Man, oh man have I been thrown for a loop and through the ringer. This stupid Crohn's flair-up that started early last year is still kicking me in the shorts. It is still like reliving 1996, at least this time it is without all the family drama. Well, OK there is family drama, but not like then! Here we are 25 days into the new year, our nation has a new leading man, I have a new job (OMG!!! Thank you to Laurie, Kenny and Terry!) and my GI tract is playing drama queen. My head feels better, even if my guts don't. I love my new job and and I am so fortunate to have it. I have my mucho-mucho needed infusion tomorrow morning, by Tuesday morning (better if tomorrow afternoon) will be ready to take the world by the horns.
Everyday I drive to work and home I give a verbal "Thank You!" to what ever powers that be. Karma, I am paying it forward! I do not care if the Tucson rush hour traffic thinks I am nuts for being happy. They can take the smile on my face and the thanks I have on their drive home everyday. Muhahahaaaa! I am making a fraction of what I have made in my previous employed lives, but I'm working. Have I mentioned how happy I am to have a job?
I am on the little sad side to miss Paul this weekend. While I am at home in Tempe, he is camping with the doggers and friends in the Superstition Springs Mountains. A big Trans-Supes 4 Day Adventure. It will be Daisy Mae's second camp trip and Mina's first. I look forward to hearing all about it. Any who, I am in the house and it is quiet with the occasion crazy cat action. I wanted to be here two days ago, but thought better to leave yesterday, to be incapable of getting out of bed all day. OK, I did make it out of my bed to the back of the house for the Clarabelle check and to the sofa to watch a movie. But that wasn't until sometime after 4. I was able to get down and keep down some rice, jello and toast. They must have given me the gumption to get on the road today, 2 days late. Poor Zelda had been without her pill crazy pill and was a touch manic when I pulled into the driveway.
Being chronically ill and having animals around all the time can be a bit off putting. I love the companionship. I love the unconditional love (with the exception of Clarabelle's mood swings and biting issues, but I have grown to accept those. So, I care for a cat with falconer gloves? What's wrong with that?). The part that unnerves me is the sitting vigil. Like they are waiting for me to explode? Implode? Die? Burst into flames? What? What am I going to do? I was stoned to the gills on my various anti-thises and anti-thats meds with Clarabelle curled at my stomach, Pepper (Mom's brainless cat) at my feet and Bridgette at the bedroom door. I slept in one position for a few hours and not one cat or dog moved. To be honest, come dinner time the dog had different priorities and abandoned me for the length of a can of Mighty Dog, but returned to her post. Poor Katie Scarlet was at the other end of the house making sure my bed didn't fly off to outer space in case I should return for another nap. She read me the riot act when I came to bed after the movie. Honestly, I do not know where I would be without my kids. Tonight, who will be my companion in bed? D'Eggo for sure. Zelda more than likely. Possibly Casper, too. There isn't enough room for all of them and me. Good thing the sofa will not be covered in dogs in case I need some sleep.
Tomorrow is my infusion and I will need to be sure to have the next one scheduled sooner than the typical eight weeks. I do not like the fact I have fallen so far from healthy. I have not been able to run or even walk far. I move about the house like Mr. Burns from The Simpsons. Not pretty at all. I hope I can make it six weeks. I think I will have a hissy fit if I need it every four weeks. And so what if I do? I will be the picture of health sooner, not later. 'Cuz let me tell you: "This blows."
Thanks for listening!
Showing posts with label Crohn's Disease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crohn's Disease. Show all posts
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
On the Road Again, Feeling Good
It has been a couple weeks since I posted about my health. It has been a stressful time, but I am here to say, "I am on the mend!" After two tests, a liquid diet, and mounds of pain, we have a diagnosis and a plan. My Crohn's Disease is in the clear, where it had been active for so many years. it moved to another part of my small intestine, where it has taken up residence. I will continue receiving my Remicade infusions every 8 weeks with the addition of the dreaded, doubled edged sword of Prednisone. The Pred will help get the inflammation under control, so the Remicade can do its job.
I hate, yes H-A-T-E taking Pred. I know it is helping me get back on track belly-bone wise, but the side affects are inconvenient to downright evil. I am shaky, agitated, suseptable to violent mood swings (road rage while vacuuming to crying in the fetal position for no reason), feeling invincible or invisible, hot, blurred vision, monster headaches, sleep deprivation and these are some of the minor ones. I was on it for 5 years, causing 30% bone loss and my teeth to start falling out of my head. I may be putting my dentist's kids through graduate school with all the work that needs to be done in my maw. But, hey! I am on the mend! And that is what counts.
