Health and Fighting for My Right to Be Over Caffeinated

I may have had to leave my beloved theater behind in DC, but right now I'm feeling it was worth it.  Living at home with parents who are more concerned with my health than I've been means that I've gotten set up with a fantastic GI here in Rochester, despite my whining that I'd never find a good one in Western New York.

My GI doctor, so far, rocks. I saw a medical assistant, then my GI's nurse practitioner, before seeing him with his nurse practitioner. It was exciting times. I got so much attention. I wanted to give out free hugs and weep with joy...but I didn't...cause that'd be weird.

There were pictures drawn...and can I say?...all GI's are terrible at drawing, always rendering something that looks like the Nile river with a case of chicken pox. They should get a class in med school or something. Or be allowed to use pastels...cause those are SO MUCH FUN...all the color and you get to use your fingers...

No matter. The pictures and the listening to me ramble and then proceeding to explain loads and loads of stuff to me that all past GI's never cared to tell me about. He was fantastic. I may start a fan club soon.

As a result of my visit, I'm on an antibiotic to kill evil bacteria that's just partying in my intestines that refuses to vacate. No yogurt for me guys...must keep all bacteria away.

I'm scheduled to get blood work done every month...THANK YOU JESUS. I've wanted my GI's to do this ever since I was 14, but none saw it as necessary. I found out from this round of testing that I'm low on B12 so I get to get a once a month shot, hello super energy boost, and I'm also super anemic...so, just as I've always known, my body is that of an old person...I get to take Geritol. I have not heard the end of it from my parents about how they thought that was something that the elderly take, har har...we'll see who's laughing when I'm bouncing off the wall with all my freaking energy! I AM PUMPED. I may clean something I'm so happy. (Don't ask, I'm quirky that way.)

I've always been over caffeinated and just thought a lot of my tiredness comes from crashes...which it does...but the reason I love caffeine so much is probably because I've always been quite tired. Most people who are severely anemic don't even know it. One of my old housemates, Jess, who's a 10-mile-a-day kind of runner, thought she might be a little low only cause she'd get just a bit tired while doing her daily run. After she got tested, she was driving home when the doctor told her she had to turn around and go to the hospital. She was so low on red blood cells that she needed an infusion of blood and it could have been dangerous to her health walking around like that. I don't think I'm that bad, clearly, but I do get to take three iron pills a day AND the liquid multi vitamin with iron (Geritol).

Technically, I should probably decrease the amounts of caffeine I consume, since it can interfere with the absorption of iron...but that is just not something I think I can handle. I love my caffeine...I'd almost go as far as saying I'd give up booze in favor of being able to have my caffeine if forced to choose. (And who would make me choose??? SADISTS. That's just sick.) So my compromise right now is to switch up which days I have coffee and which days I have my PG Tips tea. Someday I might be able to decrease, but we're about to go into winter in Western New York. Guys...I don't know if you know what that's like...but winter's here tend to suck all the happiness from you. Over caffeination is just a way to keep yourself entertained.

We'll see how things go. Aren't you thrilled over this mildly snooze worthy post? Maybe I'll do a picture story next...

xxLindsay

Running For Lack of Anything Better To Do

I've gone and convinced myself that I can be a runner.

You may put me down for crazy. 

I have one month to "train" for a Jingle All the Way 8k run in DC. Currently I can run 1 mile...on a treadmill...

You're gonna be so proud of me. Today, I told my parents I was going to run a few miles into town to grab a prescription and then run home. I aim high folks...and this is after I haven't run in about...three months.

Whaaat, I've been busy. Remember, fire? Stress? Body eating itself?

My excuses are better than your excuses. Aren't you jealous?

So on my "fun run" today, my thought process went a little like this:

Okay, this isn't so bad. I am rocking this.

Super easy guys, this is why running rocks. So relaxing, my body digs this.

You know, it's a little chillly out...should have worn one of those lame awesome ear warmer headband thingies. I'd look super cute.

