Do you ever find planning and eating meals difficult? Well join the club.... We met for our inaugural meeting of the YPG at Sara’s house in Somerset, in order to plan this our first newsletter. Present were Chair, Sara Tyler, a CAPD patient, Jim Warham, a transplantee, and myself Michelle Peterson (co-vice Chairs) a haemodialysis patient.
After swapping stories and planning this edition we decided to start thinking about dinner. Myself and Sara being dialysis patients had to think of our potassium, salt and phosphate intake. Whereas Jim being a transplant patient had to consider his salt and fat intake. It therefore became glaringly obvious that a trip down the chippy was not the ideal solution, so off we went to the nearest supermarket to see what we could find that would suit us all.
It was at this point that things became ‘interesting’. As we made our way around the supermarket, confident we would find something, there rang out cries of: ‘too much salt’, ‘too much fat’, ‘that will make me thirsty’. We started to wonder what was available that we could all eat. In the end we settled on pasta with a creamy white sauce. Fairly low in all of what we had to be careful of, but because we chose yogurt for pudding we were also getting our much needed protein kick.
So that bought us back home and, while Sara did an exchange, myself and Jim set to work in the kitchen. It maybe of interest to note at this point that I am culinary challenged to the point that if I was on ‘Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook’ I wouldn’t know what side to stand on. But the sleeves went up and I got to work chopping and peeling the veggies, while Jim searched out utensils, filled kettles etc.
All was going well until I nearly mixed up the garlic, and was on the point of adding the whole bulb rather than 2 cloves when the eagle-eyed Jim spotted me and rescued the garlic, and I suspect, our mouths. As luck would have it Sara reappeared just then and I thought it appropriate that she take on some of the responsibility if we were going to eat that night.
Unfortunately it came to light at this point that Sara was not an expert cook either and her skills were also lacking somewhat. But at this point Jim stepped in (I think he was starving by now) and, although he wasn’t Jamie Oliver, he was decidedly better that me and Sara and proceeded to cook up a storm in the kitchen.
Everything was plain sailing until I stuck my nose in and decided that the sauce needed a bit more flour. Unfortunately I rather overdid it and the end result would have made a good play-dough substitute for the school round the corner.
So, we started again and, lo and behold, less than 20 minutes later we had pasta and sauce on the table. Well as they say ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’ and yes the yogurts were very nice thank you. But on a serious note the pasta and sauce was also not just edible, but actually enjoyable as well. So if you ever wanted to know how 3 kidney patients with differing dietary needs, 2 of them being somewhat lacking in the kitchen, then I hope this has given you an enjoyable insight. But you will also understand why at our next meal cries of ‘any sandwiches‘ was heard ringing round Somerset the next time we came to eat.
The National Kidney Federation cannot accept responsibility for information provided. The above is for guidance only. Patients are advised to seek further information from their own doctor.
Page created: 22 January 2005
Last updated: 6 May 2008
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