I have been so down, because I have not been training for the half marathon. I trained for all of 7 miles over 2 months. The heat is a real killer and this year has been worse. The other killer was living on primarily Ensure. I have been intaking 1000 calories a day of liquid and that is barely enough to get me though the work day. Eating solid food has been painful. I would try and then suffer the consequences of having a little bowl of noodles. So, I had to give it up. I would need to take my other meds to keep the pain, spasms and vomiting under control. Those pills make me stupid and fall asleep. It has been depressing.
Yesterday was my first really good day in weeks, maybe months. I felt good after my morning Tylenol (headaches from Pred every morning). Paul and I headed to the gym for my first workout in forever. I spent 45 minutes on the recumbent bike and 20 minutes on the eliptical (my first time on that thing). And I lived! Here I am a day later and still alive! I ate real food for lunch and had no pain. I had my infusion in the afternoon, no reaction. I had a real dinner, but a minor bit of pain. It wasn't enough pain to need my other pills. A good day all around. I feel like I am on the road back.
I have a lot of catching up to do in my training, but I can and will do it. I think the best training I could have ever had for doing a half marathon is working retail for 15+ years. All those years on concrete in flats to 4 inch heels to sturdy sneakers for 8-10-12 hour days was to my advantage, when training for a 13.1 mile walk through one of America's most beautiful cities. That "walk" was only 3 and some hours long. I could have kept going... Oh, wait~ I did. We walked everywhere after the big event. I even climbed up and down Alcatraz. So, yeah~ I can do it!
But, this year I want to put some speed in my stride. I still plan to run a good portion of that sucker. No, I don't want to tone it back and do what I can. I want to beat my time last year and kick some blood cancer booty. This event and fundraising are far to important to have my "tummy ache" get in the way. Patients don't die from Crohn's, we might feel death marmed over at times, but we are lucky. Patients with leukemia, lymphoma and all blood cancers are at enormous risk of death. While this body of mine can shake it, make it and break it: I will do this half marathon for the patients, for the families for the doctors, for the researchers until my services are no longer needed.
I hate, yes H-A-T-E taking Pred. I know it is helping me get back on track belly-bone wise, but the side affects are inconvenient to downright evil. I am shaky, agitated, suseptable to violent mood swings (road rage while vacuuming to crying in the fetal position for no reason), feeling invincible or invisible, hot, blurred vision, monster headaches, sleep deprivation and these are some of the minor ones. I was on it for 5 years, causing 30% bone loss and my teeth to start falling out of my head. I may be putting my dentist's kids through graduate school with all the work that needs to be done in my maw. But, hey! I am on the mend! And that is what counts.
I have been so down, because I have not been training for the half marathon. I trained for all of 7 miles over 2 months. The heat is a real killer and this year has been worse. The other killer was living on primarily Ensure. I have been intaking 1000 calories a day of liquid and that is barely enough to get me though the work day. Eating solid food has been painful. I would try and then suffer the consequences of having a little bowl of noodles. So, I had to give it up. I would need to take my other meds to keep the pain, spasms and vomiting under control. Those pills make me stupid and fall asleep. It has been depressing.
Yesterday was my first really good day in weeks, maybe months. I felt good after my morning Tylenol (headaches from Pred every morning). Paul and I headed to the gym for my first workout in forever. I spent 45 minutes on the recumbent bike and 20 minutes on the eliptical (my first time on that thing). And I lived! Here I am a day later and still alive! I ate real food for lunch and had no pain. I had my infusion in the afternoon, no reaction. I had a real dinner, but a minor bit of pain. It wasn't enough pain to need my other pills. A good day all around. I feel like I am on the road back.
I have a lot of catching up to do in my training, but I can and will do it. I think the best training I could have ever had for doing a half marathon is working retail for 15+ years. All those years on concrete in flats to 4 inch heels to sturdy sneakers for 8-10-12 hour days was to my advantage, when training for a 13.1 mile walk through one of America's most beautiful cities. That "walk" was only 3 and some hours long. I could have kept going... Oh, wait~ I did. We walked everywhere after the big event. I even climbed up and down Alcatraz. So, yeah~ I can do it!