Wow, my chest kind of hurts....should it hurt? Ohmygod, am I having a heart attack? No, no, it's fine, just good old exercise. Maybe my body's going into shock...from this new experience it hasn't had in awhile. I may die. People die while running, I should just stick with yoga...if I ever got around to doing yoga...note to self: sign up for yoga this week.

Should I be spitting this much? That's really not attractive, but maybe it'll keep any murderers away...don't get any ideas murderers, I am a horrible target. I'll come at you spitting and maybe crying with snot running down my face...I'm practically already there. Don't mess with me, it'll just be embarrassing for both of us.  

Am I going to die? Is CSI going to be picking up on my DNA every where cause I spit my way down Main Street and that's how they find my dead body?

Do we even have a CSI? Nope, probably not.

Am I going to vomit like real athletes? Okay definitely not, definitely walking now. Still a champ, still moving, I can totally do this.

30 minutes later at the pharmacy, definitely called my Mom to come pick me up. Hey, my head was cold, okay?

February Disney Princess Half-Marathon HERE I COME (ohyesidid!). Awww yeah...just look for the girl on tv who is puking everywhere before she passes out from crying.

Totally got this.

xxLindsay

November = Awesomesauce SuperFun Adventuretime!

No seriously, I am so sure of it, it's ridiculous. I mean, how could November not be awesome? I've got goals and stuff. And my life already went all topsy-turvy in September, I was adjusting and gathering my equilibrium, and now here we are at November. The month of NaNoWriMo, the most Thankful month of the year (now, more so than ever, after Sandy...that bitch). I love Thanksgiving. Mainly because it's all about spending time with my siblings and parents. The time when we all get to catch up, try and top each other with incredibly lame jokes, and then pry into each others lives that we've missed out on and making sweeping judgments that are sure to cause laughter and resentment for years. No lie.

We usually spend 30-40 minutes post dinner arguing about what movie to see that day and then end up spending waaaaay too much money to go see some cheezy action adventure flick, that nobody really wanted to see but nobody wanted to let the other person win so we just settled on one nobody wanted, in 3D no less, cause it's go big or go home fools. Proof:

I've never looked sexier...don't know about you.

So outside of Thanksgiving to look forward to in all it's glory, I am pumped for NaNoWriMo. A month of me attempting to write 50,000 words for a novel I'm going to pretend I don't care much about but really do and then never actually make it past 2,000. But damnit, this year I'm going the long haul. It. Will. Be. Done. AND I'm gonna join the blogger bandwagon full of people saying they'll blog daily as part of NaNoWriMo. Yup...a-huh...yes-indeedy. You believe me don't you? Don't answer that...

I'm attempting to become a "runner". I have such lofty goals like attempting to log in 25 miles a week. Granted I can only physically run one mile at this time, but with a combination of running/walking those 25 miles, I'm sure to ace this goal. I want to run the 5 miles around my block (hey-oh, living in the country!) on Thanksgiving day and then maybe attempt an 8K run in December in DC.

Oh did I mention....? I don't live in DC anymore. Let me introduce you to my September:

Here's a picture of my DC house on September 4th...that top floor, with the two window-less windows...that's my room.

 Here's a view from the inside:

Burn, baby, burn. I can thank the roofers from next door for those pretty pictures. They were using blowtorches to repair their roof...without a license I might add...and caught my house on fire. Hurrah! Not hurrah...super sucky. I lived in a hotel for the rest of the month.

