She was only fifteen years old, yet the entire show rested on her shoulders. Jill Datema was given the lead in Disney’s Little Mermaid, Jr., a musical that my daughter, Maren, directed and choreographed for Judson International School this March. The problem was, shortly before the performance, Jill became sick, very sick. In her words:
It was Tuesday night before the opening Friday night show that I started feeling bad. After rehearsal that night, I went home with chills and super low energy. I woke up the next morning with a fever, sore throat, and a bad cough. I remember I couldn’t get out of bed the whole day due to fatigue and lack of strength. Maren gave me permission to skip the entire tech rehearsal on Wednesday to see if I could recover. But by Thursday I was still feeling awful.
I had taken tons of medicine and supplements, hoping and praying that I would have enough energy to make it through the show. Thursday evening we were to do a “preview night” for some people who couldn’t make it to our other shows, but I was not feeling well. The previous day I couldn’t stand up without feeling like I was going to pass out. I somehow got through Thursday night but did not sing at all. I went home and prayed that I could at least get well enough to be able to sing for our three sold out shows.
When Friday morning rolled around, however, I was not feeling much better. I dragged myself to the theater in the afternoon, put on my makeup, and then my costume. Then, about an hour before the curtain was to go up, Mr. Plog came up to me and asked if I were feeling “adventurous”. I asked him why, and he said he had some healthy raw eggs and that if I were willing, I could try drinking one down. Now I had never tried a raw egg before, so I was hesitant, but I was so sick that I figured it couldn’t make me feel any worse.
I somehow got it down without throwing up and then started my usual show prep. After about 10-15 minutes I began to feel better, WAY better. I was no longer lightheaded when I stood up and had a sudden burst of energy. Then I started doing some vocal warm ups, very gingerly at first, being afraid my voice would give out and really start hurting as it had the night before. To my surprise I was actually able to sing without pain. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a huge improvement!
With the show about to start, I was feeling way better than I had 30 minutes earlier. And to my surprise, I made it through the entire performance mostly full of energy and a clear throat. Once the show was over, however, I began losing my voice again and with two more performances the next day, this was NOT a good sign. So I went home, stopped talking, and slept for as long as I could.
Saturday morning I was back to where I’d been the day before. Super low energy, a super sore throat, and now migraines. Thankfully I did not have a fever, but I still felt really sick. I went to the theater around noon to run some scenes before the afternoon show feeling super fatigued and dizzy. Once again Mr. Plog found me and asked if I would try another raw egg. This time I did so without hesitation and, just like the day before, it helped me immensely. About thirty minutes before the afternoon show was to start, I was feeling great. Throughout that performance, I felt good and able to sing. At the end, however, I started feeling like I was going to pass out again. So after we got set for our evening show, the whole cast ate dinner and I, still not feeling great, asked Mr. Plog for another raw egg. And, once again, I started feeling better within minutes of drinking it. During that final performance, I was feeling my best ever and was able to give 110% on the stage! I’m now a raw egg “convert” and recommend them to all who will listen.
Eggs are one of the easiest foods to digest and are about as close to complete nutrition as you can get. Unfortunately they’ve gotten a “bad rap” over the years due to their high cholesterol content and the possibility of salmonella. Fortunately the word’s getting out about how important dietary cholesterol is and, if you’re concerned about bacteria, just wash them before ya drink; the bacteria’s on the outside, not the inside.
Apart from that, it’s important to find a good source of clean eggs, since many hens are NOT fed well or treated properly. If you do not have a good source for healthy eggs, try your local farmer’s market. Once you’ve found two or three farmers, ask them the following: Are your hens given antibiotics or hormones (both not good)? Does their feed contain soy or corn (both also not good)? Is their feed Organic/GMO free (preferable)? Are they out in the open and free to run around and scratch for bugs (very good)? Are the shells strong and the yolks orange (also very good)? Do they have access to grass/pasture (REALLY good)?
All of this attention to quality is costly and will be reflected in the price. In fact, the best quality eggs can be as high as $12.00 -15.00 a dozen (that’s not a typo). Although Our Little Market is not getting eggs of that quality yet, we’d like to. When food is your medicine, you want the best medicine possible. Apricot Lane Farms in Moopark, California, knows how to do eggs right (along with a lot of other things), so they can charge that much and people gladly pay it. Check out our video on them now on our website at www.ourlittlemarket.org.
Oh, one last thing. If you find good eggs at a farmer’s market, they will be unrefrigerated. Take them home and keep them that way. They easily last 2-3 weeks in that state as you’ll be protecting the egg’s delicate proteins, enzymes, and flavor.
Again, we thank you for helping to make this ministry possible through your prayers and financial support. We feel so blessed to be at the intersection of lives being changed, spiritually as well as physically.
In Christ,
Leave A Comment