But, this year I want to put some speed in my stride. I still plan to run a good portion of that sucker. No, I don't want to tone it back and do what I can. I want to beat my time last year and kick some blood cancer booty. This event and fundraising are far to important to have my "tummy ache" get in the way. Patients don't die from Crohn's, we might feel death marmed over at times, but we are lucky. Patients with leukemia, lymphoma and all blood cancers are at enormous risk of death. While this body of mine can shake it, make it and break it: I will do this half marathon for the patients, for the families for the doctors, for the researchers until my services are no longer needed.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Just around the bend
The good news it: No sign of Crohn's in my colon. A couple items were removed for biopsy. I'll hear back on those later. The not as good news (this does not equal bad news): I have some extra bends and twists in my colon. They may be caused from scar tissue from previous surgery or (this cracks me up) I'm just made this way. {Several years ago I had a small bowel follow-through* to have pretty much the same information. The doctor then said one of the loops in my small intestine twisted in the opposite direction of normal people. Great. Am I twisted or not normal.?} No matter how it comes to pass, it explains why I have pain where I do and the chronic constipation issue. If it gets bad enough, there is surgery to fix it. Alas, surgery causes more scar tissue. What to do. What to do. No matter what, I am one of the lucky ones.
Time for a shout out to a real HERO! Can I get a "Woot-Woot"?
This afternoon, I donned my Got Guts cap and ate my first solid food with Paul at Wildflower Bread Company. I was approached by a mom and her two daughters (I will call them My Wildflower Girls). Mom's youngest daughter has colitis and later this week is having another surgery. This little Wildflower wore a big smile and seemed to take it in stride. She is tough and ready to take on whatever comes. That is awesome. At such a young age to be dealt a pretty rough deck, she has a battle. But she has strength and a family who loves her very much. This Wildflower Girl is a hero.
We all have to deal with what life brings us. You make your choice. Is this going to beat you down, kick you to the curb and let it take your milk money? Feel sorry for yourself? I say, "No." Simple. To the point. NO. Yes, the bad can get to you, but for the love of chocolate, KEEP YOUR MILK MONEY! Feeling down is a step we must go through. Nowhere in the steps does it say: stay down and drag everyone down with you. You are permitted to have 24 hours of "mourning" and them you get up and start the fight. (Thank you, Judith for those words of wisdom.) When your 24 hours are done, you make your game plan. Right now my game plan consists of NOT waiting on pins and needles for the results of my biopsies. I have stuff to do: my life to live, love and be thankful for my man, my family and friends, my cats and dog. I'll get to the dishes and laundry later.
*Small bowel follow through is a kind of set of x-rays. The patient has the pure joy of drinking this noxious, thick liquid (no matter what they tell you, tastes like chalk mixed in wet cement, not strawberry). As this sludge moves through your digestive tract, x-rays are taken tracking the flow. Now, the most important thing is to DRINK DRINK DRINK post procedure. As in have a super-duper big gulp of water with you waiting to be consumed. If you don't that wet cement gets hard in your guts and getting rid of takes an act of congress. When I was in my heyday of diagnosis, I couldn't eat let alone drink without throwing up. I had a SBFT one morning and was in the hospital by the afternoon getting intravenous fluids. I was in so much pain, you would have thought an exorcism was being performed. I punctured the gurney mattress with my talons. Yeah, it hurt a touch. It made appendicitis look like a little gas after having too much curry.
Time for a shout out to a real HERO! Can I get a "Woot-Woot"?
This afternoon, I donned my Got Guts cap and ate my first solid food with Paul at Wildflower Bread Company. I was approached by a mom and her two daughters (I will call them My Wildflower Girls). Mom's youngest daughter has colitis and later this week is having another surgery. This little Wildflower wore a big smile and seemed to take it in stride. She is tough and ready to take on whatever comes. That is awesome. At such a young age to be dealt a pretty rough deck, she has a battle. But she has strength and a family who loves her very much. This Wildflower Girl is a hero.
We all have to deal with what life brings us. You make your choice. Is this going to beat you down, kick you to the curb and let it take your milk money? Feel sorry for yourself? I say, "No." Simple. To the point. NO. Yes, the bad can get to you, but for the love of chocolate, KEEP YOUR MILK MONEY! Feeling down is a step we must go through. Nowhere in the steps does it say: stay down and drag everyone down with you. You are permitted to have 24 hours of "mourning" and them you get up and start the fight. (Thank you, Judith for those words of wisdom.) When your 24 hours are done, you make your game plan. Right now my game plan consists of NOT waiting on pins and needles for the results of my biopsies. I have stuff to do: my life to live, love and be thankful for my man, my family and friends, my cats and dog. I'll get to the dishes and laundry later.
