Week 2: Seriously Good Food and Preparing for Surgery

Week 2 is in the books! We’re actually now on day 15— exactly halfway through our Whole 30! I’m still enjoying cooking and eating a variety of fun things, with a lot more help from my partner Alex because my shoulder has been in a bad state (more on that later). We’ve been eating really great meals this week, like:

• Well Fed chili with avocado, green onion, fresh jalapenos
• Local pork bratwurst with potatoes and braised cabbage
• Shrimp and steak fajita bowls with cilantro-lime cauliflower rice
• Homemade meatballs in fresh marinara over spaghetti squash
• Sous vide chicken breasts with mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms
• Barbacoa (slow-cooked chuck roast) over cilantro-lime broccoli rice
• And a few Applegate Organic Beef Hot Dogs with unsweetened ketchup here and there

As we say in Arkansas, we’re eatin’ goooood. It’s been a pretty successful week! We’ve gotten the hang of cooking nutrient-dense meals. Our palates have adjusted to eating this way, so fruit tastes crazy amazing (especially blood oranges, omg) and vegetables taste sweet and dare I say, exciting. We’ve been making almost everything from scratch — Alex spent 6 hours on a marinara recipe today and has totally mastered the art of the paleo mayo. I’m fermenting some pickles right now. Crazy!

I feel like another month of this, and we’d be selling homemade paleo condiments at the farmer’s market. Lolz. I’m so grateful that I have my cooking/life buddy doing this with me. It makes it feel a lot more manageable when I can share the work (and enjoy the fun) with someone else.

That said — I do believe that one of the keys to success with this thing is fostering a sense of community around it. Whether it’s a partner, roommate, friend, family member, a group on Facebook, or Instagram friends — having a support system for accountability, inspiration, and support seems pretty crucial.

Bursting Our Little Bubble

Now the sad news. I told you guys about my upcoming shoulder surgery in previous posts. I’ve had this injury for almost a year, so I’ve gotten used to feeling weakness and occasionally, moderate to severe pain in my right shoulder joint.

Lately though, it’s gotten to where I feel it constantly aching, whether I’m actively using it or not. It feels weak and unstable. My grip strength is pathetic in my right hand. I’ve basically given up on doing most activities with my right arm, and have been relying on boo for almost everything, from grocery shopping to opening cans.

Which is really frustrating for an independent control freak, mind you. (But shoutout to him for being so proactive and helpful and patient.)

All that to say — the last 11 days of our Whole 30 are going to look and feel quite different from the first 15 or so. We’re going to have to simplify our whole operation, I’m going to be dealing with a lot of pain, and it might be tempting to say screwit and drown my sorrows in the quart of Andy’s chocolate frozen custard that we have in the freezer.

Also, the reality of doing Whole 30 after surgery means that I’m going to have to share much of the burden of prepping with those taking care of me. I’ve tried preparing as much as I can, but a fair amount of the work will still fall on my people. I know they’re willing, and I know I’ll do what I can to make it easy for them — but it still makes me feel squirmy inside to ask for so much.

How I’m Preparing

I have surgery at the end of this week, and I’m honestly ready to get it over with. I’ve been reading blogs about how to minimize discomfort and promote healing after rotator cuff surgery, and have done the following to prepare:

• Rented a recliner for the first 4–6 weeks following surgery (many people find this the most comfortable way to sleep).
• Bought a memory foam wedge pillow in case I am able to sleep on the bed. I’ve been using it for a few days, and I have noticed that I’m waking up with less shoulder pain. It is ginormous and takes up half the bed, but I’m glad I have it.
• Tried to do the full month’s work of work in the past two weeks, so I don’t have clients waiting on me for anything. Doc says I should be able to type after 5–6 days, but my body tends to like to take its sweet time when it comes to surgery recovery.
• Filled our freezer, fridge, and pantry with quick, easy meals. I’ll do a full write-up on what we made/bought for this, because I feel like it’d be helpful for anyone interested in prepping for their Whole 30. Sneak peek: It’s a lot of bone broth.
• Taking New Chapter’s fermented turmeric powder and Xyflamend Whole Body Support, which is an herbal anti-inflammatory supplement containing rosemary, turmeric, ginger, holy basil, organic green tea, and other healing herbs. The goal for both of these is to reduce inflammation and swelling and promote healing after the surgery.
• Organized my closet so that the tops and bottoms that are easy to put on and take off are in one place.
• Organized our kitchen so that the light pans and bowls are easily accessible.
• Organizing my favorite Whole 30 recipes, so that I can easily share them with my caretakers (Alex and my mommy).
• Having my mom come for the surgery and the few days following. ❤
• Exercising when I can (i.e. when it doesn’t hurt) to stay in shape so that I can recover faster. I’ve been walking, doing lower body bodyweight exercises, and plan on adding the stationary bike to the mix. My activity will be limited for the first 2–3 days after surgery, but I fully intend on getting back into my walking routine ASAP. Otherwise little lady goes crazy.
• Made plans with friends to get myself out of the house in the weeks following surgery. I won’t be able to drive, so it would be easy to isolate myself but again — that would make me crazy. It’s taken a little vulnerability to ask friends to just come over and take care of me, but I’m glad I asked and I look forward to having my support system around me when I need it most.
• Paying people to come clean our place and do some laundry once a week. It’s an added expense, but I think it’ll be well worth the money to not have either of us worry about those chores.

Yes, it’s a lot — but hopefully this will all result in a saner, speedier recovery. Although it will be difficult at times, I do plan on continuing to eat primarily Whole 30 even after our 30 days are up. I think it will be a good framework to keep me eating healing, real foods and help me avoid binging on comfort foods.

Stay tuned this week for my Thrive Market and Trader Joe’s favorites!