Posts filed under ‘Everything Colon’
Less-IBS… continued
So I’ve been experimenting with different ways to decrease my IBS-like symptoms the past week or so. So far, things are going really, really well. My belly hasn’t been in a constant ache and I feel better, more energized. This hasn’t decreased my number of trips to the potty, but I must be realistic about my goals here. If I can feel better during the day, bring on the bathroom trips.
Here are a few things I’ve noticed that have helped me feel better:
1. Sleep. I know, this was #1 on my last list. But it’s a biggie for me. The more rested I am, the better I feel. I know, it’s revolutionary. But for this gal who’s got a lot on her plate, it’s important for me to remember, and it’s really helped me the past week.
2. Calorie Counting. Most people attribute this to weight loss. And while it’s important for that, it’s also a big help for those who struggle with IBS. Overeating can be one of the worst triggers. I’ve found over the past few weeks though, when I manage my calories and don’t go over my recommended daily total – I don’t have hardly any food problems. Granted, I’ve been eating a lot better, too, but calorie counting has tremendously helped me.
For a great calorie counter, I recommend SparkPeople or LiveStrong. (I have the LiveStrong app on my phone and LOVE IT.)
3. Diet. I know, another shocker. But a diet full of fresh, healthy, non-processed foods has really helped me feel better. At first all of the fresh fruits & veggies can be a little rough on the colon, but after awhile I’ve gotten used to it. It’s somewhat like fiber – when you first starting eating more, hang on to your hat. But after awhile, your body adjusts and you handle it much better. I do recommend; however, that if you’re going for a salad, eat some crackers or bread before and after. It’s helped me digest it and cut down the gas and other problems.
I’ve also really cut down on my meat and dairy intake. I’ve not ruled it out completely, but I’ve noticed a big difference when I’m not consuming as much (especially red) meat and milk. Still go for string cheese and yogurt, though!
4. Not eating after 9pm. I don’t follow this every night, but I try to as much as I can. If I can tap myself off on food and most drinks by 9pm, it allows my system to rest throughout the night. I just feel better in the morning. Also, this is another recommended weight loss tip, so it’s a double-bonus for us IBS-ers.
So there it is! My Less-IBS plan continues and is finding much success! If you’re a fellow IBS-er and have any other helpful tips, do share!
This guy…
Helped save my life. He told me to go to the doctor when my 17-year-old self wanted to ignore a “little” blood in the stool.
He’s been my caregiver, my support, my protector and my provider. He’s always made sure I have insurance. But more than that, he makes sure I smile. He loves to surprise me. And he tells me that the scar down my stomach is sexy.
I love him very much. I’m glad he’s mine. For the past five years, and many more to come, I’m glad I get to keep living life as his bride.
Five years married ... and counting.
*** Enjoy the “sneak peek” pic from a photo session with our friends at Fantasma Imagery! More to come!
Yeah … and No
Yeah, having cancer is really hard.
Yeah, it’s also one of the most eye-opening experiences you will ever have.
No, it doesn’t always hurt.
Yeah, it often does. Or at least the tests for it are a huge pain and the stuff you drink tastes nasty. Colon surgery is no cake walk either.
Yeah, I’m usually feeling pretty good. I’m recovered from surgery.
Yeah, I’m still learning the ropes to life without much colon even 10 months later.
No, I would never ask for a double-colon surgery ever again.
Yeah, others have had worse than me, though.
Yeah, it’s hard to keep up morale sometimes.
Yeah, it’s way easier with good friends and family.
No, that doesn’t always cut it though.
Yeah, sometimes you do just need a day or night alone to take it all in.
Yeah, I think about cancer just about every day.
No, not because I’m directly fighting it right now or on chemo. But because its implications impact me each day.
Yeah, I’ve found a way to manage them.
No, I still don’t have it mastered, and I want my proverbial security blanket back.
Yeah, I still go poop and am one of the lucky ones. I can eat salad.
