I’m up early on my first full day after getting out of the UCSF adult cancer hospital late Saturday afternoon. Meda, as well as her sister and husband are, as far as I can tell, still asleep in their beds.

I want to take my first round of pills, but decided not to do that on an empty stomach. I should eat first. So I scrounged. Remember that I’m on a gruel diet, more properly referred to as a pureed diet. Everything is to be ground into a fine mush. Everything.

To bypass the need for a blender this morning, I went for already soft and blended ingredients.

I found a large coffee cup. Added close to a cup of yogurt, then a scoop of protein powder. Then, unable to figure out where the silverware is hiding, I pulled a spoon out of last night’s clean dishes and put a spoonful of smooth peanut butter into the mix. Still scrounging, I found honey and added a bit to the mix. I failed to get blender instructions last night, or I would have added half a banana. And I’m not at all sure what liquid to cut the whole concoction with. Milk would be perfect, but this household is into alternatives to dairy, milk, soy, etc. So I decided to just stay with the thick version.

My concoction is full of protein and calories, tastes okay, and I think it will be a fine breakfast. Then I’ll turn to the pills. Two different things for pain management, an antibiotic, and my regular blood pressure medication. Taking pills is not my favorite exercise, so I’m not looking forward to this.

My breakfast isn’t perfect, and not really by the book, but it doesn’t seem like a bad start.

And it is a beautiful California morning with clear blue sky and lots of sun. Of course, it’s San Francisco, so it’s also cold (by our standards at least) with a chilly wind.