Here’s what I’m feeling whiney about:
1. Kidney diet. Not just whiney, but pissed off-throwing things crying real tears and IT’S NOT FAIR
2. cramps
3. can’t take motrin for the cramps
4. Terry’s job and gutless Boss’s Boss and senile El Presidente and The Jackass
5. In-laws and my (probably inaccurate) perception of them
Here’s 5 things I’m thankful about
1. I live in a country where I can get my kidneys treated
2. I live in a country where I can buy the food I need to keep my kidneys happy
3. Terry is employed, has health insurance that covers his wrist issues and my kidneys.
4. My children are all healthy
5. I can go to the church of my choice, worship the way I choose, and not fear being locked up or shot for doing it.
6. I have surround sound speakers and can turn the stereo up loud enough to rattle the windows. Very therapeutic.
I have a good life. I have choices. I *don’t* have to choose between seeing the doctor or eating. So I can’t eat chocolate anymore. I can eat all the asparagus I want. And drink all the rootbeer I want. If I decide to go to college, I can. I can walk without pain. I can meet on Wednesday noon with a group of women and pray. I can eat deviled eggs and plant salad greens. I have a good life, filled with people I love and choices. I have a good life. I do.
Filed under: *whinge*, Dewicate feewings, Disease and infirmity, food, Good grief, I feel so smart!, oh HELL no!
Calmer heads prevailed, and I looked up a list of low-potassium food, stuff I *can* eat, and that was much easier to swallow (*har*) than the list of stuff I *can’t* eat. Thing is, the list is totally counter-intuitive from the way I was brought up, and all the “healthy eating” information that’s out there. For instance, I am not supposed to eat whole grains. Processed grains, only, please. White bread, white rice, pasta. And here I am with a whole bin full of healthy brown rices, quinoa, and hard winter wheat. All no-nos. And I hate white bread, white rice and all. I can eat canned fruit, like mandarin oranges (but not fresh oranges), and if I want potatoes, I have to cut them in cubes, soak them overnight, rinse, soak again, rinse, cook, and rinse. Based on all that, I am going to assume that instant potatoes are OK, except that you use milk to fix them, and I am allowed a mere 1/2 cup of dairy a day. That includes yogurt, cheese and milk.
1 cup of coffee a day (oh HELL no!) but I can have all the root beer I want.
Just 1 cup a day, right?
There are, however, plenty of good things I can have. Asparagus, lettuce but not dark greens like kale or spinach. Arugula wasn’t on the list, but it’s not really a commonly eaten veg. It is, however, growing in my garden, dark and leafy. I wonder, since I haven’t seen it on any list at all, if it has a Romulan Cloaking Device and I can pretend it’s fine, and eat all I want.
Beef has to be strictly limited, but I can have as much as 3 oz of turkey or chicken a day. Wow. 3 whole ounces. Hose me down, I’m going to be a chicken libertine. Too bad I can’t put any salt on it. Fortunately, there’s Mrs. Dash. I have a feeling she’s going to be my new best friend.
The first list, of stuff I can’t eat, was overwhelming, and the source of a serious emotional meltdown last night. I mean, the whole 9 yards, with tears and yelling and even the throwing of a thing or two. I put my finger in poor Taylor’s face (CJ’s friend he brought with him), because he has a few orthopedic issues due to a horse-riding accident, and takes a fair amount of Motrin. Poor Taylor, my finger in his face and me telling him he’d better find something other than Motrin to ease his pain because he didn’t want to end up like me, with fried kidneys and having to live off white rice and a chicken leg. His eyes kind of got big and he was all “yes ma’am, yes ma’am” and giving CJ looks like “Help me!” Poor Taylor.
Anyway, now I have something to go by, rather than something to NOT go by. I am feeling a little more optimistic, I guess. What I’m thinking is this: I’ll follow a very strict low sodium/potassium/protein diet 6 days a week. I’ll be vigilant and all, I’ll be really good with it. Then, one day a week I’ll eat whatever the hell I want. I’ll have a grilled steak and a baked potato and a spinach salad, or a perfectly roasted chicken with crispy, salty skin and a heap of brown rice with chicken gravy on it. I’ll have a yogurt green smoothie with mangoes for breakfast that day. One day a week, I’ll go hog wild and eat The Good Stuff. The rest of the time, I’ll cook like I always do for everyone else, and have a lettuce leaf and an asparagus spear for myself.
Betcha a dollar I’ll actually lose some weight now.