Yeah, I do wish I could have my colon back some days though.
No, I don’t regret having it removed. I’d rather have the least risk possible.
Yeah, that was probably me that farted.
No, I don’t like colonoscopies.
Yeah, I’m still going to tell you to get one until the day I die. You really need to get checked as you age or have problems.
No, they’re really NOT that bad.
Yeah, drinking that stuff and spending all night on the toilet is never fun for anyone. But suck it up and do it.
Yeah, I sometimes am saddened because I can’t have my own kids thanks to the surgeries and cancer treatments.
No, I don’t talk about it a lot.
Yeah, there is hope for us and adoption will be great one day.
No, we’re not ready for that yet.
Yeah, it’s frustrating to pay so much for medical care. Especially when other DINKS can do so much other fun stuff with their money.
Yeah, I struggle with that sometimes.
No, I don’t think we’ve got it as bad as so many others in the country.
Yeah, I feel blessed that we’ve been taken care of so far.
Yeah, I appreciate all of the comments about being strong and inspirational.
No, I don’t always know how to respond.
Yeah, I do feel like I’m still living in a fog sometimes. I don’t know if the impact of what I’ve gone through, what’s to come, or what’s looming over me some days really sinks in.
Yeah, the days that it does are hard. Thus, this post.
Yeah, I feel guilty sometimes when I see other survivors going through chemo or loosing their battles.
Yeah, I get jealous when others get clear results.
No, I would never wish sickness or this disease upon anyone. I truly rejoice at clear reports.
Yeah, I would trade it in myself if I could.
Yeah, I genuinely do still have hope most days.
Yeah, I think a long life ahead of me is definitely attainable.
No, my smile usually isn’t fake or fabricated.
Yeah, I’ve tried to find a way to embrace the aging effect and unique perspective all while acting my age.
Yeah, I’m typing this because today was a rough day.
Yeah, this blog helps and is therapeutic.
No, my day’s not all bathroom-related although maybe a little bit.
Yeah, it’s more about the emotional side of things tonight and what I have faced, and still face, hits me every now and then.
Yeah, I can’t do a post like this and not mention my faith.
Yeah, I think in the end, it’s what will really matter.
No, it’s not always easy for me to believe and trust that there’s a bigger plan and a greater world out there God’s created for us.
Yeah, I know it to be true though and that’s what gets me through.
Blog Reading Tips
Hello to my faithful readers! I wanted to give a few tips for those of you who are still learning how this whole blog thing works.
If you’re like me, I often forget to check websites that I indend to visit often, and especially blogs. That’s why these two features have helped save my social media life….
1. Google Reader. If you have a Google account, you can sign up to use Google Reader. This is a site that makes reading blogs very easy. Instead of visiting each web page, it funnels all of the new posts into one place. Consider it your own personal news ticker, except for blogs. To use Google Reader, read this.
2. Email Subscriptions! You’ll see a small box to the right of my blog that says “Email Subscription.” This means that every time I post on the blog, you’ll receive an email with the content. It’s a great way to stay connected while you’re on-the-go, and still keep caught up with all that’s happening out there!
Hope that helps some of you who might be looking for a way to keep up! There is hope! Enjoy!
Favorite Foods
Hmmm, what to blog about.
Well, food is on my mind tonight. I feel so fortunate these days that I can still enjoy all kinds of food. While some give easier… results … than others, I can still eat just about anything. I am so thankful for that.
So, in the spirit of food, here are my top 5 favorite foods (at least as of today) … in no particular order.
1. Pizza – Margherita or cheese these days. Especially from Spin or Waldo Pizza.
2. Thai noodles w/ a soy sauce
3. Cake, cupcakes and more cake
4. Sopapillas w/ honey
5. Did I mention cake?
Ok now I listed mine, let’s hear some of yours…..
Paradise Locker Meats
A third recommendation for eating safer, healthier foods is to get your meat from a local butcher. I recommend the Fantasma family’s Paradise Locker Meats for those in the Kansas City area.
