed.
The pups were a little sad when I left…
…but perked up considerably when I came home.
Dr. Nedley’s Depression and Anxiety Recovery Program was an incredibly healing and profound experience, and honestly, I’m still processing everything I learned.
I promise I’ll share much more about it in upcoming newsletters.
Right now, though, I haven’t been feeling well enough to write my usual Pulitzer Prize-worthy newsletter. 😂
Whatever was happening on the right side of my thyroid—pain with swallowing, fever and headaches—has now decided to move over to the left side.
I’ve also been on steroids for nearly two months, which have brought along some very unwelcome companions, including weight gain, severe acid reflux, insomnia and a bit of depression.
And apparently the universe felt I wasn’t spending quite enough time thinking about my health, because I now also have an antibiotic resistant UTI and two broken toes.
The growing menagerie of doctors I’ve been seeing at Eisenhower has officially begun referring to me as a “medical mystery,” and I’ve now been referred to a rheumatologist as well.
Apparently, I’m no longer just a patient. I’m an enigma wrapped in a mystery inside a hospital gown. 😂
Honestly, since Keytruda turned me into a frequent flyer in virtually every department of medicine, other than pediatrics and forensic pathology (God forbid!), rheumatology may be the only specialty I haven’t visited yet. 😂
They are considering whether some of what’s happening could be autoimmune-related and possibly connected to my previous Keytruda treatments.
Hopefully, this too shall pass. 🙏
Tomorrow I see Dr. Thomas, and I’m hoping to finally get a definitive answer about whether the suspicious finding on my September CT scan means that my cancer has progressed to Stage 4.
Please tune in Tuesday at 1:00 PM Pacific when I go live with Dr. Matt and let you know what I learned.
Until then, somehow I still managed to do FOUR great shows last week—even though I wasn’t exactly feeling up to snuff.
You can find links to the replays below, and don’t forget to use the available discount codes for the delicious oil-free sauces and the oil-free, gluten-free sourdough bread!
And speaking of delicious things…
Remember that blueberry crumble pie I told you about?
Well, this one is definitely going into the “make again immediately” category. I’m making it in my Chef AJ & Friends Community on November 4th.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
If you’re having a hard time adjusting to the time change, there’s actually a reason. This episode explains why: Watch Here
So that’s where things stand this week.
I’m home.
I’m resting.
I’m still creating.
And despite the fact that my body seems determined to keep introducing new plot twists, I’m still very much in the story.
Until next week,
Love & Perseverance,
Chef AJ