Luckily...or more coincidentally...not four days before this fire, I had been discussing with my parents about moving home. Me and DC haven't got on for awhile now and my Crohn's has been slowly getting worse. I was working for a company that I adore but never managed the job well enough so that I would have time to heal. I was working like a crazy person and then my GI dr wanted to talk to me about going on Remicade. For all you healthy people out there, Remicade is scary. On the plus side, I had been mentally preparing myself for this idea by reading awesomesauce Crohn's blogs by people who were on Remicade and live well. (Brief explanation: Intense drug that requires a 3-hour hospital visit once every two weeks..for me anyways cause my Crohn's is that bad...to get an IV injection of the drug. You get to be monitored by nurses and everything. Lost of potential side effects may be included... nausea, vomiting, passing out, full body rash....just all around complete sexiness that I am really excited about.) So why deal with that kind of stuff in a city where, even though I am surrounded by amazingly wonderful friends, I don't really have anybody that can take a day off from work to go with me to the hospital. Whereas here at home, my Mom and Dad are all ready to help out.

Also I came back for the dog.

My other dog, not pictured, Hannah, passed away in August. I miss her very much and just want to cuddle Charlie who doesn't quite understand where she's gone.

Okay...now I'm done being fairly depressing. Do you feel awesome about life? Cause I do. I am wearing a purple sweater, blue sweat pants and green St. Patrick's Day socks with nobody around to judge (cause my parents are quite used to my extreme comfort style), Dad's making dinner tonight and there is a steady supply of wine stocked in this house. Currently, this is just what I want. Embarrassing wardrobe and wine. Call me satisfied.

Gonna leave you with an image that always satisfies me...from my recent trip to London this year...my FAVORITE British fast food...Gregg's Pasty:

You can only tell it's steak by the color. Yes I want that in my belly nom nom nom nom...

xxLindsay

Blerg Kind of Day

You know, I hate Monday's. I just think they suck and not just cause it's the first day back to work after the weekend.

I've had a flare-up for several of the last few Monday's this summer and it's really pissing me off. I am stuck, canceling evening plans, just so I can sit in my room with a heating pad and starve myself better.

Now normally, I'm a "hungry every two hours" kind of girl. No large meal can fill me to last me longer than two hours. This is something I know and accept about myself. And this is now my indicator of how my stomach is faring.

When things aren't going well, I can go hours and hours sans food. Not because I want to, but because my stomach has decided to stop digesting and it is punishing me for whatever offensive thing I ate...kind of acting like a petulant teenager, that bitch.

Offensive food that she hated today: graham crackers with peanut butter.

So frustrating. It's only a little processed food...but noooooo, Sheila threw a tantrum. (Cause I need to name my stomach at this point.  We agree on nothing therefore she is a separate entity than myself. And a cranky one at that. I'm sunshine and daisy's compared to her.)

I did fine with breakfast, quinoa with dry roasted pecans, blueberries and some agave nectar...so healthy and I actually like it. But true to form, not 45 minutes later I was STARVING. Like "I will bite your arm off if you don't give me some bacon" kind of starving. So I went with some healthy, natural, practically paleo snack that I had with me...homegrown roma tomatoes with olive oil, basil and kosher salt. Amazingly delicious, I am loving it, it's going great. I finish it and then BAM...starving yet again. Barely took the edge off.

Coworker suggested it's because I've recently being trying out this whole exercise thing and it drives your hunger way up. I think it's that, and I've had no meat today. Poor choice lady, poor choice.

So I went for something sugary and tasty, not complicated...graham crackers and peanut butter. Boy-o did it satisfy. Delicious! .......

...20 minutes later I knew I was in trouble. Rejected. My stomach started to puff a bit, groan a bit and then just quit on me. No more food...no more hunger, just a sore stomach and I get to appear like I'm preggers.

OH JOY.

Are you jealous yet?

Now I just need to sip on water, eat nothing for the rest of the night, and rest with the heating pad.

At least I have Dr. Who season 6 on DVD to soothe the cranky in me.

C'mere you sexy thing you. He's no David Tennant, but he shall do for now.

Sincerely,

Cranky McGee

Sunday Upper

You'll be happy to know I am adjusting to the Blogspot changes well. I have learned where the "create new blog post" button is.

Get. Excited.

