Cooking Class last Wednesday was all about Grilling! We grilled all seven dishes...even the salad.
So here was the menu:
Grilled Chicken Breast with Citrus Compound Butter
Flank Steak with Dry Rub
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Grilled Local Zucchini
Caesar Salad
Grilled Pineapple w/vanilla Mascarpone
Bacon Fat Grilled Collard Greens
So the chicken was awesome! So moist and juicy. When was the last time you had a juicy boneless chicken breast? Brining is the secret! Here's the recipe:
8 skin on boneless chicken breasts
4 T kosher salt
1 C brown sugar
2 quarts water
Combine the water, salt and sugar. Place the chicken in the brine for an hour.
Make the compound butter:
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons, juice and zest
1 stick butter, softened
1 lime, use the zest
2 T cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all and roll up in a log style in wax paper and freeze while you're preparing the chicken.
Grill: Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. grill until done on both sides. Plate and place 1 T of butter compound on each breast. It will melt over it and be really yummy!
This is the most delicious chicken!
I was in charge in the Grilled Pineapple which was fabulous! The dollop of mascarpone cheese after grilling was lovely. On a side note, Nigel gave me a cheese making kit for Christmas and I just now got around to watching the DVD where, among other cheeses, she demonstrates how to make mascarpone cheese! It looks easy. (Of course, that's what I said about the last batch of cheese I attempted and ended up throwing away!)
Kristie is feeling GREAT! Thank you for your prayers. Her next doctor appt is next Wednesday and its not with the transplant team...its her first appt with her regular kidney doctor since the transplant. Yay.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
President Obama's Weekly Address
Saturday, January 24th, 2009 at 5:55 am
President Obama delivers Your Weekly Address
In his first weekly address since being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, President Barack Obama discusses how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will jump-start the economy.
"This is not just a short-term program to boost employment," he said. "It’s one that will invest in our most important priorities like energy and education; health care and a new infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century."
The Administration is still working with Congress to refine the plan, but in the address, President Obama lays out the key priorities. He goes into detail, noting that the plan will update our electric grid by laying more than 3,000 miles of transmission lines; weatherize 2.5 million homes; protect health insurance for more than 8 million Americans in danger of losing their coverage; secure 90 major ports; renovate 10,000 schools; and triple the number of science fellowships.
Watch (yes, a real Utube style video) the President's weekly address at www.whitehouse.gov.
Its only 5 minutes...you've got 5 minutes right?
How cool is this? To watch your President every week update us on America's weekly progress...Nice!
President Obama delivers Your Weekly Address
In his first weekly address since being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, President Barack Obama discusses how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will jump-start the economy.
"This is not just a short-term program to boost employment," he said. "It’s one that will invest in our most important priorities like energy and education; health care and a new infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century."
The Administration is still working with Congress to refine the plan, but in the address, President Obama lays out the key priorities. He goes into detail, noting that the plan will update our electric grid by laying more than 3,000 miles of transmission lines; weatherize 2.5 million homes; protect health insurance for more than 8 million Americans in danger of losing their coverage; secure 90 major ports; renovate 10,000 schools; and triple the number of science fellowships.
Watch (yes, a real Utube style video) the President's weekly address at www.whitehouse.gov.
Its only 5 minutes...you've got 5 minutes right?
How cool is this? To watch your President every week update us on America's weekly progress...Nice!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Movie Reviews, Katie
Movie Reviews...okay...ummm...errr...okay...I thought...well...ummm...(clearing of the throat) Let's chat about Paul Blart - Mall Cop. Disappointing is the first word that comes to mind. I'm a big Kevin James fan and since I know that he's normally hilarious I'll forgive him this movie. Not that it didn't have its funny moments...it did, definitely. I didn't like all the fat jokes. It's a renter.
We just returned from seeing Slumdog Millionaire. Its about a boy who is from the India slums who is on India's version of "Who wants to be a Millionaire." This movie has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Its an excellent film. We enjoyed it very much. Yes, its about his appearance on Who Wants to be a Millionaire but its actually a love story (but not a chick flick) and about how he grows up. Very well done and a contender for the award for sure! I'd see it before the Academy Awards because its sure to win and you'll want to say you've seen it.
Guess what? No doctors this week! Now that you've picked yourself up off the floor...I'll say it again. No doctors this week! Well, I think anyway. We went for labs on Friday and they never called me so, as they say, no news is good news.
