Low Sodium Chicken and Dumplings

Seriously, if you can make Chicken and Dumplings low sodium, it should be a piece of cake to make your entire lifestyle low sodium!  Josh has this great cookbook, 500 Low Sodium Recipes By Dick Logue. This book has a really good selection of things we love to eat, minus the salt content. Yesterday, we slow cooked a chicken just with water, some herbs (you can use whichever ones you want!), and some large carrots. So yesterday's meal was some plain (and delicious) mashed potatoes, roasted chicken, and carrots. Today we wanted soup and chicken and dumplings sounded even better! Josh used the homemade stock from yesterday's chicken and the leftover chicken. Here is the recipe (adapted from 500 Low Sodium Recipes):  

1 1/2 cups chicken (cooked and cubed)  
3 cups low sodium chicken broth (we used homemade---but I found really low sodium pre-done stock at Sprouts yesterday for really lazy days!)
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
4 medium potatoes -peeled and cubed (we skipped these!)
1 onion (Josh added extra onion)
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1-2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence

Dumplings:

2 Cups all purpose flour (I am going to try to find a nice whole grain flour for next time!)
1 Tablespoon sodium-free baking powder (I highly recommend buying this for your baking---so much healthier than regular!)
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup skim milk

Directions:

Place chicken, broth, water, and vegetables in a large pan and bring to a boil.  For the dumplings, stir together dry ingredients.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Stir in liquid until dough holds together in a ball.  Drop dumplings by the tablespoonfuls.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes more.

Some Things I've learned

I imagine throughout this blog, I will be doing multiple "things I've learned" posts.  The entire thing has been a learning experience.  I have only ever been the patient in my life, not the spouse of the patient.  Both roles require educating yourself (no matter what the situation is) and reading as much as possible.  Ok.  So what are some of these things I've learned?

  ♥Trust your gut.  This wasn't something I learned----I'm a HUGE trust your gut person.  I think it's something Josh learned.  If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.  Sometimes we forget and blow off certain ways we may feel---DON'T.  It may save your life.

♥You have rights.  As a patient you have rights.  You have the right to choose where you want to be treated and who you want to treat you.  When Josh was in the first hospital, I felt stuck.  I felt like he had brought himself to this ER, so we were "stuck" with the surgeon they "assigned" to us.  We were "stuck" doing his surgery there.  This made me feel extremely uncomfortable.  He was very "doped up" and we both had talked about not having big procedures done at this hospital.  Do your research.  Get treated (or get your loved one treated) where you feel comfortable.  This is ALWAYS an option.  You have hired these people to treat you medically.

♥Maintain a list of all of your medications.  Read about each. Double check dosages from your Dr. to your prescription.  Human error can happen to anyone at anytime.  No one is perfect, and unfortunately sometimes that carries over to our medications and healthcare.  If you have a medication that you are unsure about, you don't like how it makes you feel, you don't like the risks---ASK QUESTIONS.  Find out why you are on it and if there are alternatives.  No one is going to be a bigger advocate for you than yourself.

♥Ask questions.  Yea, I had to say it again.  It is THAT important.  It is your health---there is no reason why you shouldn't know or understand every little inch of what is going on in your body and why.  If your Dr. can't answer what you want to know, ask someone else.  Keep a journal!

I have so many of these "things I've learned".  I'm going to keep the list short in each post about them so that it isn't tedious to read.  I will be adding more in future.

Heart Failure and Low Sodium Diets

Because Josh's Ejection Fraction was initially so low, he was (might still be until we get it over 50) considered Heart Failure.  It can be extremely confusing when shopping for cook books and recipes because there is "heart healthy" stuff all over the place.  The problem with that is, a lot of these foods and recipes still have loads of sodium and aren't heart failure safe.  Josh and I are both on pinterest and each have a heart healthy board with good recipes we've found and products!  Josh had a huge craving for tacos one day after he was back home.  Tortillas have horrible sodium numbers.  Shopping online, he actually found a company that makes a delicious corn taco shell with no salt.  He has found a handful of interesting things like this.  When I grocery shop, I really focus on sticking to just a couple departments---produce (in my opinion, the most important), fish & chicken,  dairy (we have an 18 month old that downs milk like nothing else), and the frozen section (and no, not those nasty frozen dinners or anything-strictly fruits and veggies!!!!)  Those of you with heart failure or a family member with it, what is their favorite recipe or low sodium product? ♥ My heart healthy pinterest board and Josh's heart healthy pinterest board. Come follow us!

The Beginning of It All

Hi, welcome to my little space.  For the entire breakdown of what happened, please click on the story tab.  Today is the start of this new blog.  I didn't write at all at the beginning of our journey, but I did take a handful of instagram photos.  Here is a little bit of November and December of last year.  Thanks so much for reading! ❤

This was Josh and I the weekend before he went to the ER.

This is Matilda and I that first night Josh had to stay in the hospital.

Josh after his diagnosis and stent placement

This is what happens when Mom has to make multiple calls when Daddy is sick

This is Matilda and I after we found out we got Josh safely transferred!

This is the glorious Heart Hospital

The sunrise on the day of surgery

Josh's ring

During surgery

The night I thought Josh wasn't coming home, ever.

Time without Josh at home

How things are at the hospital

Missing Daddy

Doing amazing at rehab!