Update on Klee: Staying Positive, Resting, and Healing

Hey, beautiful humans! I wanted to take a moment to give you an update on Klee’s health and share how things have been going at Rafi And Klee Studios since she was discharged from the hospital.

As some of you may know, Klee came home last Sunday after a week-long stay in the hospital. We were over the moon to have her back—home just doesn’t feel like home without her. The first night back was a little rough, but since then, we’ve settled into a routine that’s helping keep the pain manageable and allowing her to rest and recharge.

Right now, the focus is all about three things: rest, keeping pain at bay, and maintaining her electrolytes. Klee has been sleeping a lot (thanks to the pain and medication), and her best friend during this time has become… the couch. Seriously, the couch deserves a medal for its service.

While Klee is snoozing or relaxing, I’ve been running around doing household chores, laundry, and holding down the business side of things. She pitches in with some admin work when she’s up for it, but we’re being careful not to overdo it. It’s a team effort, with a regimented schedule that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner synced with her medications, so I have been making meals that are easy for her to digest, but delicious. Our mornings start pretty early and some of the medications need to be taken like clockwork. This level of structure is a bit new for us—we’re usually more go-with-the-flow—but it’s necessary right now.

Although Klee isn’t feeling well, she is miles away from how she felt last weekend. I’ll be honest with you: I was scared. Seeing her in so much pain and so depleted was terrifying. But seeing her slowly regain some comfort, even if it’s just a little at a time, is a huge relief.

Adventures in the Specialist’s Office

Today, we had the pleasure of visiting the specialist (fondly referred to as the “butt doctor”). After a consultation and review of the CT scan, we’ve learned that Klee’s colon is… well, to put it in the doctor’s words, “a hot mess and is angry.” About 90% of the colon is inflamed and covered in ulcers. The likely culprit? A severe Ulcerative Colitis flare-up, which is part of the IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) family. It seems Klee’s immune system decided to throw a full-on tantrum, attacking her colon with ulcers like it’s got something personal against her. That is the speculation, but we will know for sure after her next appointment.

We’ve got a follow-up appointment in January to take a closer look (yes, cameras are involved), but for now, we’re focusing on keeping her comfortable and supported.

The Possible Culprit: Stress, Spicy Food, and Stress

After talking to the doctor for a while and discussing how this all started, a pattern started to emerge. Looking back, this year has been more stressful than most, which didn’t do Klee’s gut any favors. A major stress factor? One of my adult children moved in (you might remember that adventure from one of my blogs earlier this year), bringing a toxic environment and an aggressive approach to hot peppers. Now, I love spicy food, but when the heat overshadows the flavor, it’s a no-go. Let’s just say there was a build-up of tension in the house, things got weird—and food, one of Klee’s and my greatest joys, became a source of stress instead of comfort.

Klee first started experiencing mild symptoms in May when the drama was at its peak, and as stress escalated, her symptoms worsened. After they moved out, she started to show improvement, but at this point, any stress seemed to cause issues. This rollercoaster of improvement and setbacks made it difficult for us to plan events or keep up with everything we wanted to do. Things took a turn for the worse last week, which sent us straight to the hospital.

Order Updates

For those of you waiting on orders, I’ve been making steady progress! I’ve shipped out calendars and will be reaching out via email today or tomorrow to anyone whose order is delayed. Most of you have graciously told me to take my time (thank you for your patience!), but I want to give you a clear idea of when your orders might ship out. I’m currently finishing up prints and packaging orders, and I plan to ship them out tomorrow.

Gratitude and Moving Forward

Despite everything, Klee is staying positive, and I’m doing my best to support her. We’re beyond grateful for all of you. Your kindness, encouragement, and generosity have been an incredible gift. Thank you so much to everyone that sent us financial support. It was not easy for me to ask, probably because of my own pride, but I set that aside because what matters most is keeping Klee’s stress levels down. Knowing we’re covered for the next month gives us the peace of mind to focus entirely on Klee’s recovery. Thank you so much, that is a gift.

The holidays are coming up, and we’ll probably go off the radar for a bit. Just know that we’re thinking of you all and wishing you the happiest of holidays. May your days be filled with love, laughter, and, hopefully, a lot less stress than we’ve had this year!

The road ahead may be bumpy (and hopefully not too long), but with you cheering us on, it feels a little easier. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being the amazing, creative humans you are.

We’ll keep you posted as things progress. For now, we’re taking things one day, one gentle meal, and one couch nap at a time.

With love and gratitude,
Rafi (and Klee… and her trusty couch!)