Katie turns 30 on April 12th...wow...incredible. She is so awesome. Those of you who know her, understand why I say that and those of you who don't ...well, you're missing out. She's a brilliant writer and will be a famous author in the next few years. (You might want to get to know her now before all the hoopla happens.) I know that probably all mothers are proud of their daughters but I'm especially proud of Katie for all the sacrifices she has made for Kristie. Lots and lots of them. They do not go unnoticed.
Kristie has a great life because of people in her life who love her and put her needs first. Katie is one of those people. Thanks Katie. You're the best sister in the whole wide world and the best daughter.
I talked to Katie, Nich and Calla today using Skype...if you don't have Skype, get it right now. Its free to download and free to use when calling from computer to computer. Nigel uses it to call his Mom in England for only 2 cents a minute. It works so well that we cancelled our home phone last month, saving us a big whopping $40 a month. Nice.
Calla is getting so big and, of course, she's beautiful. And she said Grandma...well...gama...but that counts! She's sweet.
We just returned from seeing Slumdog Millionaire. Its about a boy who is from the India slums who is on India's version of "Who wants to be a Millionaire." This movie has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Its an excellent film. We enjoyed it very much. Yes, its about his appearance on Who Wants to be a Millionaire but its actually a love story (but not a chick flick) and about how he grows up. Very well done and a contender for the award for sure! I'd see it before the Academy Awards because its sure to win and you'll want to say you've seen it.
Guess what? No doctors this week! Now that you've picked yourself up off the floor...I'll say it again. No doctors this week! Well, I think anyway. We went for labs on Friday and they never called me so, as they say, no news is good news.
Katie turns 30 on April 12th...wow...incredible. She is so awesome. Those of you who know her, understand why I say that and those of you who don't ...well, you're missing out. She's a brilliant writer and will be a famous author in the next few years. (You might want to get to know her now before all the hoopla happens.) I know that probably all mothers are proud of their daughters but I'm especially proud of Katie for all the sacrifices she has made for Kristie. Lots and lots of them. They do not go unnoticed.
Kristie has a great life because of people in her life who love her and put her needs first. Katie is one of those people. Thanks Katie. You're the best sister in the whole wide world and the best daughter.
I talked to Katie, Nich and Calla today using Skype...if you don't have Skype, get it right now. Its free to download and free to use when calling from computer to computer. Nigel uses it to call his Mom in England for only 2 cents a minute. It works so well that we cancelled our home phone last month, saving us a big whopping $40 a month. Nice.
Calla is getting so big and, of course, she's beautiful. And she said Grandma...well...gama...but that counts! She's sweet.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Movie Day and Cooking Class
Well, its been a busy week and I'm tired. So we've deemed this weekend "movie weekend". We're going to see Mall Cop today for a little Kevin James' fix and then tomorrow we'll see Slumdog Millionaire that seems to be the buzz for the Academy Awards. Check back to see my reaction to both.
I'm the type of movie goer that is fairly superficial. If its a comedy, I want to laugh out loud, not just chuckle. It also has to have some sort of viable story but that requirement really is secondary.
If its a drama, it has to have a story that makes sense and moves along at a fairly quick pace.
I did LOVE Australia because its 3 stories in 1 but it's slow. However, Nicole and Hugh made up for the slowness because they were so fun to watch and the cinematography was stunning.
I absolutely ADORE true life stories...my favorite.
Okay, so Miss America is on tonight. Take a looksee at Miss Illinois' jewelry. My jewelry company, Jewels by Park Lane, is her official jewelry sponsor (they're based out of Chicago.) And, for the first time ever, the public can vote for their favorite to get into the top 15. Honestly, I can't believe there still is a Miss America Pageant but if you get past the beauty judging stuff, they do a lot of good for charitable causes. Well, that's my justification for watching every year anyway.
Oh, here is the cooking class report for last Wednesday:
Our menu was:
Roast chicken
Mashed potatoes
Pan Gravy
Candied Brussel Sprouts
Salad with blue cheese and cranberries
Balsamic vinaigrette
Squash Soup
Candied pecans
Roasted pears with Camembert cheese
I volunteered to make the mashed potatoes because I noticed on the recipe card that they were using a food mill. Now, I've seen them do this on the Food Network (which I watch constantly, I admit I'm addicted) but thought to myself "that's a lot of work and it can't make that much difference" HOW WRONG I WAS!