It's Sunday so that's as much excitement as I can muster. My little sister and one of my older brothers visited me this weekend to celebrate my birthday, which was last weekend, and I dropped them off this morning at Union Station.

Commence malaise. Family leaving me or me leaving family always makes me a bit emotional. Also...pesky PMS is getting all involved this week.

Commence carb loading.

My Sunday Funday upper afternoon is consisting of a nice frosty IPA, the movie "Happy-Go-Lucky", and some deliciously amazing pretzels from The Pretzel Bakery. YES I will drive all the way over to SE DC from the NW just to get some of these babies. After a weekend of eating and drinking an unhealthy amount, all I want, of course, is some beer and pretzels.

I get very strange, overly specific cravings. Just one of the lovely little gems about me.

But the Pretzel Bakery is pretty amazing. I get three pretzels for $5, they're not much bigger than my palm, and then they have this drool-worthy, PMS satisfying caramel mustard dip. Sweet and salty has never been paired more beautifully.

All of these things, my tummy accepts with pleasure. The tumtum, that I shall now name Shelia just to make this weird, is not accepting deposits of dairy items during PMS week. I can tell you right now that I'm pretty sure pretzels and beer are dairy free....I think. Well Shelia thinks so anyways. That makes me a happy girl.

Hope everyone else is having just as crazy and wild of a SundayFunday as this girl.

Back to the Blog

You know, I leave this blog for just a little while, a short time my head is turned, and when I get back everything has freaking changed on me.

Grrr...I'm not good with change....

...Says the girl who's about to go through major life upheaval...yet again.  It's like I get bored after a few years and need to shake things up. Even if that means that I am taking a risk and it might not play out well for me.

Just a smattering of details for you, non-existent readers...I shall nickname you Fred. Makes me feel like I have an invisible friend again. Well, not again, but for the first time. All my invisible friends as a child were real....like a tree....or a bird. Sometimes the local pond was a good buddy too.

What can I say, I was a bit of a weird child. Who needs invisible friends when you can talk to nature, like a crazy person.

So Fred, yes, well...the past year (okay, maybe the past two years) have been a crazy time for me. I was doing well, am doing well, in our great country's capital. I have a super-duper love for the friends I have made here. They have really made my time here fantastic/amazeballs...even though I have never quite warmed up to the actual city.

But for some reason, my health has just taken a nose dive ever since I went full time at my theatre job. You'd think moving from a chaotic schedule of four hours of sleep a night, working many jobs, one of which was waitressing, and living off the most horrendous diet of coffee and ANYTHING SUGAR, to sitting on my ass, doing lots of office work (and still working crazy hours, mind you, Fred) would be a good change. Especially with having those wonderful things called "health benefits". And yes I was able to get a gastroenterologist (almost a year after having the job, sadly) to help me with my health. I went through that weird time period last year where I thought I was lactose intolerant but it just turns out I could digest nothing. Dairy being the hardest thing to digest, that was the first to go.

So I got on some lovely drugs and now I can tolerate some dairy. Some dairy. I don't have the crazy bloat, partial bowel obstruction, problems I used to struggle with last year, but I still have problems every single week that I'm struggling with.

On a super positive note, this decline in health has been a really great wake up call for me. I've searched out some awesome blogs online written by other people who have Crohn's and I can't begin to express how helpful that has been. I don't reach out to them, just peruse their sites and read their tales of struggles and battles won. It really does give me a lot of hope. If they can do it, so can I. And I'm not even that bad off, really, in comparison.

This disease has made me appreciate the greatness of my family and my friends that I surround myself with and, as a really fun side effect, has made me a hot crying mess over every goddamn thing. Get excited.

Come on, you can't tell me that you don't just love having a weepy, non-drunk, friend hug you and say "no, but I really love you man!" And, oh, am I a hugger. I give 'em out like candy. And you're gonna like it.

But to wrap all this up...change. It's gonna happen. To this blog, to my body, to my life. It's gonna be AWESOME. I am sure of it.

