By Chanda Temple
It was Deidra Sanderson’s first day of chemotherapy, and things were super busy.
She wanted to try to save her hair from falling out during chemotherapy, so she opted to do something known as “cold capping,” which required her brother, who was by her side, to put a cap on her head to keep her scalp below freezing. Since he had to change the cap every 15 minutes, he was unable to take a break to even get them something to eat.
Then, Deidra received a text message that felt as though it was heaven sent. Becky Holt, a friend and fellow Junior League of Birmingham member, asked Deidra if she could bring her anything. Lunch? Coffee? Magazines?
Deidra said she’d like lunch, if it wasn’t too much trouble.
Becky soon arrived with one of Deidra’s favorite meals from Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe in Birmingham: chicken roll-ups, chips, extra salsa and chocolate chip cookies.
“It was such a small kindness that meant the world to us,” Deidra said. “I was there for five or six hours at a time, and I would get so hungry.”
Food, when Deidra could eat it, became a quiet but powerful part of her fight against triple negative breast cancer.
When she rang the bell on April 30, 2018 to signify the end of her chemotherapy treatments, friends celebrated by treating her to the now-closed Post Office Pies in Avondale, where she ordered cheese pizza.
“Even though I was extremely sick throughout chemo, I’d get very hungry on treatment day and was usually able to eat with all the IV meds I’d received, especially for nausea,” Deidra said. “Post Office Pies was delicious that night, and sharing a celebratory meal with loved ones was the best medicine. I’ll never forget those (who) showed up to support me in what had seemed like an insurmountable obstacle when it began.”
She still remembers several other cravings during treatment. And many times, loved ones were there to join her at the table. Some of her favorites included:
* The Pad See U and Coconut Soup from Surin of Thailand
* The cheeseburger from Chez Fonfon
* And other cheese pizzas from Slice and Bettola.
Deidra was diagnosed in October 2017, and she started chemotherapy in February 2018. She later had a lumpectomy and then radiation. She rang the bell again on Aug. 28, 2018 to signify the end of her radiation treatments.
Throughout her journey, friends treated her to other Birmingham restaurants and dropped off casseroles. The kind gestures came in handy.
“I was so sick and so weak that it was almost impossible to cook or go grocery shopping for myself,” said Deidra, 51.
Asked what she wished more people knew to help breast cancer patients and survivors when it came to food and beverages, she said it’s hard to plan, since one’s tastes can change due to chemotherapy and how one feels can change in an instant. but she said gift cards for food delivery services such as Door Dash are helpful.
“Nutrition is so important, and knowing people care enough to give you the gift of nourishment on your terms is a beautiful thing,” she said.
Taking care of self is also important, Deidra said, citing how she’s used several services from the Birmingham-based, non-profit Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center. She has taken their ballet classes, yoga classes and cooking classes for those impacted by breast cancer.
And so far as the cold capping? It didn’t work for her. Deidra ended up losing all of her hair two weeks after her first AC chemotherapy treatment. “This was devastating for me,” she said. “I’d always had long, blonde hair and felt that was my trademark feature.”
But Deidra is thankful for a doctor for saving her life and for friends for showing up right when she needed them.
***NOTE: In America, one in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I will be profiling one female breast cancer survivor each day in October 2025. The stories will also highlight a food from a Birmingham, AL restaurant or food vendor they liked at some point during their breast cancer journey or today. The series is called “SurviveHer at the Table: Food. Faith. Fight.”
Each story posted this month is the opinion of the survivor, with a goal to increase awareness about early detection and treatment for breast cancer. Readers should consult with their physician for medical and health advice and a nutritionist for healthy eating tips. Links to area resources will be shared in future posts this month.
Chanda Temple is an award-winning writer living in Birmingham, Ala. She blogs at http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. If you have a food story idea, email her at chandatemple@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @chandatemple.
Copyright © 2025, All rights reserved.
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