Being Westword 's food & drink editor is a fast-paced and delicious job that had kept me bouncing all over town since I took the role in May 2021 .

But all that came to a screeching halt in March, when I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes. Suddenly, instead of reading piles of menus, I was taking a self-taught crash course in all things cancer.

My treatment plan began with chemotherapy, which brought a slew of side effects including severe fatigue, bone pain and, much to my dismay, a big hit to both my appetite and ability to taste .

It became clear quickly that I would need to take an extended leave from work to focus on my health, and I owe a big thank you (and probably at least a dozen beers) to Gil Asakawa, a Westword OG who stepp

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