Project 2012: Update 01

The Goals:

1. Stop drinking store bought soda by April.
2. Stop consuming dairy products of any kind (except the occasional cheese at a get together) by February.
3. Take my blood pressure twice a day on non-dialysis days by February.
4.  Come up with a system to make sure I always take my phosphorous binders with every meal by February.
5. Come up with a system to make sure that I am not going over my liquid restriction by March.
6. Start exercising five minutes a day the first week of January, ten minutes the second week, and so on until I reach thirty minutes a day.
7. Go outside once a day by March is weather allows.
8. Start making a weekly meal plan and stick with it by April.
9. Make one new recipe for the blog once a week by March.
10. Write my wife a love note once a week by March.
11. Find ways to spend more time with my wife by March.

Impressive isn’t it? I came up with all of those things to help improve my state of being. Want to know how its working out so far? Okay. Just remember, YOU asked for it!

1. I only drink Ginger ale on Fridays and Sundays when at a friend’s house. That’s better than everyday though.
2. Doing great on this one.
3. Failed completely. I need to get the blood pressure machine out and actually use it.
4. I found an iPhone app that helps remind me that I need to take my medicine.
5. I just use a tally system on the white board. My wife will yell at me if I go over my limit.
6. So far this has turned in to me walking two miles on non-dialysis days.
7. Doing great on this one!
8. Failed completely. I need to get on the ball.
9. I have actually been doing this but have not been able to share them with you, yet.
10. I have done this twice. I REALLY need to get on the ball….before she beats me.
11. I have instated Wednesday movie/TV night. I know it’s not much but its better than it was.

Not the inspiring testament that you were hoping for? Well, sorry, I am only human. A very, very, ill human at that. If you read the last post you will understand why. I will start instating monthly updates to let you know where I am in all of this.

So, what have YOU done? Any of your resolutions sticking? I would love to hear all about it in the comment section below.

Keep being awesome,
Chris

M.I.A

Don’t worry I am still alive and kicking. The last couple of months have been rather rough on me. For starters my access has mostly stopped working. I have to have a graft put in soon. Well, that or have a vein moved up from the bottom of my arm and that just sounds too painful. That and it requires me to have a heart catheter for two months. Nooo thank you!

Luckily, I have been amassing a large collection of renal safe dishes to start the blog up and going again!

Look for me soon!
Chris

Random Tip: Exercise Apples!

I decided to start walking again since the weather is so nice out but I have a slight problem. I was a little over my limit when I went into treatment on Tuesday. I left treatment with 2.6 kg extra on me. What to do, what to do? I have to be extra careful so I don’t go over the max amount that they can take out of me. Which is 4 kg at a time by the way. Any more then that and I start cramping and my blood pressure just tanks.

Tapioca Pudding

I was out with friends a while back and someone had said “How awesome would Tapioca Pudding be right now?” Then it hit me, maybe I could make that renal friendly! To be honest, this was not the easiest thing I have made yet but not the hardest either. Have I confused you yet? Good, I like to keep you guessing…it buys me time.

Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night

“Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.”

I am tired. I am tired of being tired, tired of laying around the house, and I am most certainly sick and tired of dying. So its the new year, huh? This is where most bloggers would make there resolutions. Well…this is what I think about new years resolutions.

Homemade Lemonade

It seems “taking a break to recover from having a tooth removed” really means “work your butt off and put out even MORE recipes!”

This is one of my all time favorite drinks. Yes Its a little high on the sugar side but hey, I’m not diabetic. If you are then MAYBE you can use splenda. I have no idea. I may experiemt and get back to you with a low suagr version one day. But not before I make homemade ~SPOILER ALERT~ Ginger-ale. Yup, you heard me. I learned how to make Ginger-ale soda from a friend of mine. But enough talk about things to come, for now we make lemony goodness!

White Bread

Though I am still out of it while recovering from my pulled tooth I had an idea. When I posted the “Basics” yesterday it occurred to me that I do a lot of things every day that I take for granted. For example, I was making bread for the week. This is something I do all the time. Its nothing special to me really. But it got me thinking; this is exactly the kind of thing I should be sharing! So here is my go to bread. Since the bread in the store is loaded with sodium and other crap that we just don’t need I set out to make a renal friendly white bread for sandwiches. I have been eating this bread for almost a year now. Hope you enjoy it!