I know what you're thinking, why not just throw it all in the kitchen aid (or whatever you normally do) to mash the potatoes with some chicken stock...well, that is what I normally do and to be honest, sometimes it turns out and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it turns out sticky or gummy or just not a very good texture. My instructor (the Mario Batali look alike chef) says its because all the starch comes out of the potatoes and ruins the texture.
I'm a convert. Use the food mill and you'll see what a difference it makes! If you want creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes, here's what you do:
Peel and cut 4 pounds of yukon gold potatoes into uniform chunks. Cover with cold water, add some salt, and bring to a boil. Boil until done but not mushy. Drain and put the hot potatoes thru a food mill a little at a time. Melt a stick of butter and 1 cup of half and half together in a sauce pan. Pour over the potatoes a little at a time and mix to get that creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper and you're done! DELICIOUS!
So delicious that I went out and bought a food mill at Macy's yesterday. (Had a gift card from Christmas...thanks Nigel!)
I remember growing up that we used a food mill for making applesauce but that was it.
The Squash Soup was to die for! I didn't care for the brussels. Or the pears, which surprised me but oh well.
Here's what I learned:
How to dice an onion - I sort of knew this but got to practice the right way with a sharp knife.
How to use the food mill.
How to peel a butternut squash the easy way.
How to truss a chicken.
So much fun! Oh, and I put my knife block and all my rusy knives in the recycle bin this past week. I'm taking my two good knives to get sharpened next week. Can't wait!
On another note, one of Nigel's coworkers attended the Inauguration. She said they left their hotel room at 4 a.m. and it was 12 degrees. During the day it only got up to 20 degrees. Brrr. She said it was an amazing experience.
I'm the type of movie goer that is fairly superficial. If its a comedy, I want to laugh out loud, not just chuckle. It also has to have some sort of viable story but that requirement really is secondary.
If its a drama, it has to have a story that makes sense and moves along at a fairly quick pace.
I did LOVE Australia because its 3 stories in 1 but it's slow. However, Nicole and Hugh made up for the slowness because they were so fun to watch and the cinematography was stunning.
I absolutely ADORE true life stories...my favorite.
Okay, so Miss America is on tonight. Take a looksee at Miss Illinois' jewelry. My jewelry company, Jewels by Park Lane, is her official jewelry sponsor (they're based out of Chicago.) And, for the first time ever, the public can vote for their favorite to get into the top 15. Honestly, I can't believe there still is a Miss America Pageant but if you get past the beauty judging stuff, they do a lot of good for charitable causes. Well, that's my justification for watching every year anyway.
Oh, here is the cooking class report for last Wednesday:
Our menu was:
Roast chicken
Mashed potatoes
Pan Gravy
Candied Brussel Sprouts
Salad with blue cheese and cranberries
Balsamic vinaigrette
Squash Soup
Candied pecans
Roasted pears with Camembert cheese
I volunteered to make the mashed potatoes because I noticed on the recipe card that they were using a food mill. Now, I've seen them do this on the Food Network (which I watch constantly, I admit I'm addicted) but thought to myself "that's a lot of work and it can't make that much difference" HOW WRONG I WAS!
I know what you're thinking, why not just throw it all in the kitchen aid (or whatever you normally do) to mash the potatoes with some chicken stock...well, that is what I normally do and to be honest, sometimes it turns out and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it turns out sticky or gummy or just not a very good texture. My instructor (the Mario Batali look alike chef) says its because all the starch comes out of the potatoes and ruins the texture.
I'm a convert. Use the food mill and you'll see what a difference it makes! If you want creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes, here's what you do:
Peel and cut 4 pounds of yukon gold potatoes into uniform chunks. Cover with cold water, add some salt, and bring to a boil. Boil until done but not mushy. Drain and put the hot potatoes thru a food mill a little at a time. Melt a stick of butter and 1 cup of half and half together in a sauce pan. Pour over the potatoes a little at a time and mix to get that creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper and you're done! DELICIOUS!
So delicious that I went out and bought a food mill at Macy's yesterday. (Had a gift card from Christmas...thanks Nigel!)
I remember growing up that we used a food mill for making applesauce but that was it.
The Squash Soup was to die for! I didn't care for the brussels. Or the pears, which surprised me but oh well.
