Media vita in morte sumus, in the midst of life we are in death. Well, my chief goal for the last quarter of the year was to not die, and die I did NOT, although there was considerable dying of all sorts. Sorry if I scared y’all, I know one of my readers reached out wondering if I had croaked… nope, just had to get a quick [not quick] bone marrow transplant. I have many stories to tell, but the focus of this first post back is to spotlight the people who brought me through in one piece.
Karl-Peter. Faithful human wheelchair—kept me moving through some dark passes these last few months. At times it felt like we were both walking against a cold wind, blinded by snow. Oh wait, we actually were.
KP made me a loving lair in the living room (which had a fireplace!) and there I nested like a wounded birdie –cozy and within three steps of the toilet. KP, you deserve a medal.
Mom. For two months you nursed your thirty-five year old daughter probably harder than I was ever nursed as a baby. Thank you for feeding us. I know my nutrition would have been no where near where it needed to be had you not force-fed me smoothies and flax seed balls (recipes below!) day after day. I cannot ever repay you; and you told me I don’t need to—itself, an immense gift.
Kermit, you were not there for me. But sweet Mr. Gump was! And our dog sitting friends The Huckabas, Joneses and Rivers—thank you for feeding, walking and snuggling our baby while we were gone. And thank you to Gump’s parents, our neighbors in Minnesota, who shared their fat bully with me for walks. Therapy pets make such a huge difference.
Thank you to everyone in Rochester, most of all my transplant doctor, but also the Calvary Beer Church krewe for a small parade and not so small love and support.
To Dad for all the letters and Skypes.
The wild thing about a loving community is that it is probably bigger than you realize. The daughter of the woman whose house we own (Rest in Peace, Ms Mimi!) reached out to me yesterday to let me know she had been praying for me for months, unbeknownst to me. This soooo touched me because we believe strongly in honoring the legacy of those who came before and since we bought the house, we have kept a photo of Ms Mimi on our wall with her beloved—Elvis—to remind us that we are all someone’s Hunka hunka burning love—even when we don’t know it! My sincere thanks to all who sent packages and cards and well wishes to us on our journey in Minnesota. The uninvited marathon in the bathrobe appears to be over.
Ok, when you are a transplant survivor, it is imperative that you intake at LEAST 60 grams of solid protein daily. I drank a ton of milk, but these shakes and protein bites took me the distance. I’ll be the first to say they are not the healthiest, but when everything tastes weird, for the short-term, these sweet treats get the job done.
SHAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT!
Version One: Sweet with 22 grams of protein
1 packet Carnation instant breakfast
2 Beneprotein ¾ oz packets
1 cup milk
2/3 cup full fat ice cream
Version Two: Fruity with 16 grams of protein
½ cup frozen mango
2 Beneprotein ¾ oz packets
1 cup milk
2/3 cup full fat ice cream
Chocolate Flax Oat Protein Bites
Makes about 15 bites, about 5 grams of protein per bite.
¼ cup local honey
½ cup chunky peanut or any nut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup ground flax seeds
1 cup old fashioned oats
Mix the first three ingredients thoroughly and then add the rest of the ingredients. This will make a pasty lumpy dough. Now wet your hands and with a full tablespoon of dough form into balls and place on a dinner plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and enjoy.
Product Features:
Got to shout out to Probiotein for making powder that can easily be added to the recipe above (use about 1-2 TB per batch) or baked bread, as I have many times before.
Also Kombuchatown sent this amazing sampler of delicious varieties of kombucha. Once you’ve had colitis, you know how precious are the species which inhabit the colon. Keep them replenished with probiotics and prebiotics!
Also I continue to love Pure Synergy. I’ve been supplementing with their B vitamin complex and Bone Renewal vitamins ever since transplant.
So glad you’re doing well! Your heart and your writing are beautiful. Thanks for sharing, Rachel!
Dear Emu, Bravo! How wonderful to find you back in your own kitchen and posting new helpful recipes. I have learned a lot of medical terms these months, also how a family functions in crisis, and what love looks like. You are my Hero and I am grateful to God for your progress. Love to you and your husband.