IntrinsicTina

Can a chocoholic have other confectionary favorites?

It's funny what we look back on years after the vacations are over. I'm thinking about road trip food. Not the oodles and gobs of burgers and fries, and disappointing cafe food but our own food from home to curb costs and extend our healthy choices. My idea of travel food was Italian chicken sandwiches on ciabatta rolls that we toted across Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming during our summer vacations. I'd boil up several chicken breasts, then pull apart the meat from the bones. Into a bowl, I would place chicken, jarred pesto sauce, sundried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil and mix. Then in a large ziploc bag, would go the mixture, ready to be spread upon the ciabatta rolls. No additional condiments needed. No mayonnaise to worry about turning and poisoning us. My husband's domain was gorp, otherwise known as trail mix. Wikipedia says that it was once known as "good old raisins and peanuts". That wouldn't fly for Tina and Rod. W...

   My daughter is the pride of my life. She amazes me continually. She is strong, so much stronger than myself, at the same age. I've seen her do a yoga move that has her balancing on one hand, while she looks as if she's sitting cross-legged, suspended in midair. She is lithe. She does yoga poses on the paddleboard. One foot planted on the board, the other drawn up gracefully behind her, and held aloft, while the other hand poised high. All while balancing in the bay. She is mentally strong. I saw her end a 6-year long love relationship that she decided wasn't working for her anymore. Then go on to maintain a cordial relationship in the aftermath. Who does that?! It's so...Healthy...no character assassination, no hateful backward glances. Nothing but a status change on Facebook. She went out rented a new apartment, ordered up new furnishings online, arranged for friends to help her move out, then pulled the trigger on the deal. Then she went about the business of r...

Patriots win Super Bowl LI (That is 51 in Roman numerals, Jack!) You can get that 4-1-1 on your twitter feed, FaceBook, Yahoo, television, radio, your Uncle Gary, that obnoxious Patriots fan in the next cubicle, etc. Some people judge the Patriots on star quarterback, Tom Brady, and the whole Deflategate scandal. Who can blame them? I don't want to rehash that debacle in this forum. Where do I weigh in? Suffice it to say, I was rooting for Atlanta. My husband, on the other hand, was rooting for the Patriots, despite making digs about deflating footballs, when New England played abysmally the first three quarters. Neither of us could believe the cred-saving comeback of the Patriots in the fourth quarter!  They actually tied up the game! The first tie game in Super Bowl history and I witnessed it, in the comfort of my hospice room, with my loyal football-loving husband. Worse, I watched the Patriots win Super Bowl LI, when they took the sudden death contest when they scored a...

Tina's Twelve Days of Christmas (full version) ♫ On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♩  On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♩  On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♩  On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Four rein-dogs poopin', three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♩  On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Five red heart ornaments, four rein-dogs poopin', three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♩  On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Six bags of kisses, five red heart ornaments, four rein-dogs poopin', three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pic...

Getting right to it, Tina's Twelve Days of Christmas nears it's crescendo:  ♫ On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... eleven Trophy Cupcakes, ten Snowman bright lights, nine Fran's dark chocolates, eight Christmas crackers, seven cotton candies, six bags of kisses, five red heart ornaments..........four rein-dogs poopin', three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♫ I have to share with you, the effort my husband is making. He brought me a few different choices for the eleventh day of Christmas: Eleven candy canes, eleven Lindor truffles, and eleven Trophy Cupcakes. Of course, I cannot possibly eat all of the nummy goodies, so my caregivers are, deservedly, getting tasty holiday treats.

♫ Ten, ten, ten, ten, let's sing a song of ten. How many is ten? ♫ Like, literally, millions of kids, I grew up watching  Sesame Street and The Electric Company. I watched those programs well into my teens since I was the eldest of four kids. Longer if you factor in seven year gap between the middle children. Of course, I introduced my daughter to my old pals. Is it any wonder that I naturally think of ditties when I hear numerals from one through ten!? Anyway, this is the next verse of Tina's Twelve Days of Christmas...  ♫♫On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Ten Snowman bright lights, nine Fran's dark chocolates, eight Christmas crackers, seven cotton candies, six bags of kisses, five red heart ornaments, four rein-dogs poopin', three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. ♫♫  We are getting ever nearer to the end of the song. Wonder what that husband of mine, has planned for the finale? 

Got a chance to let my party goblin peek out a little at Bailey Boushay House, in Seattle, Washington. God, I love these parties!!! They are a real boost to my spirit. Day in and day out, I am in my room, pleasant as it is, I get starved for new understanding peeps to interact with. Additionally, I need new foods to pass over my bored palate. (Sorry, Daniel, as good as your food is, I am not accustomed to the limits set by institutional standards, for my level of dysphagia.) Thanks to Chef Daniel, I got a chance to sink my teeth into...wait for it...Beef Wellington, Stuffing, Sourdough Bread, Caprese Chicken, Cranberry Pear salad, and Broccolini. Following a fantastic meal, Chocolate Lava Cake accompanied by thick, rich, and creamy Egg Nog. How do I convey the deliciousness? My eyes rolled back and my taste buds practically sang. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. ♪ Tis the season to be jolly, ate my fill, plus cake by golly. Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la ♪♪ Not only did we dine, we got to listen to...