Here's what I learned:
How to dice an onion - I sort of knew this but got to practice the right way with a sharp knife.
How to use the food mill.
How to peel a butternut squash the easy way.
How to truss a chicken.
So much fun! Oh, and I put my knife block and all my rusy knives in the recycle bin this past week. I'm taking my two good knives to get sharpened next week. Can't wait!
On another note, one of Nigel's coworkers attended the Inauguration. She said they left their hotel room at 4 a.m. and it was 12 degrees. During the day it only got up to 20 degrees. Brrr. She said it was an amazing experience.
Monday, January 19, 2009
God Bless America
Kristie loves Martin Luther King. She has books and tapes and loves to hear him talk. Today our country honors him. As well it should.
I'm watching Barak Obama on CNN right now helping to paint a teen center. How great is our country?! Thank God we live in America. I wish we could have gone to Washington DC to watch this historic event. I'm DVRing it all day tomorrow since I have to take Kristie to get labs in the morning and won't be home until after 2 p.m. Then I have my Women's Group tomorrow evening.
God Blessed America with Barak Obama. I'm a Republican and a Democrat. I believe government should help people (especially the most vulnerable) and our leaders should work together to make that happen. I can't wait to see what the next 4 years will bring. My hope is he will unite our country.
So today, we left the house at 6:15 a.m. and arrived home at 2:15 p.m. Sigh. Kristie had her stint taken out of her bladder. Dr. Chapman also "tested" the link between her new kidney and her bladder to make sure it was not blocked; it wasn't. At least they didn't cut her open, they went thru her you know what. Good grief.
When Kristie comes out of anesthesia, she always asks me two things. First, she asks me if I'm mad at her. Next, she asks me if I still love her. She's done this 4 times in the last 6 months, after each procedure. It breaks my heart each time.
I forgot to mention that I'm taking a series of cooking classes at Culinary Communion. My first class was last Wednesday and even though Kristie was still in the hospital and I was dead tired, I still went. It's a 3 hour class and then we eat our food!
I LOVED IT!
There are 8 in my class - 5 men and 3 women. I'm the oldest (which suprises me because I expected older women to attend this class) and the most experienced cook and the only one that said "I love to cook" while introducing ourselves.
Our instructor chef is Tom Black who was the Executive Chef at the Barking Frog Restaurant; that restaurant is #2 is our state. Its exquisite food. Nigel and I ate there once (its rather spendy) and we would definitely go again.
So, like I said we cooked for 3 hours. There were 8 of us and 8 dishes. Here was the menu:
Salad with blue cheese and cranberries
Green Goddess Dressing
French Onion Soup
Pork Chops with Fresh Herb Sauce
Sauteed Wild Mushrooms
Spaetzle
Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon
Myer Lemon and Goat Cheese Tart
YUMMY! We were each assigned a dish and I chose the French Onion Soup.
We all started by learning to slice an onion correctly and holding our knife correctly. After each of us sliced our onion, I carmalized all of them in a huge pot (not saute pan) using only 1 T of butter. It was amazing. Took a while but an amazing result.
Our instructor poured us some wine and it was so fun just cooking, drinking wine, visiting with the other students.
Chef Tom said that my onions were carmalized perfectly and called the students over to look at them. Nice. Lots of roasty toasty flavor.
I learned that caramalizing onions doesn't depend on butter or the pan. It just takes time.
I learned not to peel garlic by smashing it. If you smash it, the juices stick to the peel which you throw away.
I learned to throw away my butcher block that holds my knives because bacteria grows in the slots. (Hmmm, I've had that butcher block for over 10 years.)
I learned to get my cook's knives professionally sharpened.
We're going to learn about roasting, steaming,sauteing, braising...I can't wait to learn how to properly braise.
And I can't wait to learn how to make homemade chicken stock.
The French Onion Soup was delicious (mainly because the homemade chicken stock was to die for.)
So much fun! I can't wait for Wednesday night's class!
I'm watching Barak Obama on CNN right now helping to paint a teen center. How great is our country?! Thank God we live in America. I wish we could have gone to Washington DC to watch this historic event. I'm DVRing it all day tomorrow since I have to take Kristie to get labs in the morning and won't be home until after 2 p.m. Then I have my Women's Group tomorrow evening.