*Small bowel follow through is a kind of set of x-rays. The patient has the pure joy of drinking this noxious, thick liquid (no matter what they tell you, tastes like chalk mixed in wet cement, not strawberry). As this sludge moves through your digestive tract, x-rays are taken tracking the flow. Now, the most important thing is to DRINK DRINK DRINK post procedure. As in have a super-duper big gulp of water with you waiting to be consumed. If you don't that wet cement gets hard in your guts and getting rid of takes an act of congress. When I was in my heyday of diagnosis, I couldn't eat let alone drink without throwing up. I had a SBFT one morning and was in the hospital by the afternoon getting intravenous fluids. I was in so much pain, you would have thought an exorcism was being performed. I punctured the gurney mattress with my talons. Yeah, it hurt a touch. It made appendicitis look like a little gas after having too much curry.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Giving Crohn's a punch in the gut
Addendum 06.03.08: Our new total is $725! Thank you, Susy!Yesterday was a beautiful day to take a walk in Tucson with Mom, Laurie and Monica. It was in honor and support of my guts and butt. Paul, our official Athletic Support, was on the sidelines shooting pictures. All in all my little unofficial team raised $700!
Thank you to my donors:
Mom, who was also a fellow team mate and fundraiser
Vicki
Golondrina
Heather
Scott
Ed
Elaine
Candy
Russ
Helga (who donated to Laurie and Monica on my behalf)
And one anonymous family donor, you know who you are, thank you.
You folks are fabulous!
It was only a 2-mile walk, but everyone broke a sweat. It was 97 and clear skies; absolutely gorgeous. This was a “Noise Making” event. We made tons of it: tooting horns, cheering, maracas and barking dogs. We even got the attention of a passing moving truck, which honked on our behalf down River Road. Since I have been nicknamed The Princess for years (Why? Don’t know!), I donned my court in crowns. Two crowns were mine and Monica’s 3year-old daughter, Katie, begrudgingly donated other two. Thank you, Katie.
The event was small, but very personal. It raised over $31,000. There was even a “doctor” offering free colonoscopies. He was a hoot. He had this rig strapped to his chest that looked like a vacuum hose and some kind of screen.
After our walk around Brandi Fenton Memorial Park we bee-lined it back to Mom’s house, where Paul treated these endurance athletes to a victory dinner of Magpie’s Pizza. So good
!Next year I will form an official team. I already have requests to join the silliness and fun. As a matter of fact, I just might need to do a Phoenix team and a Tucson team!
Thank you to everyone who donated, walked, raised funds, and supported Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Game Face
This evening is the Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis 2-miler. Thanks to my awesome family and friends I made my fundraising goal and blew right past that sucker, too! I will post what our little, unofficial team raises after the event. We girls are going to have a mess of fun. Laurie, Monica and Mom are too cool for taking steps for my guts and butt. Our official athletic supporter, Paul will be on the sidelines cheering for us.
Gross Out Alert: Crohn’s Disease is an insidious, painful and down right gross at times funfest. For those weak of stomach and those who do not take a shine to the icky talk: skip the next entry. To those who know what I am talking about or are curious as to what its like to be this part of me read on:
Here’s the gross: Speaking of my insides, we are on the outs. The chronic constipation, due to a stricture in my small intestine, has caused me years of misery and trouble. A stricture is a narrowing of the intestinal lining making it very difficult to process food through the tract. I don’t receive the proper nutrients from my foods or vitamins. I am constantly dehydrated, to the point of kidney stones and ER visits for a couple of ringers. Knock on wood; I have not been hospitalized for fluids in over a year. Knock-knock. For weeks now, I have had most of my pain in the left side, the sigmoid colon. Plus: spasms that would make Chuck Norris cry and these spasms aren’t as bad as they can get. At the GI doc this week I was ordered to intake 4, yes~ 4 times the normal, human dosage of Miralax every night and 2 Citrucel after meals. As an extra added bonus: a colonoscopy next Tuesday. I get one of those buggers every 3 years. It is my time. The doctor is going to have a look around to make sure everything is where he left it.
It’s safe now; the gross is over. For those who skipped: I have a colonoscopy on Tuesday.
I will share my results of the scope next week.
Game on! Let’s walk the walk and walk this way!