Meat is one of the hardest items to buy when you start to eat healthier. It’s difficult to know what to look for, what’s good and what’s not, why it’s worth spending a few extra bucks, and where exactly the meat has come from that’s sold at the grocery store. One idea to make this process easier is to stock up on meat from a company like Paradise.
Family-owned and operatred, this business is the real deal. They provide quality meats that have not been treated with hormones and raised the right way. They get their meats from small family farms and do all of the processing and cutting on-site in their USDA inspected plant. They’ve won several national awards, and even been featured in the New York Times and other national media as an outstanding meat supplier.
Some of their selections include beef, pork, lamb, homemade sausages and more. You can make a trip to their store in Trimble, MO, or call to learn about other options for ordering and delivery. I’ve even recieved a few items from Paradise via my Fresh Connect delivery.
After watching Food, Inc. I’ve understood the importance of healthy, safe protein. Often I hear people say that they are “never” eating meat again after watching the documentary and hearing about the practices of large meat manufacturers. Paradise offers an alternative solution for continuing your meat consumption with a safe product that’s raised, cut and processed the right way. This is a great resource for those of us in the Midwest, and specifically the Kansas City area. For those of you out-of-towners, I believe they will ship to you you too! I encourage everyone to take advantage!
Paradise Locker Meats
05 W. Birch Street
Trimble, MO 64492
Phone 1-816-370-MEAT
Great Breakfast Smoothie
For some of my fellow Fresh Connecter’s still wondering what to do with the mango and bananas you received a few weeks ago, here’s what I did this morning:
Mango-Banana Smoothie
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I used Cultural Revolution)
1 mango
1 banana
3/4 c. orange juice
1 c. ice cubes
Blend. Add/take away ice cubes depending on the thickness of smoothie you prefer.
Makes 4 servings (in tall glasses)
100 calories/serving
Having Cancer in High School
A few months ago as I was meeting with my geneticist, he posted a question I had never thought about:
“Imagine how good of a volleyball player you would have been if you wouldn’t have had cancer in high school!”
Now granted, I was no Gabrielle Reece but I had my share of spikes and serves back in junior high. But as I entered high school and played my freshman year, the fire went out. A sport that I had always loved was burdensome. I wasn’t as good as I had been years earlier. I was exhausted after practices. I wasn’t having very much fun. I felt out of shape, but I was in shape. I chalked it up to being lazy and ready to move on, but after the doc mentioned that the cancer would have been impacting my athleticism, I started to wonder if my body was telling me something back then – and the exit from after school sports was more than my desire to get home early and watch Jerry Springer. (you all watched it at some point or another too, don’t judge!)
As I watched the opening ceremony to the Olympics, it made me wonder what type of athlete I would have become. The dream of becoming a great athlete was always so far fetched and unrealistic. But as I watched men and women my own age ski down mountains, ride 90 mph on sleds, and play ice hockey to a worldwide audience this week, I realized that dreams are obtainable, and our adolescence defines our adulthood more than we ever realize.
I’m not saying that I had the talent to be an Olympic athlete, but this week I’ve wondered what life in general would have been like had I not gotten cancer in high school. I’ve gone back and forth with wanting to go back and change it, and being content with how it all turned out. It felt so unfair at first – instead of worrying about my dress for prom, I was more concerned if I would have hair! Forget the Algebra, I was concerned with blood tests.
Now that I’m older and a two-time survivor, I’ve realized that being sick at a young age actually sheltered me from the real world, and I’m OK with how it all turned out. I’m glad it first happened when I was younger – I had so much to look forward to, the diagnosis felt like a speed bump rather than a road block in my teenage life. Sure, there are parts of the experience that I would do without, but having cancer in high school has made me who I am and given me a unique perspective on life. I wouldn’t have the husband I do now. I wouldn’t be as close to my family and friends. I’d probably still be embarrassed about buying toilet paper at the store. And I wouldn’t have met all of the incredible and inspiring doctors, nurses and fellow survivors had I not had the disease.
