Dear readers,
These are the hardest words I will ever have to write. My husband, Tim Ketchum, died suddenly last week of what was first thought to be an abdominal aneurysm. Doctors now think he may have had a genetic connective tissue disorder that weakened the structure of his aorta.
He was my partner in every sense of the word. He was my best friend, my confidante, my safe place. And oh, he was such an amazing father. He shared the burden of raising our three children with gusto, being present in a way that most dads will never be.
Everyone who ever met Tim loved him. Even people who only met him in passing were charmed by him. Warm, compassionate, loving, thoughtful. And funny as hell! I fell in love with him because he made me laugh. And even as life became more complicated and serious, we never lost that connection, that goofiness and silliness that made every situation easier to bear.
I feel compelled to share here because I am not quite sure what the future looks like. Certainly for the near term, I will be scaling back my time on All Day I Dream About Food so I can focus on my family and my grief. You will still see posts and recipes from me, but I don’t quite know with what frequency. I will be taking the easy route, updating older posts and sharing simple recipes. I have a backlog of some already that I can share over the next few weeks. I also have help with my social media and I am every so grateful to Stephanie, who has taken over my Facebook page completely for now.
Then again, I may decide to lose myself in the process of baking and create some amazing keto cakes. I honestly don’t know what I want or what I need right now. But I ask that you give me grace for not answering your questions in a timely fashion.
How you can help
I am so fortunate to have created an amazing community of readers and followers, some of whom have been with me for over a decade. I know many of you will want to help in some way. And I am grateful for your thoughts and your kindness.
The best thing you can do is keep coming to my website, reading my posts (both new and old), and sharing my posts on social media. Share to groups, share with friends, and pin my recipes to your Pinterest boards. This website has been my family’s source of income for many years now and views will generate much needed ad revenue. I know that ads can be cumbersome, but I ask that you take time to scroll through each post a little bit.
Another great way to help me is to purchase my cookbooks. In particular, pre-order my upcoming book, The Protein Advantage. I will not have much time to promote it now, but it’s something I worked so hard on. I would love to see it succeed and pre-orders make a huge difference to the overall sales of the book. It helps retailers decide how many copies they want to keep on their shelves. And I can assure you, it’s a book worthy of your time.
Thank you for reading. If you are a spiritual person, please send up some thoughts for the wonderful Tim Ketchum. He was a light in the world and touched so many people. I can say confidently that if you had met him, you would have loved him.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I burst into tears when I read your post just now. Even though I don’t know you personally I feel for you. I feel your pain in losing someone you love so dearly. Big hugs to you from Canada
Carolyn – I’m so very sorry to read your sad news. My heart goes out to you and your family as you learn how to handle this devastating loss. I will gladly continue to support your blog – it has been a huge help to me. Best wishes to you and your loved ones.
Deepest condolences to you and your family. Such tragic news. The walk of grief is not an easy one that takes time as I know when my son died suddenly. Be kind and gentle with yourself and may it help you to know that so many care and will keep you and your family in our thoughts and prayers. Sending you prayers for comfort ❤️💔❤️🙏🏻
I can’t tell you how much I grieve for you and your family. I will be in prayer for you and your family. As a military family the loss of a partner is heartbreaking in its familiarity. I know many in your online community will uphold you in their thoughts.
I know exactly how you feel, my husband died of the same thing, said see you later as I went to work but he was in a coma a few hours later when i saw him again. a perfectly healthy fit man, unbelievable the way it happens, no warning for some ,just bang. The suddeness of it shatters you.Look after yourself and remember everyone deals with grief in different ways.
I am so very sorry for your loss.
Wow Carolyn, how devastating for you and your family. I only know you from your recipes and videos but I feel so very bad for you. Hopefully you can find strength and comfort from those around you. I wish you only the best.
Sorry for your loss 🙁
So sorry for your loss.
I don’t comment often, but I have followed your blog for at least 10 years. I’m so sorry for your loss. Take the time you need. I’ll be praying for you as you navigate the changes ahead. Take care of yourself.
I’m so sorry. If you are talking about Marfan Syndrome, please have your children checked out. Lost my mom and 2 sisters to it. The only good thing about the disease, you have it or you don’t. Not a recessive gene you can just carry. Best of luck to you and your family.
I am so sorry for your loss Carolyn! I am lifting you and your family up in prayer. Hugs from Colorado.
My sincerest condolences. My heart breaks for you and you will be in my thoughts. Wendy
Dear Carolyn,
I am so sorry for your loss. My prayers are with you all. I too lost my husband suddenly . He was 51 and we had 3 children. It’s so hard when it’s a sudden death. Hopefully you have a good support system. I wish you all the best and take your time to get through this.
Hugs to all
Ps
I preordered Protein advantage and can’t wait for it to come.
Carolyn,
my heart felt prayers are sent up for you and your family.
The unexpected passing of one so ingrained in your heart, thoughts and every day life is huge and the grief process can be different for each person. im praying you remember to allow yourself time and grace as you walk thru it.
Sending love and prayers your way🙏❤️
Please accept my condolences for your loss. I can’t imagine what you must be going through.