Gross Out Alert: Crohn’s Disease is an insidious, painful and down right gross at times funfest. For those weak of stomach and those who do not take a shine to the icky talk: skip the next entry. To those who know what I am talking about or are curious as to what its like to be this part of me read on:
Here’s the gross: Speaking of my insides, we are on the outs. The chronic constipation, due to a stricture in my small intestine, has caused me years of misery and trouble. A stricture is a narrowing of the intestinal lining making it very difficult to process food through the tract. I don’t receive the proper nutrients from my foods or vitamins. I am constantly dehydrated, to the point of kidney stones and ER visits for a couple of ringers. Knock on wood; I have not been hospitalized for fluids in over a year. Knock-knock. For weeks now, I have had most of my pain in the left side, the sigmoid colon. Plus: spasms that would make Chuck Norris cry and these spasms aren’t as bad as they can get. At the GI doc this week I was ordered to intake 4, yes~ 4 times the normal, human dosage of Miralax every night and 2 Citrucel after meals. As an extra added bonus: a colonoscopy next Tuesday. I get one of those buggers every 3 years. It is my time. The doctor is going to have a look around to make sure everything is where he left it.
It’s safe now; the gross is over. For those who skipped: I have a colonoscopy on Tuesday.
I will share my results of the scope next week.
Game on! Let’s walk the walk and walk this way!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Fight! Fight! Fight!
It has been almost 12 weeks since I started feeling like poo. My Crohn's is still giving me a run for my money. Nothing like it did in '95 and '96 or like when my sick gallbladder and appendix went sour in '01. I have already lost 10 lbs this time 'round. Its the diet of champions! Feel like crap and lose weight! Be too miserable to wear skinny jeans, because they hurt! Why has this diet not caught on? I ask you. So, it is time for lemonade!
Not that I am going to consume lemonade, that might be a bad scene for my belly bone. I mean the whole lemons to lemonade thing. I will not give up, even though I feel awful. I am keeping my sense of humor, even if I have become something of a hermit. Yes, there are days when I assume the "question mark" position and spasms are worse than any menstrual cramp ever conceived. When the smell of my favorite foods and beverages send me running to the bathroom. It can be down right depressing. Do you know when I had my last cup of coffee? I don't even know! Even the smell of those beautiful, dark roasted beans grinding and pressing through our espresso machine makes me nauseous. So sad. OK, moving on to sunnier thoughts...
I will not give up my fight. I think back to last year's half-marathon training in the fabulous, AZ heat at 5am and how much my health improved. Over the course of the year I was able to widen the gap between Remicade infusions from 6 weeks to 8 weeks to 10 weeks. (My current episode has nothing to do with the frequency of infusions. Stress is the culprit.)
I got involved with TnT/LLS to "give back" for all the support they have provided for patients and families with blood cancers. My father may have lost his fight; but in the 28 years since, HUGE strides have been made. I am pushing myself harder this year and run/walking, not walk/running. That is a part of my bonus to myself: improved well-being and keeping my CD in its corner, where it belongs. I missed the first Team run this morning, due to my "stress factor". This year I am losing my step-dad. He has been in hospice since March 27th.
He is my major stress, it has been long journey for him. I am with him as much as I can be. I am supporting Mom as much as I can. They are 100 miles away and I make that drive almost every week. I hate seeing him this way. He is clear of mind, but his body has had enough. This year is going to be difficult, I know it. I am prepared for it. I acknowledge and embrace it. He is not dying from a blood cancer, but I am losing the man who has been my dad for 25 years. Many emotions are churned, demons are fought and tears are cried.
This year I run for life, life for all.
I dedicate this marathon to Jim, my dad.
I run in memory of Wayne, my daddy.
I run in honor of Alice, my friend and survivor.
Not that I am going to consume lemonade, that might be a bad scene for my belly bone. I mean the whole lemons to lemonade thing. I will not give up, even though I feel awful. I am keeping my sense of humor, even if I have become something of a hermit. Yes, there are days when I assume the "question mark" position and spasms are worse than any menstrual cramp ever conceived. When the smell of my favorite foods and beverages send me running to the bathroom. It can be down right depressing. Do you know when I had my last cup of coffee? I don't even know! Even the smell of those beautiful, dark roasted beans grinding and pressing through our espresso machine makes me nauseous. So sad. OK, moving on to sunnier thoughts...
I will not give up my fight. I think back to last year's half-marathon training in the fabulous, AZ heat at 5am and how much my health improved. Over the course of the year I was able to widen the gap between Remicade infusions from 6 weeks to 8 weeks to 10 weeks. (My current episode has nothing to do with the frequency of infusions. Stress is the culprit.)