God Blessed America with Barak Obama. I'm a Republican and a Democrat. I believe government should help people (especially the most vulnerable) and our leaders should work together to make that happen. I can't wait to see what the next 4 years will bring. My hope is he will unite our country.
So today, we left the house at 6:15 a.m. and arrived home at 2:15 p.m. Sigh. Kristie had her stint taken out of her bladder. Dr. Chapman also "tested" the link between her new kidney and her bladder to make sure it was not blocked; it wasn't. At least they didn't cut her open, they went thru her you know what. Good grief.
When Kristie comes out of anesthesia, she always asks me two things. First, she asks me if I'm mad at her. Next, she asks me if I still love her. She's done this 4 times in the last 6 months, after each procedure. It breaks my heart each time.
I forgot to mention that I'm taking a series of cooking classes at Culinary Communion. My first class was last Wednesday and even though Kristie was still in the hospital and I was dead tired, I still went. It's a 3 hour class and then we eat our food!
I LOVED IT!
There are 8 in my class - 5 men and 3 women. I'm the oldest (which suprises me because I expected older women to attend this class) and the most experienced cook and the only one that said "I love to cook" while introducing ourselves.
Our instructor chef is Tom Black who was the Executive Chef at the Barking Frog Restaurant; that restaurant is #2 is our state. Its exquisite food. Nigel and I ate there once (its rather spendy) and we would definitely go again.
So, like I said we cooked for 3 hours. There were 8 of us and 8 dishes. Here was the menu:
Salad with blue cheese and cranberries
Green Goddess Dressing
French Onion Soup
Pork Chops with Fresh Herb Sauce
Sauteed Wild Mushrooms
Spaetzle
Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon
Myer Lemon and Goat Cheese Tart
YUMMY! We were each assigned a dish and I chose the French Onion Soup.
We all started by learning to slice an onion correctly and holding our knife correctly. After each of us sliced our onion, I carmalized all of them in a huge pot (not saute pan) using only 1 T of butter. It was amazing. Took a while but an amazing result.
Our instructor poured us some wine and it was so fun just cooking, drinking wine, visiting with the other students.
Chef Tom said that my onions were carmalized perfectly and called the students over to look at them. Nice. Lots of roasty toasty flavor.
I learned that caramalizing onions doesn't depend on butter or the pan. It just takes time.
I learned not to peel garlic by smashing it. If you smash it, the juices stick to the peel which you throw away.
I learned to throw away my butcher block that holds my knives because bacteria grows in the slots. (Hmmm, I've had that butcher block for over 10 years.)
I learned to get my cook's knives professionally sharpened.
We're going to learn about roasting, steaming,sauteing, braising...I can't wait to learn how to properly braise.
And I can't wait to learn how to make homemade chicken stock.
The French Onion Soup was delicious (mainly because the homemade chicken stock was to die for.)
So much fun! I can't wait for Wednesday night's class!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Kristie update
We arrived home yesterday about 4 p.m. All is good. Kristie goes back to get her stint out Monday (another 4 hours at the doctors...yay for us.) and then more doctors on Tuesday for labs to see where her new medication levels are at.
Pray for patience for me and for courage for her...both are running thin right now. She's sick of it, I'm sick of it...yeah.
Pray for patience for me and for courage for her...both are running thin right now. She's sick of it, I'm sick of it...yeah.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Kristie Update, Vitamin D
We're still here but its okay.
Creatinine is at 2.0 yay! They've unhooked her IV for now and she's resting today. Had a shower too. Prognosis is that she'll go home tomorrow. Still a little nauseous but not as bad as before. She's eating well but the drinking is still not going well. Kristie's Dad stayed with her last night and I was able to get a good night's sleep. He's staying tonight too.
Please pray that she'll be able to drink...everytime she tries, she's nauseous.
On another note, my cooking class starts tonight. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm looking forward to it...do I know as much as I think I know? Hmmm.
I'm on a quest to get healthy and start changing the way I eat. I know I'll have to do it slowly. More fruits and vegies (I know Cathie and Nich are laughing right now at the vegie part.) But I'm determined to find vegies I actually like without smothering them with cheese and butter.
Another goal is to exercise consistently...Nigel got the Wii Fit and its fun so that will help. They say to get a pedometer and do 10,000 steps a day. To give you an idea, 1/2 hour on the treadmill is about 3000 steps. Hmmm.
