Reflections on a year

Well Saturday was my twenty-sixth birthday. And it was fabulous.

Now on Friday I started getting really bad pains in my stomach and noticed I my output had almost completely stopped. I don't get worried about this until I start throwing up, and luckily it didn't get that far. But I was definitely experiencing some kind of blockage, which I experience every few months. And this time I pretty much knew what the culprit was.

PEANUTS! Now, peanuts and popcorn are some foods that you are told never to eat with Crohn's or diverticulitis. But my philosophy is that everyone's body is different and you should just work with trial and error philosophy. And of course I can't just eat a few peanuts or a few bites of popcorn. I gotta eat handfuls. And I am pretty sure the peanuts were the culprit. Even going into Saturday morning I was still feeling pain in my stomach that changed with how I would bend and move. Luckily by the afternoon after drinking a lot of water, I felt better.

So I went to the Phillies game with my friend Anne and some others, including my brother. I really had one of the best birthdays in a long time and was able to indulge in some tasty adult beverages. I don't know if it was the beer or having not eaten much all day but I made it through the game without any pain or problems. Woohoo!

I stole this pic from Anne:

This Friday also happens to be mine and Stevie's one year anniversary. I really can't believe it has been a year since my surgery and how much has changed. I remember how friggen sick I was that morning and I was probably down to 90 lbs. Let's just say I've probably put back on 30 pounds this past year and I'm comfortable with that. Of course I have other issues with my body that come along with losing/gaining so much weight in short amounts of time, but it beats being sick. As long as I feel strong, I am okay.

And I do feel strong, for the most part. My feelings about everything change along with the inconsistencies in my illness, unfortunately. Aside from the little blockage I experienced the other day, I've been eating and getting around fabulously. I can even eat fruits and vegetables. It's amazing. I had salad and watermelon today, salad and cantelope yesterday, and I will probably eat more salad tomorrow! It just feels good to have variety back in my life and I think it definitely has an impact on your mood when you aren't loaded with carbs and meat every day.

So that's what is going on right now. Just trying to stay positive and do things to get myself mentally back in the game.

Tomorrow there is another Phillies game on the agenda, and I couldn't be happier.