I got involved with TnT/LLS to "give back" for all the support they have provided for patients and families with blood cancers. My father may have lost his fight; but in the 28 years since, HUGE strides have been made. I am pushing myself harder this year and run/walking, not walk/running. That is a part of my bonus to myself: improved well-being and keeping my CD in its corner, where it belongs. I missed the first Team run this morning, due to my "stress factor". This year I am losing my step-dad. He has been in hospice since March 27th.
He is my major stress, it has been long journey for him. I am with him as much as I can be. I am supporting Mom as much as I can. They are 100 miles away and I make that drive almost every week. I hate seeing him this way. He is clear of mind, but his body has had enough. This year is going to be difficult, I know it. I am prepared for it. I acknowledge and embrace it. He is not dying from a blood cancer, but I am losing the man who has been my dad for 25 years. Many emotions are churned, demons are fought and tears are cried.
This year I run for life, life for all.
I dedicate this marathon to Jim, my dad.
I run in memory of Wayne, my daddy.
I run in honor of Alice, my friend and survivor.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Crohn's Update from Sunday, April 27, 2008
Not to use this as an excuse for being anti-social, but I have been sick for the last 3 weeks: a cold aggravated by allergies that kicked a Crohn's episode into high gear. Over the last 2 weeks, I have been in the bathroom a lot. Most of my time was spent in and out of there with generally a positive attitude. "This will pass in a few days." "You have been under a crap load of stress for months, more so in the last month. Blah, blah, blah." Whatever it took to keep from falling in and down the nasty self-pity spiral. I figure my immune system has taken a few extra punches in the last few weeks, but I will not take it lying down! Or curled in the fetal position on the bathroom floor. OK, while I was on the clear liquid diet, fighting a fever and internal bleeding again! (Fun!) I did lay low. It's not fun.
Paul is there making me veggie broth and plain noodles, making those famous midnight runs for 7Up and crackers and comforting me as much as he can. Sometimes the spasms get so bad they leave me wracked with pain. Even the slightest, most loving touch can cause excruciating pain. It makes loved ones often feel helpless, just watching and waiting. How many times have I awakened to Paul or Mom lurking, watching me sleep? They crack me up.
As anyone who has known me through the thick and the thin (97 lbs!!), I'll puke anywhere. I won't bother to slow down or pull over anymore. Just reach into the glove box for one of my pilfered airplane barf bags… OK, that may have been more than most can handle. (But those of you who have been at my side though the nastiness of CD, I thank you!) Moving on…
This time around I refused to go to the hospital. I don't see why I need to take up valuable space, when all they can do for me is drug and monitor me. Well, there are those vampire lab techs coming to steal my blood every 6 hours… Yeah, I'll pass on that. I have all the same medications at home, my own pillow and blanky, too.
Next month I am doing the 2 mile Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis charity walk. I chuckle every time I think we, Crohn's patients, can't go more than 2 miles without a bathroom. I will not be going it alone on the Crohn's walk, either. My friend of 25 years, Laurie, is strutting her stuff with me. Mom is also joining in on the fun. Hell, we might even take the dogs. This fundraiser is small, like the walk. I have promised to raise $250, $130 over the national average. I can do it with the help, support and love of my friends and family.
Paul is there making me veggie broth and plain noodles, making those famous midnight runs for 7Up and crackers and comforting me as much as he can. Sometimes the spasms get so bad they leave me wracked with pain. Even the slightest, most loving touch can cause excruciating pain. It makes loved ones often feel helpless, just watching and waiting. How many times have I awakened to Paul or Mom lurking, watching me sleep? They crack me up.
As anyone who has known me through the thick and the thin (97 lbs!!), I'll puke anywhere. I won't bother to slow down or pull over anymore. Just reach into the glove box for one of my pilfered airplane barf bags… OK, that may have been more than most can handle. (But those of you who have been at my side though the nastiness of CD, I thank you!) Moving on…
This time around I refused to go to the hospital. I don't see why I need to take up valuable space, when all they can do for me is drug and monitor me. Well, there are those vampire lab techs coming to steal my blood every 6 hours… Yeah, I'll pass on that. I have all the same medications at home, my own pillow and blanky, too.
Next month I am doing the 2 mile Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis charity walk. I chuckle every time I think we, Crohn's patients, can't go more than 2 miles without a bathroom. I will not be going it alone on the Crohn's walk, either. My friend of 25 years, Laurie, is strutting her stuff with me. Mom is also joining in on the fun. Hell, we might even take the dogs. This fundraiser is small, like the walk. I have promised to raise $250, $130 over the national average. I can do it with the help, support and love of my friends and family.
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