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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Hearing of your husband’s passing brings back the memories of five years ago when my loving husband fell dead in our backyard with an A Fib episode from which his heart could not recover. I am somehow re-living that sad time. It took about three months for me to get back to some level of sanity.
Read about the topics of Widow’s Fire and Skin Hunger. They are emotional conditions that may haunt you very soon. Nothing is out of bounds, every feeling you have is normal. Make your own time schedule. And make plenty of time for yourself.
Sending love and prayers to you and your family 💖
May God Bless You and Keep You 🙏
I am so so sorry to hear of your husband’s untimely death. I can’t even imagine going through this. Your are in our thoughts and prayer’s.
Carolyn,
I was heartbroken to hear about the sudden loss of your husband. Please accept my deepest condolences. I can only imagine how difficult this time must be, and I hope
you’re surrounded by love and support.
You are in my thoughts and prayers.
With sympathy,
Marvalee DeCambre
I’m so sorry for your loss, words cannot convey.
I’m SO very sorry for your loss. Life is so fragile. I do believe that God will wrap his arms around you and your family and give you the strength you need to get through this difficult time.
Oh, Carolyn… I am shocked and SO very sorry to hear this!! Please know there are a lot of people out here sad and grieving for you as well. I’ve been following you for years and feeling it, too. No platitudes, just virtual hugs and love coming your way.
I had already ordered your new book and have at least several others, but if I’m missing any, I’ll get them.
Just one piece of advice, coming from a nurse. If there was a genetic component to what happened to Tim, you might want to find out if your kids need to be screened at some point. Especially if this has happened to any blood relatives of his, but it still could be a random genetic mutation.
Take care, we’ll be here!
Dearest Carolyn,
I read your post about Tim and I am heartbroken for you and your children. There are no words and your tribute to your husband and soulmate speak to the love you shared and still share.
There is a time to grieve and the Lord promises to carry us through the suffering of this life. Joy will be yours again, I am certain.
I will remember you and your family during this painful time in my prayers and I will be praying for your healing and restoration. The Lord’s blessings to you and your children now and always.
So sorry for your loss, Carolyn. It sounds like you have many happy memories that you and Tim created. I pray that they help sustain you and your family during this sad time.
You have done so much to create delicious recipes that have kept me and so many others living the Keto lifestyle from falling off our diet. Thank you so much. Many prayers being sent!
LindaTxRN
Sending you lots of love during this very difficult time…. I hope that all the wonderful support you’ve received here shows what an amazing community you & Tim have created. ❤️His spirit will live on in your work & in your family… 💕
PS I happily pre-ordered your book & will recommend it to others as well.
I am so very sorry, Carolyn. Please know that this community will support you in any way that you need…please just ask! Sending big hugs for you and your family.
Carolyn, just seeing this. I am so saddened to read about your dear Tim. My deepest condolences. May you and your family be surrounded by infinite love and unifying strength. 🙏🏽
Carolyn, I am so sorry for your loss. My husband is now 53 and had an aortic aneurysm that tore in January of 2023. He was later diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome. He was the first and only one in his family to have this genetic disorder so it was not known prior to the aortic aneurysm. The John Ritter Foundation has been very helpful. They have a team of people who could be helpful for you as you navigate this huge loss. Lifting you and your family in prayer. I have followed and admired you for years. ❤️ -Ann
Truly heartbreaking. Many good thoughts to you and your family, and may you find comfort from those close to you as you grieve.
I will pray for you. I know that God cares and will always be there for you.
Dear Carolyn, I am so very sorry and sad for you and your family!
You do need to be with your family and grieve with them and in your own way. I am a believer in Jesus and pray that the God of the universe who loves you more than you know, will help you find peace and comfort. I will be praying for you and your family.