PIDD Awareness!

April is PIDD awareness month so I have sent out a slew of press releases to my favorite health blogs, newspapers, and magazines. Today my first one was published!! It is a unique one because it discusses PIDD but focuses on how diet helped me get diagnosed! It is on one of my favorite blogs so I am thrilled!
Check it out if you get a minute: http://scdlifestyle.com/2012/04/how-scd-saved-megan-from-undiagnosed-primary-immunodeficiency-disease-pidd/#more-3721

Be Well (Good News)

I have a lot of updates for you but the two most important are glorious:

First and foremost, Grace Wyatt (my dear friend in the post below), is back home after four weeks in the hospital! She still has some recovering to do but is doing AMAZINGLY well! I am so proud of her. Thank you for all of your kind thoughts, prayers and comments. She means so much to me and I know all of that energy being sent to her had to help!

Second, March 17 (the same day as Grace's accident) marked my one year anniversary of being diagnosed with PIDD. In some ways it seems like much longer but I am thrilled to make it through the toughest part! This also means that I've completed over 60 sub-Q infusions and I must say - I am proud of myself. Thank you to everyone for all the love and support this past year!

Sorry this post is short - I'll update more soon!

be well (Grace)

On the journey to finding stable and good health you often find a small but amazing handful of people who are willing to be there for you and believe in you every single day - no matter what. One of the people that has been a rock for me and a constant source of laughter is my best friend Grace - she has driven me to Hyperbaric oxygen treatments and sat with me during infusions and watched doctors poke and prod and has even made me snacks in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, it is now my turn to send healing thoughts, prayers and love to her because last night Grace was riding her bike and was in a terrible accident. She hit her head and had to be life flighted to Columbus and is still there - currently in a coma.  I ask any of you who read this to pray for her and for her family and for all of us that need her in our lives. I need her to wake up so  I can tell her how much I love her. I need you Grace - you are the strongest woman I know and you are going to pull through this with more strength than we can imagine.

be well (acts of kindness)

Check out this article on Good.com (one of my favorite websites to check on because it is so positive!) - it is about a florist from the Detroit area who gives away a free bouquet of flowers a week to people that are just having a hard time. I think it is so sweet and sends a powerful message - kindness is a beautiful gift.

Check it out:
http://www.good.is/post/people-are-awesome-a-detroit-florist-gives-away-bouquets-just-for-being-kind/

be well (coconut muffins)

Discovered this recipe from a blog called Comfy Belly (http://comfybelly.com/) that is fabulous! She makes hers as donuts but I like the cupcakes better!

Here is a picture of mine:

Ingredients (makes 6-8 donuts or cupcakes)

• 1/2 cup of coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup of honey (or other sweetener)
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, melted (coconut oil, or regular oil will work as well)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Blend all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Using a whisk, or mixer on a low setting, blend in all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4. Mix until well-blended.
5. Fill muffin pan cups 2/3 of the way full with batter.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Honey-dipped, toasted coconut topping

Warm a few tablespoons of honey in a saucer (I put it in the microwave for about 10 seconds). Toast some coconut flakes for about 5 minutes at 300 degrees F. Dip each donut in the honey and then in the toasted coconut. (Instead of dipping - I use a spoon and drizzle the honey on top of the muffin)

be well (coconut flour)

Coconut Flour:
Coconut flour is fiber from the coconut meat after most of the oil has been extracted to make virgin coconut oil or coconut milk. The great news is it’s not only a gluten free flour, it’s a grain free flour too. So for those who follow strict grain free diets (like my SCD diet), coconut flour opens up a world of delicious baked goods. It’s also high in fiber and has fairly high protein too. When you make these into muffins, breads, and cakes, they are quite filling (probably because of the fiber content). The flour is also “sweet” by itself because of the natural sugars in the coconut, meaning that you don’t have to sweetened it as much. It also seems that coconut flour does not effect mineral availability (not sure exactly what this means yet. but it sounds good!).

Coconut flour makes an excellent addition to shakes and smoothies where fiber and protein are needed. I love to bake with it because it is already sweet but I've even heard of people who dissolve a spoonful in water as a high-fiber drink with a coconut flavor! Organic coconut flour is very versatile and very tasty. Sprinkle it over your favorite dishes to add a wonderful coconut flavor, use it as a thickener in soups and sauces - so many possibilities!

Some things to consider:

Coconut flour is less expensive than almond flour BUT you have to use more eggs and butter in the recipes and that can add up pretty quickly. Also coconut flour (like I said) is high in fiber - which means even though I want to eat all of my muffins at once... it is not the best idea. Everything is better in moderation :)

P.S. Baking coconut muffins right now (a stable for my school week) - recipe and pictures to come!

M.I.A.

Sorry I have been missing in action! Everything has been so crazy. 

First of all, lets talk about how I got through one quarter of school successfully!?! Wooo! I can't  believe it but it happened. 

Then came Winter break.... which was not as successful. My body and I do not enjoy the winters that come with living in Ohio! Every cold, flu, and germ that went around during my six weeks off found me - and kept me in bed. 

Then on January 3rd I started my second quarter back at school and this time I am a FULL time student again. SO SCARY. It is kicking my butt. I have been sick sick sick the past week - my lovely combo of inflammation & migraines came back for a visit and I was so miserable. I was in bed from this past Sunday until Friday. I missed so many classes and assignments and I am so stressed out! My main source of stress is dealing with professors - they think every college student is trying to take advantage of them - and they do not take me seriously. They know that I have a chronic illness and they know that I have the schools support which means I get extra time, etc on assignments when I'm sick - but apparently they don't understand? I hate confrontation so this is not my favorite thing to deal with at school. Another thing that makes being sick difficult right now is that my diet is so strict that I have to pretty much cook everything for myself - I can't eat prepackaged soups or meals - and cooking when you're sick consumes all your energy! One day I will figure out how to balance everything! 

Good news: During my time off I did some experimenting with coconut flour - so there will be some recipes and info to come about that! mmm! 

Side note: Thanks to everyone who has been so sweet and supportive. your simple gestures has helped me stay positive through all of this (especially this past week).

Also, my orchid bloomed again over break - it is so good for the heart to watch plants grow!