But that is just a small snippet of what's happened over the last month following a breast cancer diagnosis — which is the reason I've been MIA as Westword's team of editors, writers and contributors stepped in to cover stories like the opening of Denver's first Los Dos Potrillos and the long-awaited debut of Pho Social.
It's pretty common knowledge that forty is the age at which women are supposed to start getting mammograms. Like many, though, I was guilty of not always prioritizing my health, so I put off making a doctor's appointment and continued on with life as usual — until I noticed a lump in my breast when I was in the shower around the end of last year.
Still, it took until March 25 to get in for a mammogram but once I did, things moved quickly. I ended up having an ultrasound and a biopsy that day, and two days later, on March 27, I got the call: Yes, it was cancer, both in my breast and lymph nodes.
Three weeks and a dozen or so doctor's appointments later, I was getting my first round of chemo. I know I am hardly alone in this experience — the common statistic is that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, though some say the number is even higher.
Despite how common it is, and how far treatments have come, the diagnosis is scary and the experience is anxiety-ridden, overwhelming and different for everyone — but catching it earlier can make treatment much easier.
In my case, the plan includes six rounds of chemo followed by surgery and radiation. It's gonna be a long road.
Round one of chemo brought on a kind of exhaustion I've never experienced before, as well as bone pain and a host of other side effects including losing not only my hair (it's gonna be a hot bald-girl summer for me!) but my sense of taste.
Everything is bland — even water has a bitter aftertaste. It's torture.
But before my taste buds went on chemo hiatus, I was all about comfort food while shuffling between doctors' appointments. Here's a rundown of the meals that got me through:
Mayor Mike Johnston scooping lunch with Lien Vo, who owns Bourbon Grill, and her daughter Kim.
Catie Cheshire
When I ended up in Littleton for two medical appointments in one day — in the middle of a spring snowstorm — I decided to reward myself with a stop at one of the best bars in town, the Castle. This low-key spot with a sunken bar is a favorite for burgers — but go on a Thursday to catch its wing special. At ten for just $10, it's a straight-up steal, and the garlic parm version is top-notch. Try it with a side of horseradish.
In 2023, Congress Park diner Chef Zorba's was our Best of Denver pick for Best Soup for a Hangover. But I can now confirm that its chicken-lemon-rice soup is also the best soup for drowning your sorrows after your oncologist appointment sends you into an anxiety spiral. The banana pudding helps, too.
A few days before my first chemo appointment, my partner decided we deserved a nice night out, so we walked to the new Congress Park location of Bamboo Sushi, where we noshed on happy hour hand rolls, though the star of the meal was the scallop nigiri with yuzu vinaigrette and yuzu kosho.
I had no idea at the time that raw fish was on the list of foods to avoid while on chemo, so I'll be dreaming of those scallop bites all summer as I continue my search for foods that are palatable to my currently-malfunctioning palate. (Winners so far include pistachio-flavored Melona bars, canned Gatorade and baked potatoes with sour cream.)
You'll be seeing my byline less in the coming months as I take a medical leave while going through the treatment process. And in my absence, readers are in great hands with coverage from our talented editorial staff and contributors, who will continue writing about this city's exciting, ever-changing food scene. They'll be working with interim Food & Drink editor Gil Asakawa, a veteran journalist who was Westword's first music editor in the '80s and whose books include Tabemasho! Let's Eat! The Tasty History of Japanese Food in America.
Since I started sharing this diagnosis, so many people have asked how they can support — and a friend did set up a GoFundMe to help with medical costs and other expenses. Though what I'd really love is for all my fellow 1984/1985 ladies to go get your mammograms. Now.
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