When Satan’s tic-tacs kick in!

12 & 13 June 2017

I started a prednisolone course in desperation on Saturday. I hope I can make it as sharp and short as possible to avoid side-effects and another bout of perioricular dermatitis. (But looking like a leper is probably preferable to bleeding to death so...) Anyway, the dose is big enough to have kicked in already thank heavens, along with the usual hyperactivity. The Husb got up for his ride this morning at 5.15am so it was bye-bye sleep for me because PING! I did 15 minutes guided meditation then went for a 4.7km run in the golden morning sunshine - just me and my bedhead! This followed on from yesterday’s 3.85km treacle-coloured evening walk with Mitzy. Fog-head is setting in though because both times I forgot to start my Garmin until I was at, or almost at, the park; real distance does not match recorded distance. But I know what I did!

Monday was a good day. The clinic was super-busy but I managed the flow well. At home, The Girl and I got excited when the Star Trak van pulled into the driveway...Yes! Freddy jeans for her (her booty pictured) and bicycle heart rate sneakers for me (to remind myself I am a cyclist at heart!) I impulse-bought them from a facebook sponsored post ten days ago when I was feeling particularly ill and in need of whimsy. They’re perfect and felt comfy on my walk.

Monday eats were the usual oats/nuts/seeds with seasonal fruit and pot-set yoghurt; a bacon/egg/spinach/feta sammo; and Rob made a fish curry for dinner.

It’s crazy because I was supposed to be on the schedule for work this week and I was frustrated at first about it, but the other night I was throwing up. I then thought to myself that it was a blessing in disguise. I know my family thought that my job wouldn’t believe me if I did have to go in and if I was out for weeks and then when I have to go in, I would all of the sudden get sick. I was telling my family that if I had to call in, I would have because we certainly don’t pick which days we get sick. That’s the difference from the way we think about it as opposed to your average healthy person. I know the greatest lesson I have learned during my near decade with this disease is that you know your own body more than anyone else. When I said I was going to vomit, I knew it was going to come no matter what I did. When the nausea pills do not work, then you just sit and play the waiting game for when you will rush to the toilet. Sometimes it is just better to get it up and out of you, so that way you’re not lying down afraid to fall asleep because you don’t know when it will heighten and attack. 

You have the people that cannot fathom how you’re so positive and upbeat and then when I have times like these, I just want to tell people this is why. I cannot go through life like the rest of them without a care in the world and live my life. I have to care because a bad day will come eventually without much warning. I know it partly is due to my own forgetfulness. I fell asleep without eating anything and then I woke up with nothing in my stomach. I woke up nauseous and then I knew it spelled trouble for me. During my time with Crohn’s Disease, I have always said I would rather have diarrhea than go ahead and vomit. Unfortunately for me, vomiting has happened more often than the diarrhea, so that’s why I always carry nausea pills with me everywhere I go. It’s all about being prepared with inflammatory bowel disease. We get locked and loaded for pending disasters. 

Sometimes I look back on everything I’ve gone through over this last decade and I still don’t believe I have had Crohn’s as long as I have. Crohn’s Disease has certainly made me a stronger person in so many ways. You have that added motivation to fight that much harder to achieve your dreams. I had someone actually ask me what motivates me and I told this person that my disease motivates me as well as the people who have it as well. I want my fellow patients out there to know they can do it. We can do it and we will show the rest of them to never count us out even though we have a disease in tow. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these difficult times we find ourselves in these days. We may be confined to our homes, but we IBDers know how to combat social isolation. 

Love and Hugs,

We were able to raise $2,523.00 for our team, Wade’s Wish, for the Take Steps + Virtual Boston event. I know my first walk ended up being virtual, but I made the most of it. This was the first time I have ever raised money like this for a charitable cause and I never thought we would be able to reach our goal, so I am proud of what we did as a team. I am beyond grateful for all the donations that helped me reach my fundraising goal. Yesterday was the Take Steps + Virtual event and I reached my goal just in time too. I know I want to participate in future walks because I want my efforts to make a difference in the lives of others that share my struggle. We were able to raise money for a charitable cause closest to my heart. My team members helped raise money alongside me and that support and encouragement is what I needed to continue. Crohn’s Disease may affect my life on the regular, but I was able to have this small victory that will change the lives of someone someday. 

--Your Fellow IBDer,