Being deficient in Vitamin D is a huge deal. Here's what Dr. Oz says: When you're deficient in Vitamin D, you may be at increased risk for heart disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis and immune disorders, not to mention osteoporosis.
Go buy a bottle of Vitamin D 1000 IUs and take one twice a day with your regular multi-vitamins and Omega 3s.
For Omega 3s, we bought a huge bottle of flax seed oil pills at Costco...flax seed has more Omega 3s than fish oil pills which leave that fishy taste in your mouth. Or is it Omega 6...I can't remember which.
Creatinine is at 2.0 yay! They've unhooked her IV for now and she's resting today. Had a shower too. Prognosis is that she'll go home tomorrow. Still a little nauseous but not as bad as before. She's eating well but the drinking is still not going well. Kristie's Dad stayed with her last night and I was able to get a good night's sleep. He's staying tonight too.
Please pray that she'll be able to drink...everytime she tries, she's nauseous.
On another note, my cooking class starts tonight. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm looking forward to it...do I know as much as I think I know? Hmmm.
I'm on a quest to get healthy and start changing the way I eat. I know I'll have to do it slowly. More fruits and vegies (I know Cathie and Nich are laughing right now at the vegie part.) But I'm determined to find vegies I actually like without smothering them with cheese and butter.
Another goal is to exercise consistently...Nigel got the Wii Fit and its fun so that will help. They say to get a pedometer and do 10,000 steps a day. To give you an idea, 1/2 hour on the treadmill is about 3000 steps. Hmmm.
Being deficient in Vitamin D is a huge deal. Here's what Dr. Oz says: When you're deficient in Vitamin D, you may be at increased risk for heart disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis and immune disorders, not to mention osteoporosis.
Go buy a bottle of Vitamin D 1000 IUs and take one twice a day with your regular multi-vitamins and Omega 3s.
For Omega 3s, we bought a huge bottle of flax seed oil pills at Costco...flax seed has more Omega 3s than fish oil pills which leave that fishy taste in your mouth. Or is it Omega 6...I can't remember which.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Kristie
A quick update. We were admitted to the hospital yesterday about 11 a.m. and things are going fine. Kristie got fluids yesterday after a psycho woman named Rosemary tried to give her an IV which did NOT work and who continued to say that it did work. She then got another IV from a Mary who was very nice. Yeesh. (Rosemary was the charge nurse in the IV dept...I think Rosemary needs to give that job up to Mary!)
Kristie had her favorite nurse, Kristin, take care of her yesterday so we were happy about that. We hadn't seen her since the transplant six months ago.
The GI doctor scheduled her procedure this morning which occurred at 9:30 a.m. They sedated her and put a small tube with a camera down her throat into her stomach to look around.
The good news is that there is no tumor, ulcer, growth or infection. Yay.
So what's making her nauseous? Everyone is in agreement that its probably her anti-rejection drug, Cellcept. How come now after having been taking it for six months? They don't know. Go figure.
So they started switching her yesterday to a new drug to replace the Cellcept but until the medication levels get to the new magic number of 5, she'll be in the hospital. The nurse said it will probably take another couple of days.
Kristie fought the procedure this morning but is doing well now. She hates to be put to sleep...
On another good note, her creatinine was 3.3 last Monday and then 2.9 Friday and today its 2.1. The closer it gets to 1 is a very good thing!
Pray for sleep tonight. We got 4 hours last night.
Kristie had her favorite nurse, Kristin, take care of her yesterday so we were happy about that. We hadn't seen her since the transplant six months ago.
The GI doctor scheduled her procedure this morning which occurred at 9:30 a.m. They sedated her and put a small tube with a camera down her throat into her stomach to look around.
The good news is that there is no tumor, ulcer, growth or infection. Yay.
So what's making her nauseous? Everyone is in agreement that its probably her anti-rejection drug, Cellcept. How come now after having been taking it for six months? They don't know. Go figure.
So they started switching her yesterday to a new drug to replace the Cellcept but until the medication levels get to the new magic number of 5, she'll be in the hospital. The nurse said it will probably take another couple of days.
Kristie fought the procedure this morning but is doing well now. She hates to be put to sleep...
On another good note, her creatinine was 3.3 last Monday and then 2.9 Friday and today its 2.1. The closer it gets to 1 is a very good thing!
Pray for sleep tonight. We got 4 hours last night.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Calla Videos & Kristie Update
Best Dad Award!
