Finally, it is Friday again. This past week has been a whirlwind. It seems like so much has happened. In the life of someone with chronic illness, not everything is bad. Thank God for that!
At the end of last week I had a small bowel follow through. The doctors are still trying to work out my stomach issues. I have been suffering from nausea, vomitting, indigestion, inflammation, and other non-mentionables. I would say since about Easter, it has gotten increasingly worse. Although, I am excited and hopeful for answers and relief, I loathe procedures as much as anyone else.
For a small bowel follow through the patient drinks barium. Not a tasty treat, I might add. 16-20 ounces of a very thick chalky substance. Not easy for someone with stomach and digestive issues. Luckily, I had two very supportive friends accompany me. They took time out of their days off to spend a few hours with me at the hospital, keep me entertained and light-hearted, and then take me for lunch and shopping. Can friends get better than that?! Radiologists do several scans to watch the barium travel through your digestive system, particularly the small bowel. A day I had dreaded turned out to be a day of good laughs with a few scans interrupting our conversations.
I was sure I would be throwing up and in some incredible pain by the time it was over. To my surprise, I felt great. The aftertaste did make me feel queasy, but with some food in my stomach a smile wasn't hard to find. I even went as far as getting a diet soda fountain drink in the afternoon. A treat I have not indulged in for over a year due to my stomach issues. It was sweet heaven. Diet coke has always been a vice for me, and it was just another check on my list of don'ts for so long.
Since that day, I have been able to wear jeans. In the last 8 days, I have rarely had abdominal pain or discomfort. Some of the unmentionables have not stopped, but it has slowed. Nausea is gone, and appetite is back. My thoughts on this, "Could barium be a treatment for what ailes me?" It's a glimmer of hope. If nothing else, maybe the flare that has lasted these past several months has waned for a bit. Either way, I am thoroughly enjoying every minute of normalcy I am experiencing. The little things are so important. It is amazing the grace I feel right now.
During a run early this week, I was bitten by a dog. This dog is a frequent morning greeter during my runs. He always seems a little agressive, but his owners are usually enjoying their coffee on the porch with him so they keep him controlled. I have never felt scared because the owners are very pleasant. Not on this particular day. He was not tied up like usual and his owners were not outside. He lunged and got me. I had an angel watching over me. I jumped back, and a man passing by stuck his truck in between the dog and me. It felt like forever, but was probably only a few seconds, the owner rushes out and wrangled the dog. He took the dog inside and slammed the door. That was the end of that. Never coming out to see if the dog had done damage or if I was ok. The man who stopped made sure I was fine before he drove off. It was all very traumatic, but could not have turned out better. I walked away with a swollen bruised knee, hardly any puncture wounds, and a bruised ego for sure. I can only thank God for protecting me, and that amazing man who stopped to help. It could've been so much worse.
I also made the decision to start selling Mary Kay this week. As noted in previous posts, I am permanently disabled due to my comorbidities. I have always been a productive, Type A personality. Being disabled is a difficult task for me. No matter how many times I think I have come to accept this, I still always feel like their are ants in my pants. I need to do something for me. I started this blog. I have been doing a lot of research and advocating for healthier choices in my area. I came across the decision for Mary Kay because I can actually use the products. Hypoallergenic, natural products. The company itself does some wonderful things. I have been offered opportunities to work from home selling different products similar to the Mary Kay mode of operation. Nothing has really connected to me. This did. I am excited for this new journey, for this new opportunity.
My son started basketball practice this week. He is in a Boys & Girls club league for 6 & under. These kids are so adorable. Basketball is a perfect sport for my little energizer bunny. Watching him ppractice and make accomplishments he is proud of warms my heart every day. This combined with soccer will keep us all busy for the next few weeks, but the joy on his face is worth every second. He has also received a sticker for good behavior every single day this week so far. This is a huge accomplishment for him. We are so proud. If he comes home with one today, he will get a special surprise. He has completely exceeded our expectations, and that deserves recognition!
Tonight, I am making steak fingers with baked fries. A perfect comfort food for a Friday night. Even with all the diet restrictions, my family and I have come up with some great alternative ingredients to make some classics. My husband will be home from work early enough to join is for dinner. That is always a plus on a Friday night. We are also planning to have some friends over. I am also wearing jeans today. With all the bad things that I go through day in and day out, the good still outshines the bad. I am so grateful for all the prayers that are answered everyday. Not everything goes as I want it to or hope for, but so many times the unexpected turns out to be better than my hopes. Never a dull moment. I am so pleased to have the supportive and loving family that I do and the amazing friends that step up when no one else will. People like this, you do not let go. Cherish every second of this, I do!
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