As many of you know, I swore off dairy several months ago. It was making me not feel my best. So, out it went. My beloved chocolate ice cream, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and a variety of other lovely treats.
However, when I was in a car accident earlier this Spring, and my leg was broken, I had to rethink my dairy fast. I wanted my leg to heal as quickly as possible, since I am the sole driver in my family and the only way we knew to get to the grocery store! I live in an area that is rather remote, and does not have the option of delivery. I learned quickly who my friends were! These were the people who would run to the store for me, after I had put in an order, pick it up at the store’s appointed time, and drop it off at my door. I can’t thank them enough!
But, I digress. What I was talking about was dairy. I learned quickly that I couldn’t do much for myself except hop on my crutches to the bathroom and back to the couch. This was extremely frustrating for me, as I am usually much more on the go! Gone was making dinner for my kiddos! Gone were the shopping trips to the grocery store or even just the pharmacy! Gone was the ability to even take a simple shower on my own! It was a humbling experience.
So, I decided to give up on giving up dairy for a while. At first it was because the pain relievers that were prescribed (and believe me when I tell you that I desperately needed them as the pain was intense!!!) bound me up. I was like, oh no you don’t! So, I started eating dairy to counteract that response. It worked. As an added benefit, I could also now eat Greek yogurt, which has a lot of protein (needed to rebuild bones) as well as calcium. It became my go-to breakfast/snack/whatever. I think it worked! My leg feels much stronger now. I am still not allowed to put weight on it and my muscles have atrophied something fierce (though I do have PT to reverse that!) but the pain is all but gone and I can do the exercises pretty easily.
On the upside of my injury, I have found more time (sometimes too much!) to think, to pray, to hand-sew some projects that I would have been hard-pressed to find the time for in the past. I am working to catalog all of our movies so that we have an adult list and a kid list and can find what we want to watch with ease. I have been able to take time to talk with my children that are still at home and really listen to their wants and needs. Truly, that is a blessing. I think, if we truly look, we can find the blessings in everything. God bless you and keep looking for those silver linings!
GF Recipes and Writings 