It’s taken me awhile to get to this mindset, but I feel I’m finally here. I finally see how to count it joy when your trials come. And while I may not be competing on the snowy slopes for an Olympic medal, I’m in my own race against disease and life is all the medal I need.
Opening Ceremony Costume Party
The Super Bowl Toilet Paper Poll
In honor of the Super Bowl, I thought we’d have a little competition of our own! This is a topic very near and dear to my heart. Take a second and play along!
My Personal 9/11
Some days you never forget. Just about everyone can tell you where they were during 9/11. I distinctly remember Columbine. And my dad still tells stories of JFK’s shooting. Today is not a day that is remembered by our nation, but it is a day that’s significant for me and my family. It’s one of those days where no matter how many years go by, I will always remember where I was and what happened nine years ago.
My story actually begins at the library. I worked at the public library near my house as a “page” which meant I had the glorified job of arranging books on a cart and then reshelving them. It was a great job with flexible hours, decent pay and amazing coworkers. It was a Tuesday night. I was with my friends (we called ourselves “The A Team”, ) and we were excited this evening because we had the special job of moving the tables and chairs in the childrens’ book area for a speaker. We loved when speakers came. We’d spend at least 30 minutes on unique arrangements for the chairs and table stacking patterns. Anything that could take up extra time, we tried.
As much as I was trying to have fun with our furniture arranging on this evening, I wasn’t feeling it. I was expecting a phone call, and my mind couldn’t stay focused. I couldn’t shake a feeling that something was off. As we finished setting up for the program, I looked up to see my mom & dad coming through the doors. I was surprised to see them since I had two hours of work left. Something was strange though. Their faces verified my anxious feelings. Plus, they looked like death. They met me in the childrens’ area and began to deliver the news.
“We got a call from Dr. T’s office today,” my dad said. “Your mass they found was malignant.”
Dad and Mom looked at me with somber faces, pursed their lips, and anticipated my response. As they began to reach in for instant comfort, the reality that I was a little too young for the disease set in as I asked,
“Malignant? What does that mean?”
They got an even sadder look on their faces.
“It means it’s cancer honey,” Mom said. “Your tumor is cancerous.”
As soon as Mom explained that malignant meant cancer, I felt a heaviness that hasn’t ever completely lifted. I’m sure I began asking many questions they couldn’t answer. We made our way toward the front of the library for my coat and stopped by to tell my boss that I’d be gone for a while. She gave me a big hug and told me not to worry about a thing.
The rest of the evening is a blur, except I remember telling my brother, calling Mike who was at SBU, and having Nick come over to pray with my family that evening. I knew nothing about cancer, except that the only man I knew who had it, died. I knew I should have felt scared, but didn’t fully understand. I wasn’t crying, I wasn’t sure I was upset. I was just numb and confused about what this all meant. At 17, I didn’t have a lot of experience with the disease, nor did I understand its repurcussions. All I knew was that life would be different.
One thing I remember telling Nick that evening was that I was thankful for the opportunity to spice up my testimony. I had always felt I had such a vanilla story of knowing Jesus. I was raised in the church, so my journey was so typical up until then, or so I felt. But this night, when the cancer bomb dropped, I knew my story had changed. While I was unaware of the physical and mental changes, I definitely knew that part of this new diagnosis was spiritual. And my teenage faith automatically put me into the “God’s got a purpose” for this mode that night.
T
oday I enter my ninth year as a cancer survivor, and I am reminded by my own words back then. No matter what comes – whether it’s a third diagnosis, a complete colon removal, a rough day with olive oil, losing a friend, or just a challenging emotional day, my prayer is that I forever hang on to my own teenage advice and remember God’s got a plan for all of this – and I have to trust that.
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
Semicolon Stories 