What do hips and food have in common?

Since “immunosuppressive” medications make it harder for your immune system to fight infection, it is very important that you do what you can to not get sick. One way is to watch what you eat. This is because certain foods can carry harmful bacteria and if your immune system is reduced, can make you sick. To stay healthy:

– Always wash your hands before eating or preparing food.

– Refrigerate or freeze foods immediately after a meal. Eat leftover foods within 1 to 2 days.

– Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables before eating.

– drink bottled water if unsure of the water supply safety.

– Wash knives, cutting boards and food preparation surfaces with hot water and soap after contact with raw poultry, meat, and seafood.

– Consider having two cutting boards: one for raw meat and one for other foods. (DONE).  and knife sets, too.

– All raw and undercooked meats

– Sushi, raw seafood and shellfish

– Raw or undercooked eggs and foods containing them, such as, Caesar dressing, cookie dough, other batters

– All unpasteurized milk, cheeses, ciders, juices and honey

– All fresh sprouts

No added salt.  Eat whole grain breads and rolls and pasta, etc.  Bread should have 5 grams of fiber.  And no, the honey wheat bread at the store does not count…it is just as bad for you as white bread.

Cut back on sweets.

From Duke:  ”

Limit Alcohol Intake

Alcohol intake should be limited to a rare cocktail or glass of wine only on special occasions. The medications you are taking will not react well with alcohol.

Foods to Limit

Avoid the following foods before and after lung transplant to maintain a healthy weight.

• Salty foods (chips, popcorn, nuts)
• Canned, preserved, and/or processed foods
• Red meat
• Butter
• Egg yolks
• Whole milk, cream, cheese, buttermilk, ice cream
• Fried foods
• Soda, candy, cookies, cake, pie
• White bread, instant mashed potatoes, other starches

Foods to Enjoy

The following foods are nutritious foods that will give you the energy you need to sustain your health.

• Lean meats
• Egg whites
• Fresh fruits and veggies (please make sure they are washed thoroughly)
• Whole grains
• Six to eight glasses of water per day”

The transplant coordinator said he could drink only on special occasions, and I made sure he understood that it means maybe 2 times a year, one glass of wine, not 2 times a month with 4 margaritas.  My son Wes says Randy is having “obstructive behavior”.  The goal is to not eat junk food, but the immediate wish is McDonalds, thereby obstructing the goal.  Well, yeah.

Okay, now for the hips. Mine don’t work very well.  I do yoga, pilates, swim, dive, walk….but not all the time, because I have to go and get cortisone injections into my hips.  I’ve started back working out regularly…except that my hips won’t let me walk.  So I had shots yesterday, and the Doc found the exact spots, because I practically screamed all day.  I finally gave in and took pain pills to make it less miserable.  Sleeping was tough, I like laying on my side, and that didn’t work very well.  I felt better today, but still quite sore.  I’ve worked all day in Randy’s office and bath, and a closet, so at this point I have availed myself of pain pills again.

My son Wes came home to help out with some final big items before Ran’s homecoming, and now he and my brother Michael plan to “jam”.  They are both guitarists, and I love hearing them play.  Well, I cannot believe it, but soon Randy will be home!  That, I am sure, will be its own saga!