Today's a sick day for me, so I am on a super, mega-amazing positivity kick...can you tell? Had a mini-flare up last night after eating a few Hobnobs.....really?! Hobnobs? The most delicious, oaty, chocolatey British biscuit every (outside of Digestives, which I just couldn't find at the time my chocolate craving hit). Ridiculous. I know that my intestines can't be completely done with hobnobs. That's just not fair to life. But I wasn't reading the signs right...my body and I speak different languages so it's hard to tell what she's trying to tell me sometimes.  Like yesterday she must have, at some point, been saying "bitch, there will be no processed shit today. We are closed for business to processed deliciousness that you love."

I had a really creative, light, protein filled breakfast of arugula, spinach, caramelized red onion with bacon pieces that I had left over, and threw a poached egg on top. Let me tell you, it was baller.

But, per usual, I was hungry by the time I got to work. I tried to be all healthy and just snack on cucumbers and peppers but, no surprise, that did not satisfy. So I had one Hobnob...then two....and maybe a third. And felt fine....kind of. I ate a very lovely lunch of baked chicken, grape tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, on penne pasta. Went down fine. Wanted dessert.

Cause who doesn't?

Had maybe three more Hobnobs......that's when my stomach said, enough is enough and shut me down. That usually means she'll start to groan and gurgle and I'll start to feel the oncoming bloat. It didn't really get too bad until later in the evening. But after laying down for awhile and sweating under the miracle that is a heating pad, I felt a bit better. Still called in today as now I've moved into what I call my "recovery period". I need to be able to eat, or not eat, exactly when I want to. I need to be very comfortable, preferably laying down, and not stressing. So there's been a lot of HGTV this morning and a little Pinning on the side (oh, yes, I signed up for Pinterest yesterday and it. is. CRACK....ohhhh look at all the lovely photos. I'm still all about reading the blogs, but this is like candy. Quick and fun.)

But also planning. I swear I've done some planning today...got it all locked up in the old noggin. Swear I'll get acting on this stuff soon.  I hope to be able to go into more details at some point soon. And oh the blogging that I shall be doing. I am PUMPED. I've also been sitting on my ass all morning so it's pretty easy to be pumped.

Kind regards,
Lindsay

Week Recap

Just a few photos to recap my week:

Thursday was the Ides of March and thus "Ides of March-aritas" holiday was created...I love my Shakespearean co-workers. Best idea ever.

Saturday was St Paddy's Day. Ahhh St Patrick's day. One of my favorite holidays...I love all the green, I love that everyone wants to have corned beef and cabbage, and my only compliant are the people that get all hoity-toity about the day saying "no, this really is MY holiday because I really am Irish" to which I respond..."that's so weird, because your Irish accent sounds American. Oh that's right...that's because you are an AMERICAN born in AMERICA..not Ireland." Just keep the day light, ya'll...it's a holiday where everyone is Irish so get over yourself.

On that same note, one of the biggest complaints I always got from my British friends were about how they thought it was so weird that Americans always said "well I'm Irish/Scottish/English" as a way to say that at some point in our genealogical line, some long dead relative was born there...but the British...they don't really do that and find it weird that we do. I chalk it up to the fact that our country was born out of people coming from all over and we want a way of identifying with a country and a culture of people much older than this country we were born in. I'm sure there are many articles out there that put this much more eloquently then I can...

I celebrated the day by starting out with an Irish breakfast..gotta love Irish sausage and some blood pudding. Yum!

There was a glass or two of Guinness later in the day, but then I got to work at a classical music concert and missed the gorgeous day that we were graced with here in DC. On the up side, riding the metro home at midnight was great because everyone had been drinking so much earlier in the day that there was nobody going home that late. It's the little things that make me happy...

And just to end the post on the BEST NOTE EVER.....

Coming soon......

My London vacation starts this week. Two weeks in the country that holds my heart.

So excited.

Cheers!