I'm back!
Wow. It's been over a month since I last posted a recipe. I don't think I've ever been away from blogging for more than a week since I first started. That certainly wasn't the intention. In fact, before I had my c-section, I made sure to store up about a month and a half worth of blog posts in advance to post while I was recuperating.
A lot has happened in the past month, and even though I had those new recipes developed and photos taken, I just did not feel well enough to edit photos and work on transferring the recipes from my handy dandy notebook to a blog post.
I never expected to have such a hard time recovering after the c-section. I thought that after having the baby I would be back to my normal self and feel good again. That was not to be.
I lost so much weight after having the baby that the doctors decided to put me on TPN for a little while to give me a boost of nutrition. (TPN is total parenteral nutrition, basically nutrition given intravenously. It’s a mixture of electrolytes, proteins, lipids, vitamins, etc, that you would normally get through the gastrointestinal tract that is given intravenously.)
"When it rains, it pours", as they say. My incision was not healing properly, my GI system was acting up like crazy (I'll spare you the details there) and my electrolytes were wacky (for those of you in the medical field - I was getting 4-5 grams of magnesium IV every day). I was dealing with so much pain I could hardly function. I also ended up getting a blood infection in my PICC line which meant I had to spend a week in the hospital and get IV antibiotics for a few weeks and get another PICC line in my other arm. (A PICC line is a peripherally inserted central catheter, that is a more permanent type of IV, through which I've been getting IV fluids, TPN, IV medications and lab draws.)
Throughout this pregnancy, I've been to more doctor's visits than during the rest of my life combined.
I was getting so discouraged and just felt miserable all the time. Every time I would start to feel better, I would eventually have one setback after another. I just begged God for a little relief.
My only comfort and distraction was my precious baby boy and my sweet, caring husband. Even though we were confined to the house and couldn't really do anything fun, at least I could cuddle with Nathaniel, talk to him and just enjoy my little baby.
It was scary to realize that week after week I just wasn't getting better. I spent the last 8 months confined to the house and even though I am an introvert and a home body, after a while it started to feel like the walls were closing in.
Despair and dejection have a way of closing in when you're sitting at home alone, not having any energy to get anything done, in extreme pain and simply feeling wretched. Sergi had to take off a lot of time from work when I was hospitalized, for all the doctor's visits and on days when I felt especially bad.
So many times when I just didn't have any strength left to pray and felt hopeless and scared, I knew I had to lean on a strength that wasn't my own. I made a playlist of all my favorite songs a while ago and it was especially soothing to turn it on and listen to it.
The song "Shoulders" by the band For King and Country was a favorite of mine.
Finally, this past week and a half I started to feel better. Thank God!
I went for a walk around the neighborhood with the baby all by myself, just breathing in the fresh air and savoring the feeling of being pain free and feeling happy!
I am finally off the TPN and hopefully my labs will be normal and I won't need to have any more IV intervention. If all goes well, I'll finally say good bye to my PICC line and Lovenox. What a celebration that will be! Sergi and I recently counted that I've had more than 450 shots in the past 8 months. That's right. That wasn't a typo - a minimum of 2 every single day, not counting all the other ones, such as B12 injections, Rhogham, and lab draws when I didn't have the PICC line. I'm beginning to feel like a pincushion.
Even though I've always been really grateful for good health, I will now be even more thankful. Every day that I wake up feeling good, I will be especially intentional to thank God for good health.
Last Sunday, I finally felt well enough to go to church for the first time since giving birth. As I sat in the sanctuary listening to God's Word, I just closed my eyes and took comfort in being in the house of God and couldn't help getting emotional and crying just a bit:).
On a positive note, our baby is growing, changing and becoming more alert and playful. He is such a joy to both my husband and myself. We are so grateful that God blessed us with his miracle birth.
I look forward to finally being able to take him on walks, to the park, the beach and on errands with me. Even trips to the grocery store sound like fun.
I am slowly starting to get back to cooking again and can't wait to share more recipes with you. I still have quite a few recipes stored up to share which I developed in February and will share with you soon. However, I still recovering and get tired very quickly, so please be understanding when I don't answer your comments or e-mails quickly. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for our family and for my health to continue to improve and for me to get strong again.
