Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Get Well Soon, chefg (Grant Achatz)

ulterior epicure

By ulterior epicure
in Member News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted

Best wishes for a speedy recovery and remember that a positive attitude will count for far more than the most advanced and aggressive medical science!

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

Chef, so sorry to hear about your cancer. Keep the faith. I personally know people who faced very long odds for recovery from advanced cancer, including my father, who had Stage 4 Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in 1995-96 and is still very much alive and kicking today. His recovery had a lot to do with a positive attitude toward recovery and a fighting attitude toward the disease (visualization, etc.). All the best to you!

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bella simone

bella simone

Posted
Posted

Chef,

I am deeply saddened by the news of your illness. But if anyone can beat this, I believe it is you. Although I dont personally know you, I believe you are a man capable of doing anything he sets his mind to.

You have done incredible things in your life and the culinary world owes you a big thank you.

Please get well soon. My thoughts are with you.

Chef Sarah

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
Dave the Cook

Dave the Cook

Posted
Posted

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal offers new information:

The tumor had made it so painful to chew that Mr. Achatz couldn't eat solid food and had lost at least 10 pounds.

Saving his tongue hinges on whether a team of doctors at the University of Chicago can cure the cancer using an atypical method of treatment. Instead of the standard therapy -- removing the tumor surgically, followed by radiation and chemotherapy -- his doctors are starting with a course of chemotherapy that adds a drug called cetuximab to two more conventional drugs. Then they will follow that with a combination of radiation therapy, more chemotherapy, and drugs.

Everett Vokes, one of the oncologists treating the chef, says there is a 70% chance of recovery for these types of cancers, though he won't give odds for Mr. Achatz. If the treatment doesn't cure him, doctors will have to consider removing part of his tongue.

. . . .

Despite starting a typically tiring regime of chemotherapy a month ago, Mr. Achatz continues to spend long days creating and preparing dishes at Alinea, sometimes staying past 3 a.m. Already the treatments have improved his condition enough that he can chew more comfortably.

. . . .

One recent night at the restaurant, he [Achatz] hunched over a row of white platters assembling short ribs with a topping of peanuts and a Guinness-flavored covering. Moving intently from dish to dish, he broke his concentration only to call out instructions -- "You bringing lamb, or what?" -- then refocused on his task.

As he sees it, tackling cancer isn't much different. "The thought process that goes into building these dishes are little miniversions of what I face with my illness," he says. "Your mind just deconstructs it and pulls it apart, and you're left with the same challenges you face every day."

I love that -- "You bringing lamb, or what?" Chef Achatz is going through some very tough stuff, no doubt, but it's clear that he's still the chef.

Dave Scantland
Executive director
dscantland@eGstaff.org
eG Ethics signatory

Eat more chicken skin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
ronnie_suburban

ronnie_suburban

Posted
Posted

More news today about Grant from food editor Janet Rausa Fuller at the Chicago Sun-Times:

Eight weeks into chemo, Achatz has not missed a day of work, save for when he was in New York meeting with doctors in July and last weekend.

"I just decided it would be good for me mentally to take a couple of days, go to New York and just hang out," he says.

He spent time with his girlfriend, who lives there. He ate at Jean Georges. The first course -- toasted black bread with sea urchin, yuzu and jalapeno -- blew him away.

"It was amazing, the flavor profile. The urchin, the spiciness of jalapeno," he says.

For Achatz, it's still 'business as usual'

=R=

"Hey, hey, careful man! There's a beverage here!" --The Dude, The Big Lebowski

LTHForum.com -- The definitive Chicago-based culinary chat site

ronnie_suburban 'at' yahoo.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites
docsconz

docsconz

Posted
Posted
More news today about Grant from food editor Janet Rausa Fuller at the Chicago Sun-Times:
Eight weeks into chemo, Achatz has not missed a day of work, save for when he was in New York meeting with doctors in July and last weekend.

"I just decided it would be good for me mentally to take a couple of days, go to New York and just hang out," he says.

He spent time with his girlfriend, who lives there. He ate at Jean Georges. The first course -- toasted black bread with sea urchin, yuzu and jalapeno -- blew him away.

"It was amazing, the flavor profile. The urchin, the spiciness of jalapeno," he says.

For Achatz, it's still 'business as usual'

=R=

Great article. There is no question that he has a very serious illness. There are two approaches that he could take: beat it or surrender to it. It should be no surprise to anyone who knows him at all that he chose the former. May he be as successful with this endeavor as he has been with Alinea, one of the greatest restaurants in the world!

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dianabanana

Dianabanana

Posted
Posted

I just watched the CNN clip, and I wanted to say that I completely respect the decisions you have made regarding treatment. I am no Grant Achatz and the cancer I faced was not Stage IV, but I made a similar decision to forego the traditional radiation protocol which presented a risk of damaging my sense of taste or destroying my salivary glands, because I felt that I would not be any recognizable version of myself without the ability to enjoy food. I am doing just fine, and I hope that you will do just fine--better than fine--as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted

Try this link

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites
K8memphis

K8memphis

Posted
Posted

Wow.

We've been praying for you, our whole church too. And our son, little Tomato-boy himself aka Chef-boy will be there today actually to take his turn at whatever you need done for a few days. (He's a little taller now.)

Blessed be the LORD God... who only doeth wondrous things.

That's all we ask of Him for you.

Much Love & Many Prayers,

Kate & Dennis

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...