7/24.. T-minus 4 days

One of the reasons I've been SO pressed for time is that I've gotten into raw foods big time. I had no idea how time-consuming it is, but it has been fun. A friend of mine has lost over 75 lbs since October and she doesn't even exercise, unless you call chasing after kids all day (she's a teacher and she has three little kids herself) exercise. I don't talk to her much, so when I found out that she went from being a meat eater to a vegan all at once and then, several months later, she was mostly eating raw, I was astonished.

I started getting into it around the time of my wedding because my mom was going to have the author of a raw "cookbook" cater something, either my reception or my brunch or the rehearsal dinner. Now I'm going pretty strong. I sprout, dehydrate, juice, process, and generally make a huge mess out of my small kitchen. The weird thing is that I've accidentally let my garden almost bite the dust because I've been concentrating on preparation! Sad. Anyhow, of course I have not lost any weight. I think that it's because I still go out to eat with friends and there are times when I'm tired so I'll make one of my old fattening standbys. It is really a very different way of life.

Poor M, I used to make him a different cake about every week. Now I don't even make cake at all. Oh well! He's healthier, right?

The big thing that is coming up in my life is that I'm going to be donating my kidney to my aunt. Her kidneys failed about five years ago, and since then she has been through h e l l. Her twin donated one kidney (it was rejected within two years), and although I was a 3 match, she accepted a kidney from my uncle. It was rejected a couple of months ago. We have all been devastated. I wish her life were back to the way it used to be. She is very talented and she's also a newlywed. She has to do peritoneal dialysis, which has its pros, but the biggest drawback is that she must sleep in her own room without her DH. Dialysis is a very difficult way to live. She has done every other kind, and she can no longer go to the center and do it via her blood because all of her veins are too weak from collapsing so much. On top of that, she feels so awful about herself. She is such a productive person usually, but her health is taking its toll on what she can accomplish. I truly hate it.

Anyhow, so that will be coming up within the next few months, I hope. It will depend on the transplant team and her own health, I guess.