Best Mom Award!
Yay for Shoes!
I needed some good news today so I pulled up these video clips of Calla this past summer. So cute! And Katie and Nich are such good parents and I'm not just saying that; they really are the best parents I know.
We went to the hospital "Pod A" today for Kristie to get some fluids via an IV because she's dehydrated because she's nauseous and has been vomiting for two weeks. Yesterday she vomited at 2 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. So here's the deal, if she has time to think about it, and its planned for, she's good about vomiting in a bowl. That didn't happen at 1:30 a.m. It went all over the bed, sheets, carpet, and Kristie...not good. Or as my sister Laurie would say...Nice.
The fluids took 3 hours to get and then she had a shot.
I just chatted with her kidney doctor and here's the plan.
If she throws up her pills this weekend and we can't keep anything down her, then we'll admit her to the hospital this weekend. If its manageable this weekend, then we'll admit her on Monday to run some stomach tests. Dr. N is going to talk with a GI doctor to see what they should do.
We have to rule out any stomach issues first (and get the stint out of her bladder...I hate that stupid stint). If there are no stomach issues, then its the meds that are making her sick and they'll have to change them.
Please pray for courage for Kristie and for strength for me.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Dr. Oz Top Ten
Dr. Oz's Top 10 Things to do for your Health in 2009
See oprah.com for more details
1. Schedule a checkup with your doctor
2. 5 ingredients to avoid: high fructose corn syrup, sugar, anything "enriched", hydrogenated or trans fat and saturated fat. If any of these are listed in the first 5 ingredients of a product, don't buy it.
3. Add these healthy foods: Antioxidant foods 5-7 a day. A serving is a fistful. Blueberries, squash, see the site for more.
Omega 3s/3 grams a day; Fiber 25 grams a day; olive oil 1 Tablespoon a day.
4. Take a multivitamin
5. Know your medical #s: Resting Heart Rate should NOT be over 83. Take it by putting your finger on your neck and counting for a minute. Should be near the 60 mark.
Blood pressure should be 115/75; if its above 140 or the lower number is above 90 - see the doctor now.
Waist size for a woman should be less than 37" - measure it around your belly button.
Cholesterol: LDL should be less than a 100 and HDL should be hmmm forget so go on oprah.com and see.
Know your Vitamin D #, your C Reative Protein # and your Thyroid #.
During the checkup, get these numbers.
6. Find a health care advocate...gotta friend? Have them help when it gets complicated.
7. Organize your health record.
8. Know what medical tests to get - women get a bone density scan and men get the you know what in the rear exam.
9. Exercise and strength train. Work up to 10,000 steps a day.
10. Sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.
Here's to good health in 2009!
P.S. Please pray for Kristie's nausea to go away. We go in for labs tomorrow morning. If they did not improve from Tuesday, then she has to have fluid and possibly some blood via an IV on Friday which is about a 6 hour process. Sigh.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
HAPPY NEW YEAR
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I wish you all mucho happiness and good health in this new year.
We were watching the travel channel yesterday morning featuring doughnut shops. Portland made the list with "Voodoo Doughnuts". The magic is in the hole is their slogan. Katie reminded me that this doughnut shop was part of the last leg on the Amazing Race. Very cool.
Seattle made the list with Top Pot Doughnuts. They featured their venue in downtown Seattle on 5th Ave. so we ventured out today to try the doughnuts. I must say they were good doughnuts but I think the real reason they were featured was because of the architecture of the building. Its two stories with floor to ceiling book cases that line 3 of its walls. Would I go there again? No. But I'll try their venue in Bellevue.
I actually prefer my homemade cake doughnuts...yum.
Rant. Okay. So, I don't like this. I've been in many doughnut shops and cupcakes shops where the display cases are dark and dreary. The signs are not big enough and you have to bend down to see what's in the case!!! This is ridiculous. Good Grief. Put them in an old fashioned tiered cake case that stands 8 feet tall. Get a couple of them that go round and round. We'd probably buy more if we could actually see them!
If the name "doughnut" or "cupcake" is in the name of your establishment, get a clue and display your products properly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRR.
Right Katie??
Katie and I have long talked about opening our own coffee/cupcake/deli/lunch shop. One side would be the coffee/food part and one side would be a small community book store where we'd have author signings and readings and a place where book clubs could meet. I can envision it in my mind...cute and colorful. We really need to do it. Its our dream...well, one of them anyway.