2 Back to the important things in life, fun and presents. On the sixth day of Christmas... What do mean it's not the sixth? Oh yeah, we are giving my husband a mulligan. He thought it was a good idea to give his true love, six slices of white bread. 😼 Yes, I know, I know I married him. That is just the way he rolls. As he said, I'm just a dumb tinner and YOU married me! I remember marrying a sexy cowboy-type who rode a sexy, black, iron horse. I guess we know where my head was at. On with Tina's Twelve Days of Christmas...  On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...a glass pickle to hang in the tree.  On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Three chocolate Santas, two red poinsettias, and a glass pickle to hang in the tree. On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...Four rein-dogs poopin', three choc...

My husband took my mom and dad to the airport early Saturday morning.  What a good son-in-law he is! He even asked my dad if he put anti-freeze in his car. He did not and there's snow in the forecast! Whut whoa! My husband took the initiative and put in anti-freeze. I forgot to mention that they are on their way to Maui. I guess Dad had his mind on other things... My husband had plans to ride his Harley to the Toy Run in Olympia. However, he forgot to do his homework and find out exactly where the event was. He rolled into the Black Lake area of Olympia and no Toy Run. I find this hilarious! Why? He owns a smart phone, and is such a luddite, he did not bother using his phone to get the location. Typical Rodney. Oh well, I guess we know why I got a big, stuffed, Emperor Penguin. Rodney did bring me another installment of Tina's Twelve Days of Christmas. He found the cutest, little, novelty reindeer, actually the reindog creation from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. The Nove...

First and foremost, it is important to know exactly what to do to keep me safe. Bring a cupful of water and a toothette (swab) to the food table. This can be used to moisten my mouth, to move food from the roof of my mouth or to remove food.  Be prepared to call for additional help from nursing in the event of a choking incident. Pull the call light cord from the wall.  Make certain patient is upright. For me, 90-degrees is unsafe for respiration.  Temperature check. Touch food to patient's bottom lip whenever presented with hot, fresh food.   Spicy factor. Spicy or overly sour foods can produce excessive saliva. No thin liquids by mouth. Jello turns into a thin liquid. No mixed textures. Soups are the usual suspects. Small bites.  No multiples. Loading the spoon or fork with small pieces of food creates a hazard. I can't track.  No flat pieces. Sliced cheeses, meats, pickles, etc. Can't track within my mouth.  Use gravies, sauces, an...

Managed care, do not get me started. It is the bane of my existence and my savior. If quadriplegia has curtailed my activities, and it has, then being in a home has curtailed even more. I've had to dumb it down and set my standards low. Gone, are the halcyon days of getting in my wheelchair to go for a stroll or sit in the sun, or even sit in the sun room. Neither the nurses, nor patient care technicians, know how to put me in my wheelchair. Seriously. My chair has head controls and it is a bafflement. Most caregivers don't even realize I have head controls. First, they hit the left head pad when they lift the armrest which turns the chair on. Next, they sling me over and place me in the chair. The problem? My head, naturally, rests on the headrest, which accelerates and drives the chair and is beyond my control. Running over a caregiver or running myself into an obstruction are very real consequences of their ignorance. What could be worse? The caregivers remain clueless abo...

I'm on a modified diet.  I did not choose to be on this diet. The management of the facility defers to the speech therapist. Speech therapists professional opinions vary, in my experience. My first speech therapist was thorough and gave me a standardized form, detailing recommended diet, and guidelines pertaining to oral care: Check for pocketing after every meal; Small bites; Sauces and gravies to moisten foods for cohesion, No mixed consistencies; Foods to avoid; Foods to Beware of; (Liquifiable foods like jello and ice cream); Liquid recommendations; thin, syrup-like, pudding, npo; Alternate sips and bites; and such.   I think informed choice is the fairest objective. But despite being of sound mind, I do not get to choose. I will, however, endeavor to educate. The Dysphagia Advanced Menu clearly says hash browns but the kitchen sends mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes just aren't appetizing at breakfast, but catsup on hash browns or sliced, fried potatoes (aka Home ...