Love following your blog and making your yummy healthy recipes! Thank you for sharing your story during pregnancy and after. You are one strong woman and one strong family with one cute baby!!!! Praying for your recovery!
-Inessa Bilak-
Olga, what a struggle you have had! I am sorry you had to experience all that, but having that sweet little boy is such a blessing. Keep getting better--take really good care of yourself!
I will look forward to more pictures that show your growing family!
You are in my heart and prayers!
Ruth Ann
Take good care and come back slowly. I am praying for you and your family. Hugs to you through the internet....
Love your blog and all your posts! So glad you are doing better. Baby is adorable. What a blessing.
I've been checking your page daily looking for an update after the birth of your baby. You have been in my prayers!
Sooo glad to hear things are falling in to place
isnt that such a blessing
Your baby looking adorable and looking so forward to your blog, because it's awesome!
Olga , did u know this website copies your recipes and watermarks as their own!!! I saw at least other 3 of your recipes there. After all your hard work and skill,they just steal them! You should report to google for copyright infringement. Or at least make them to put links back to your site.
http://foto-recepti.ru/vtorye-bljuda/recepty-bljud-iz-mjasa/801-govyadina-s-gribami-i-zelenoi-fasolyu.html
No, I didn't know about this specific website. Thank you so much for pointing it out to me, Irina.
It's unfortunate, but many websites do this, especially Russian ones. It's sad that they don't have a conscience when they just steal someone else's hard work.
Get better soon and Happy Mother's Day, Olya! I am looking forward to new recipes!
My mom, a faithful reader of yours, has turned me on to your blog and I LOVE it! You are a strong woman with an ADORABLE baby boy! Congratulations to you and Sergi... I'm glad to see you are doing better!
I have missed you. I am very happy that you are starting to feel better. Prayers and blessings for your recovery. Enjoy this special time with your son.
READ PSALM 46. 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4 "BLESSED BT THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF MERCIES AND GOD OF ALL COMFORT, WHO COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR TRIBULATION, THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO COMFORT THOSE WHO ARE IN ANY TROUBLE, WITH THE COMFORT WITH WHICH WE OURSELVES ARE COMFORTED BY GOD." THEREFORE WE DO NOT LOSE HEART. EVEN THOUGH OUR OUTWARD MAN IS PERISHING, YET THE INWARD MAN IS BEING RENEWED DAY BY DAY. FOR OUR LIGHT AFFLICTION, WHICH IS BUT FOR A MOMENT, IS WORKING FOR US A FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY, WHILE WE DO NOT LOOK AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, BUT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN. FOR THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN ARE TEMPORARY, BUT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL. (2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18) "HIS ABUNDANT MERCY HAS BEGOTTEN US AGAIN TO A LIVING HOPE THROUGH THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD, TO AN INHERITANCE INCORRUPTIBLE AND UNDEFILED AND THAT DOES NOT FADE AWAY, RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR YOU, WHO ARE KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH FAITH FOR SALVATION READY TO BE REVEALED IN THE LAST TIME. IN THIS YOU GREATLY REJOICE, THOUGH NOW FOR A LITTLE WHILE, IF NEED BE, YOU HAVE BEEN GRIEVED BY VARIOUS TRIALS, THAT THE GENUINENESS OF YOUR FAITH, BEING MUCH MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD THAT PERISHES, THOUGH IT IS TESTED BY FIRE, MAY BE FOUND TO PRAISE, HONOR, AND GLORY AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, WHOM HAVING NOT SEEN YOU LOVE. (1 PETER 1:3-8) THEREFORE LET THOSE WHO SUFFER ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD COMMIT THEIR SOULS TO HIM IN DOING GOOD, AS TO A FAITHFUL CREATOR. (1 PETER 4:19).
Olga! I am very happy to see u again:) I was worrying about you! I'm happy God gives u strength. Poor u so may shots! Hope u will feel all well again soon! Your boy is very handsome! Is he a quite baby? Does he sleep thru the night?
Hope to see many more new recipes from u:)
Olichka, I am so glad to hear you are feeling better now. I kept checking your website and began to worry after not seeing new posts in a while. May God bless you and your family, I hope you will be much better soon and I will keep you in my prayers.