Quick Update On Mommy Ruth!

Hi Folks,

Just a quick one, I hope. You know how i can go on and on. (I swear, if i could get paid to write this blog, i'd be the happiest camper alive. Writing for me is cathartic. It feels SO GOOD to express myself. I do have double expressive drives according to numerology, so no wonder i need to sing and write to feel good.)

Mom is actually, from what i can see, FEELING a lot better, it's pretty amazing. She's awake now, early, cheery, not hoarse. She is often hoarse from reflux or from the thyroid issue, i suppose. What i'm seeing is actually filling me with lots of hope! She seems to really be responding well to the raw diet!!! Her back and legs stopped hurting yesterday. But her back bothered her last night as we laid for HOURS (watching the Oscars!). She did, however, sleep really well, thank god, and is not complaining this morning, but actually looking energetic!

We have the appt with the surgeon this afternoon, the one who will possibly do her stomach surgery and her thyroid removal. I can't even write that without laughing. No, it's not FUNNY. It's ludicrous. I think what we are doing - just changing her diet will cure all of her ills.

I don't know why i feel so strongly about it. I guess it's the last 3 years eating raw, working as a raw chef, working at arnold's way, witnessing testimony after testimony of people's miracouls healings, having Susan as my catering partner with her tremendous healings from raw, hearing arnold talk all day to us and to customers about healing with raw. It's filled me with a tremendous belief in it.

Mom is still struggling with the belief part, especially yesterday, and i thought i would have a real battle on my hands, but the fact that she is feeling better and enjoying the food, i think, is kind of winning her over.

Yesterday on our walk, when she was struggling again and feeling tired (natural part of detox), she was saying stuff like, "You know, Susan is NOT a dr." And "I'm not sure I believe in this." This doubt is a natural part of the process. It's not easy to battle, but i come back with as much encouraging info as i can. I convince her with my belief. Over and over again. Allaying fears and doubts. Over and over. This is not an easy process. It is stressful, but seeing my mom feeling better is all the reward i need.

I feel very much like a good parent and it makes me think that maybe i would be a good mom, something i have OFTEN doubted. Parenting is THE hardest job. No, parenting WELL is the hardest job.

Mom lost 3 more lbs since eating raw, which in her case is NOT good. She's already a skinny rail. She was INCREDIBLY concerned about it yesterday and this was a source of real distress for me as well. How could i keep her on green smoothies exclusively if she would continue to lose weight? I suppose if she were REALLY sick, like with pancreatic cancer, we'd have no choice. But, she seems to be thriving on the more substantial raw i gave her yesterday in response to her concerns that she was losing too much weight.

For breakfast, she had romaine/apple/banana/date smoothie. She likes spinach better than romaine. Who doesn't!

For lunch, i made her icecream: banana, hemp, vanilla, vanilla powder, agave, tiny sprinkle celtic salt. She loved it. No upset stomach.

For dinner, i made her the romaine salad with the avo dressing, which i had myself, too. man, is that ever good!! My friend, Jan (HI JAN!!!!, SO SORRY I HAVEN"T BEEN ABLE TO RETURN YOUR CALL!!! I WILL CALL ASAP!!!!) loves this kind of avo dressing. I can see why! It is DELISH! I mashed 1/2 avo with juice of 1/2 lemon, some celtic salt, some garlic powder, a tiny drip of agave and added water until it came to a good dressing consistency, about 3 or 4 tbsp water, stirring to form a dressing. DELISH on romaine. We both enjoy black pepper on it as well. Black pepper is supposed to be an irritant. As is garlic. Oh, and salt. OH WELL!!! It tastes good!!!

So, mom had the romaine salad with avo dressing and a few flax crackers that i had had at home that i brought over. She LOVED it and tolerated it well. No gastric distress. Loved the flavor. Exciting! When i told her i could make her sweet flax crackers with apple and cinnamon and honey, she responded favorably, "Wow, that would be like a treat!"

She made finally her first bowel movement yesterday, but it wasn't such a good one. We'll keep monitoring this. I think her stomach is adjusting to raw.

For snack, i made her strawberry icecream: frozen banana, strawberry, hemp, celtic salt, agave. Even my dad flipped for this.

Okay, she's drinking her lemon water now, so i'll go make us a smoothie. We went shopping yesterday and i'm excited for her to try one of my favorite smoothies: parsley, banana, orange juice, strawberry, date. Oh my god, it's so good. I hope she loves it.

I'm doing good. Felt again last night like i could eat a giant bag of corn chips but i snacked on my very low fat low salt raw bread instead. Not ideal, but, under the circumstances, i'm thrilled. What am i, like a week and a half raw?

What kept me from eating the corn chips??? Knowing that i'd be blown up like a balloon today, that i'd only continue to eat them and then go back to donuts, pizza, eggrolls and onion rings the next day. And that i'd be even fatter. I don't even like how fat i am NOW. Why would i want to get any fatter???? We really are NOT our thoughts. My thoughts said to eat corn chips, but when i awoke this morning, i was so relieved i hadn't given in.

The raw bread satisfied that 'snack attack.'

I'm still on edge about my upcoming singing gig. I haven't practiced one bit for it. I brought my music to the house but i'm disoriented and distracted here at moms. And i can't find the music. I'll look for it right now.

We also brought most of my raw equiptment to the house here.

The surgeon appt is later this afternoon. But, good news, get this - as it turns out, such a wonderful thing, get this: my dad pulled his neck out and can't move. That means i have to take my mom to the surgeon and my dad won't come, and now she has an excuse to NOT set a date for the surgery - because she'll tell him, she has to discuss the details with my father! She was SO nervous how she would handle the surgeon, how could she say, "No" or "I'll think about it." Last night she said she was getting nervous about visiting the surgeon. And with her back pains, i keep reminding her that if we can avoid surgery for her and buy some time, it would be best. Well, now she has a perfect excuse with my dad's incapacity. Now, she can just say, "I'll discuss it with my husband and let you know." God works in strange ways. Who would have thought my dad's pulled neck would actually be a blessing!

Okay, please say HI and let me know how you are!

xoxo michelle joy