Nigel got a Wii for Christmas. Its fun. I'm not a video game person (except for Super Mario Brothers which I love but am not good at) but since its so interactive and innovative, I actually like it. The tennis and bowling are awesome.
He also bought Guitar Hero but returned it because its so darn complicated. No good.
He downloaded Super Mario Brothers today and I played it for about 45 minutes...still not good at it. Sigh.
Update on Kristie. We really need prayer for her because she's very nauseas. I think its because she's still on all this heavy medication. We're almost at the 6 month mark...yay! January 17th will be 6 months since the transplant. Hopefully, she can get off 2 of the heavy meds that may be causing her nausea. They gave her a new med to relieve the nausea but it makes her sooo tired.
Also we need prayer because she's supposed to be getting her stint out...again. Her stint is curled up in her bladder at the moment, just hanging out. In order to get it out, they'll need to sedate her which means an IV and more doctor time.
She's getting really tired of going to the doctor. So am I. Hopefully by the end of this month, we can be on a reduced seeing the doctor schedule. I know I keep saying that but am determined to make it happen. Can we just have a normal life?
Its snowing...again...supposed to turn to rain overnight...hmmm...yeah...right.
Good grief.
I know it sounds like I'm depressed. I'm not, just tired of the same if you catch my drift.
I did sign myself up for a series of cooking classes starting next Wednesday. Yay for me. (I'll need it to open that restaurant!)
We were watching the travel channel yesterday morning featuring doughnut shops. Portland made the list with "Voodoo Doughnuts". The magic is in the hole is their slogan. Katie reminded me that this doughnut shop was part of the last leg on the Amazing Race. Very cool.
Seattle made the list with Top Pot Doughnuts. They featured their venue in downtown Seattle on 5th Ave. so we ventured out today to try the doughnuts. I must say they were good doughnuts but I think the real reason they were featured was because of the architecture of the building. Its two stories with floor to ceiling book cases that line 3 of its walls. Would I go there again? No. But I'll try their venue in Bellevue.
I actually prefer my homemade cake doughnuts...yum.
Rant. Okay. So, I don't like this. I've been in many doughnut shops and cupcakes shops where the display cases are dark and dreary. The signs are not big enough and you have to bend down to see what's in the case!!! This is ridiculous. Good Grief. Put them in an old fashioned tiered cake case that stands 8 feet tall. Get a couple of them that go round and round. We'd probably buy more if we could actually see them!
If the name "doughnut" or "cupcake" is in the name of your establishment, get a clue and display your products properly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRR.
Right Katie??
Katie and I have long talked about opening our own coffee/cupcake/deli/lunch shop. One side would be the coffee/food part and one side would be a small community book store where we'd have author signings and readings and a place where book clubs could meet. I can envision it in my mind...cute and colorful. We really need to do it. Its our dream...well, one of them anyway.
Nigel got a Wii for Christmas. Its fun. I'm not a video game person (except for Super Mario Brothers which I love but am not good at) but since its so interactive and innovative, I actually like it. The tennis and bowling are awesome.
He also bought Guitar Hero but returned it because its so darn complicated. No good.
He downloaded Super Mario Brothers today and I played it for about 45 minutes...still not good at it. Sigh.
Update on Kristie. We really need prayer for her because she's very nauseas. I think its because she's still on all this heavy medication. We're almost at the 6 month mark...yay! January 17th will be 6 months since the transplant. Hopefully, she can get off 2 of the heavy meds that may be causing her nausea. They gave her a new med to relieve the nausea but it makes her sooo tired.
Also we need prayer because she's supposed to be getting her stint out...again. Her stint is curled up in her bladder at the moment, just hanging out. In order to get it out, they'll need to sedate her which means an IV and more doctor time.
She's getting really tired of going to the doctor. So am I. Hopefully by the end of this month, we can be on a reduced seeing the doctor schedule. I know I keep saying that but am determined to make it happen. Can we just have a normal life?
Its snowing...again...supposed to turn to rain overnight...hmmm...yeah...right.
Good grief.
I know it sounds like I'm depressed. I'm not, just tired of the same if you catch my drift.
I did sign myself up for a series of cooking classes starting next Wednesday. Yay for me. (I'll need it to open that restaurant!)
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