Choices.

Today I craved pizza. Now, let’s be clear, we are not a pizza-eating family. My dear wife – bless her heart – only eats pizza after running a marathon. No other time is pizza a part of our diet. But today (actually it started yesterday) I am craving pizza. So where does a cancer warrior go in Dupont Circle, Washington DC for pizza? Well, if you aren’t sure you ask the “youngsters”. The millennials in my office who are always up for a challenge. A task. A test. A party. Pizza! They rallied around my need and came up with several choices within walking distance of the office. I knew they’d pull through.

I dive into my choices – kinda sparse if you ask me as this is certainly NOT NYC where you can simply pick up a “slice’ around just about any corner you walk – and decided on THE pizza joint in Dupont Circle – Pizza Paradiso. This place has been around since 1991. I remember it well in its original spot – a crowded, small, second floor row house building, always jammed with young, well-intended pizza lovers looking for the best pizza – and pizza combinations - DC could muster. Still is today, although thankfully, they’ve expanded into a bigger space in Dupont and even moved into glamorous Old Town Alexandria, and into glitzy, fabulous Georgetown, with the wonderfully over-priced “must have” cupcake spot of said name.

Anyways, I  go all 21^st century and order myself their 9 inch personal pizza online (well, I say “personal” size  because I’m only one gonna be eating this beauty) and hold out until 12:15 when I can get myself over there and pick it up.

I’m thankful I have an appetite at all. The first round of chemo for me, as you all know, was rather rough. I was sick to my stomach for about 5 days. Now, most of that – as you also now know – was due to my stubbornness of not taking my meds. This round, I sucked down those pills every 4 hours around the clock and I must day that I felt OK through the brutality of the first 4-5 days. Now, the nausea is gone – even without meds – and I need that pizza!

OK. It was just what I wanted. Hit the spot as they say. Ate the whole thing – which I’m sure the result will be a blog post for a later time. Done. Craving met. Choice met. Satisfied. Feeling good heading into the next week or so until my next (third) treatment.

By the way, I am grateful I don’t have to choose between my IPhone and healthcare – just sayin’ - and it’s so gratifying to know that whenever I get a craving for pizza – or whatever I choose - I’ll just go get it! Get yours!