Care Conference seems like a big waste of time and energy. Not enough follow thru. Email and signs don't teach newcomers nor old timers. Still no emphasis on time consciousness. Whenever I'm changed they ought to hold their breath, or breathe thru a straw with a clothespin on their nose, then perhaps they'll rush to raise my head and get pillows under my arms so I can get a good breath. Regarding the room issues, the overhead light closest to the windows has already been replaced. Never fixed. Always flashes intermittently, which interferes with Tobii operation. Nobody gives whole story. Tell Tate the history. I'm always asleep when he arrives. Same story with the DVD Player, never Finishes downloading the movies on Netflix since I got the new one.(Tate has already addressed all of these this very morning). Thank you Tate. I'm the weak link. Everyone assumes I can fend for myself but I cannot rely on the tobii working.  Dayshift doesn't place tobii in front ...

21 Remember making sauerkraut? Cowboy catsup?!!! Green tomato relish? Blueberry jam? Pears? Garlic dill pickles? , I asked my husband the other day. Great memories encompassed each canning endeavor; we made some delicious and uncomplicated foods, my husband and I. As I recall, the first thing we committed to can was pears.  It was my project but it evolved into a "we" project. I'm not sure how exactly but back in the day, that guy was glued to me! We bought a box of pears from eastern Washington, the small town of Naches, where Rod bargained for a better price. Home to quart-size Ball jars, canning bath tub, and canning wrench; store to purchase lids, rings, and extra sugar. We were in business! Our home-canned pears were peak of the season fresh and gorgeous. We were so proud; the family got gifts of ribbon-wrapped pears (whether they wanted it or not.) Following the footsteps of Rod's mother and father, we planted a good size garden. Radishes, beets, carrots...

I have a hole in my chest. Located right between my breasts. Yesterday, my husband got an eyeful, which he didn't ever count on seeing. I had an appointment with a gut doc, otherwise known as a gastroenterologist, to get a new PEG tube installed. What an eyeopener. I was already anxious, sweating my previous visit where the doctor ripped the still-inflated PEG from my unmedicated chest, sending me into shock. I'm happy to report this visit went substantially better. My caregivers told me that my Mic-Key style PEG, (percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy), or simply, feeding tube, closing flap was breaking off and likely needed replacement. They feared they wouldn't be able to use it to administer my liquids and medications. Replacement of feeding tubes require a doctor's visit, not an easy task for an ALS patient in hospice; I require a ride in a cabulance and an attendant, familiar with myself, my particular needs, my communication system and it's idiosyncrasies,...

1 1 1 2 I feel good, I knew that I would now... , screams the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Music and soul food was the point of the night...another heartfelt offering to we, who have found ourselves, less than whole, victims of circumstance, ripped from our lives...such as we were...into such as we are. A night to forget our unfortunate circumstance, and remember who we once were...through music and food. We entered a roomful of musical notes, literally and figuratively, hanging from the ceiling and filling the air, spilling out of music videos. Familiar and new friendly faces greeted us, making certain each and every one of us was well-situated and comfortable, presenting us with printed menus. Like a well-appointed restaurant, with a well-paid wait staff, it's easy to forget that most are volunteers with hearts of gold. They could be home watching Game of Thrones or going on their own night out, instead, they chose to be here at Bailey Boushay House, making our night ...

Raspberry mousse to die for...Chocolate-covered banana...Chocolate-covered strawberry...Petit fours...Tulips...Roses...Heart balloon...Vikings...And thou...

20   1 I gotta talk about it! I had another scrumptious dining experience, here at Bailey Boushay House! And if you're one of my regular readers, you may get the impression that I only blog about Italian dinners. However, I will tell you now, I'm a foodie. French, Indian, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Columbian, Mexican, Tex-Mex, African, Irish, American. By God, if it's a foodstuff, I'll probably try it and, quite possibly, like it! It's coincidental that I'm, once again, going to rave about the awesome Italian dinner we enjoyed. To mix it up for you, I'm going to start at the end. That's right, if I had the option, I would've had dessert, first. Of course, I may well have cheated myself. Dessert was not particularly Italian, but it was my personal favorite...Creme Brulee´. Imagine this...Chef, clad in his classic chef whites, rolls his silver cart of magic into the roomful of satisfied, yet expectant, diners. Atop his cart, whipped cream, lady fing...

23 .1 Raised some Hell today. Do not f**k with my food. I thought I was dealing with enlightened, educated, patient-centered people at this care facility. I am in control of my mental faculties and I've demonstrated that I am willing to modify my diet to keep safe, within the limitations of the declines I'm experiencing, as a result of ALS. I understand that any misstep on my part could result in my death. I accept that and am willing to absolve the facility of any responsibility. Therefore, I believe I should be in control of my preferred diet. I'm on advanced dysphasia as I was coerced to "try" it. Now that I've experienced and found it to be unsafe for my "brand" of dysphasia, I wish to revert back to the regular diet menu. However, the management denied me that basic human right and dignity. The following is my argument as to why their idea of Advanced Dysphasia Menu is actually more unsafe: "Your advanced dysphasia menu is unsafe. Jel...