A little more info about xeloda, as I know so far

Xeloda is one of the few oral chemos, that is, it's taken in pill form. There are definite advantages to this, obviously, it is much more convenient than going in for a full day and sitting in a chemo room waiting for a drip. But it's a three week cycle, like most chemos, two weeks of daily pills, then one week off for recovery. This allows the body to receive the chemo not in one horrific blast, but in a dose that stays high enough to do its job without making you so very sick for four or five days. Xeloda can have some pretty nasty side effects, I've heard, but the worst one is "hand - foot syndrome." The skin on the hand and feet get burned and blistered, sometimes cracking and blistering and even bleeding. If I had not already stopped making pottery, I would have to stop now, I guess. The other major side effect is diarrhea. Xeloda gets processed in the liver and broken down into another chemo that's been around for a while, 5-FU. And while it doesn't have a great response rate , only helping some 30% or so of patients, it's definitely worth a try simply because of the convenience. And, it doesn't cause hair loss!

Mid-August, definitely time to start making pesto. I had some basil on the table and brushed against it and it filled the kitchen with its fragrance. Be sure to leave a leaf bud beneath where you pick so it will grow back.

PESTO

First toast a handful of pine nuts. I set the toaster oven for eight minutes at 375 and that works great, including preheat. If you're doing it another way, watch carefully because it burns in a second!
In the food processor put about four smashed cloves of garlic and fill the container with basil leaves and flowers. Throw in a good handful of grated parmesan and about a quarter cup of good olive oil. Start by pulsing the processor, and keep opening up and pushing the leaves down. As you start to get a puree, add the pine nuts, and a little salt. Add more oil to your own liking. The more oil it has, the better it will keep. You can freeze it in ice cube trays, then dump them into a zip-lock bag to use all winter. If you're keeping it in the fridge for a few days, pour a layer of oil on top to prevent oxidation.

Pesto is great tossed with pasta and then topped with pan-seared shrimp, scallops, or chicken. It's also a great pizza topping for pizza on the grill, but that's a story for another day.