Be healthy again

I had my bowel resection surgery May 10 and am not on vacation in the Pacific Northwest feeling good enough to do whitewater rafting. Let’s hope this lasts.

I’ve added Synthroid to my list of meds and am awaiting a thyroid biopsy. A little cranky, but hanging in there.

Still battling Crohn’s to a draw and swollen thyroid has me a bit antsy. Need to exercise, feel like crap but know I cannot let this bowl me over.

I’ve been getting better in some ways. My system seems to be adapting to all the craziness of my missing gall bladder, and my DO here in town suggested a dietary supplement that has been helping a great deal. I kind of suspect that I’m nearly normal now. I only get sick maybe once a week instead of up to six times a day, and THAT’s considerably more manageable. Perhaps it’s time to check this puppy off my list!

Living here in Florida has given me a new outlook on life. The sleepy costal way of life has done wonders for my once type A personality. I’m perfectly pleased to drive slower (say… the speed limit) and take my time getting around and doing things. The stresses have been lifted and I even stopped grinding my teeth! Who would have ever thought that was possible? I can’t help but think that being here has helped me heal. That and my amazing genius of a doctor. I’m so lucky to have found him. :)

I’m in shock. I took my most recent urine test (to check on my kidneys) and it came back normal! On top of that I haven’t been sick in three weeks! THREE WEEKS! I’m not sure if something has finally sort of worked itself out from the surgery last fall or if I’m doing something differently that’s making a big difference, but I’m not complaining. Not one bit.

I used to get sick 1-4 times a day. That really limited my ability to go out and do things that a normal person could do without a thought. My worst trip was a drive out to Grand Rapids to pick up two paintings from a gallery there. I had to pull over three times to get sick and even had to cut a conversation short with an interested party so drive off and get sick at the Burger King bathroom down the road. Brother. That was really rough.

But, here I am… three weeks without being sick. I’m on a roll… I hope I just keep rolling. I won’t check this one off for another month just to make sure things are heading in the right direction. I seriously cannot believe this, I haven’t felt normal in almost a year now.

back to normal…Thank God I am healthy again!

homesickness is killing me again! Or is it lovesickness which is actually causing a lot of trouble??? whatever! Basta I was ill last week. Need some more of that chicken soup—-please…

Today I had to drive to the west coast of Michigan to pick up some paintings at a gallery there. I knew that eating any sort of breakfast and not waiting to get sick before driving would be risky, but I had no idea how sick I’d be. For three hours total of driving I had to pull off the highway three times and dash into the closest fast food joint.

I even had to cut my conversation short with the gallery owner and another patron who was giving me information on some local non-profit silent auctions. I’m going to write her tomorrow and apologize for taking off so quickly.

This digestive problem has been such an issue since my surgery. I wish I could get it under control. Today’s debacle was either as a result of me not eating properly yesterday or from being stressed over the drive and an argument with my family the day before. who knows… maybe it’s both, maybe neither.

Here’s to hoping that tomorrow I do better. I have to hang my show across town and tour Old Town’s galleries. crossing toes

I get sick a lot when I eat… this has been a constant struggle for me since surgery last August. I’m not sure if the surgery triggered some kind of IBS situation, or if the lack of my gall bladder still has my digestive system wondering what the dickens is going on. Either way, eating is a big challenge. I love soy and tofu and prefer it over meat 15 times out of 16, but for some reason certain vegetarian alternatives (some Morning Star Farms foods) make me sick nearly right after eating.

I’m going to try and modify my diet some. I did a little research online yesterday for diets to avoid kidney stones (an issue I most likely have currently but will find out more tomorrow when my doctor is back in town). I’m supposed to reduce animal protein (not a problem) but also reduce nuts… what does that leave me for protein? Soy? Hmmm… I don’t know how my body will like that.

Either way for now I’m trying a little experimentation. On my way home from my walk yesterday, I hit the grocery store produce section and bought some green beans, mushrooms, carrots, apricots, and fresh mixed fruit salad. While it’s going to be hard to stick to only these foods and a little organic yogurt and refined (yes refined of all things) wheat/rice cereals I’m going to try and at least make these things a larger part of my diet.

After having had an eating disorder for several years of my life (recovered now) managing my food like this makes me a bit nervous, but I have to try something to get my body to react normally to food. Baby steps.

I’m not getting old, or at least I shouldn’t be. I’m in my late 20’s now and so far in the last year and a half I’ve had enough ailments to suspect that I’m heading over the hill. After suffering for a whole year with abdominal pains after eating I found my gall bladder was dying and needed to be removed (that was last August).

In the last six months I’ve managed to find stress where it may reside and internalize it so deeply that I’ve become sick for days at a time. Most recently I managed to get myself a lovely case of kidney stones or which I’m still potentially suffering from. We’ll see. I meet with the doctor on Tuesday to discuss the most resent test results. I’m hoping not to have more surgery, especially not before the move.

I was never so aware before at just how frail the human body is… how susceptible it is to caving in on itself in times of stress. Hopefully I can find some ways to curb this domino effect and actually feel like I’m in my 20’s.

My goal is to find that sweet spot where my worries will just pour off me and I will remain unharmed. Now… where did I put that yoga tape?