Life is good

Something amazing happened last weekend. I was accepted to La Salle for my MA in Public History.

I was overjoyed when my brother called to tell me a large packet had arrived and asked me if he should open it, all while telling me he could read through the envelope and see the word "Congratulations". Even though I am waiting on hearing back from another school, it was exciting to know that come September, I will be going back to school. Actually, if I decide to attend La Salle, I can start this summer. For me it is just another part of the process of moving on and living this amazing, healthy life.

It feels a little overwhelming at times with everything that has happened the last three months. I know my energy has changed and my attitude is much more positive, and that's exactly what I am receiving back from life right now. So many great things are happening at once. I guess I have crammed a lot into a short amount of time, so all of these rewards are happening one after another.

I feel much more at ease socially because I am not worried about anything. It's nice to have something to talk about when people ask what I do for a living. Even though I am still watching my nephew every day, I don't feel as uncomfortable because I can say with certainty that I will be starting school soon, which forays into further discussion on my interests.

Well, that's all for now.

A little bit of this...A little bit of that

So here I am on Monday morning after an eventful weekend and several days prior. Everything has been going really well as my life continues to become very predictable (in an awesome way). I haven't felt one split second of pain in probably a month now. My only complaint has been my sleeping patterns which are erratic and often leave me moody or zombie-like as I proceed along in my day to day activities. As of right now my nephew is asleep in his swing after a morning of running errands with me. He loves to stay awake and observe everything that's going on but the second we get home he's out like a light. Not that I'm complaining.

I spent last week watching him and going out almost every night in some social capacity. Every week I grow more and more amazed at how effortless life is now. I almost feel like I've been transported back to my early twenties. I'm not sleeping enough, drinking a lot, eating all the wrong things, and yet my body is keeping up. When I wake up after a late night or a night of indulging in one two many adult beverages, I feel like a normal person feels; hungover but able to pinpoint what I need to do to feel better. Before, if I even indulged in anything too much, whether food or beverage, I was always paying for it the next day beyond any hangover or sleep depravation you could imagine. I guess I am enjoying this in between phase as an excuse to let loose a little bit before I get serious about my fitness again.

I have so much planned in the next couple of months that I am beyond excited about. Tomorrow I'm going to the Flyers game for my brothers birthday and next week I am going to New Orleans to visit my best friend. When I return I have a few concerts I plan on attending as well as beginning all of the hoopla for my other best friend's wedding. Whew. I have a feeling this time is going to fly by, but I am going to enjoy every (healthy) minute of it.

I can eat whatever the hell I want!

I've had a considerable amount of Oprah-like "a-ha" moments in the past couple of weeks. Although my good health is new, it feels as though this is always who I have been. I don't know how to describe it sufficiently but life feels completely different and the same all at once. I think it might have something to do with the fact that my dreams have always been intact for the most part. Now, I just have the body to make them happen.

When I eat brussels sprouts or raw carrots I eat them knowing that I will be pain-free and bloat-free. But I also don't even think about it, either. Imagine. After nine years of not being about to eat these things free of stress and it has only taken a month for me to overcome the natural hesitation that used to accompany eating such things. How quickly the mind forgets. It is only later when I am lying in bed that the "a-ha" moment comes as I relax and become comfortable in my bed, all while understanding there will be no 2 a.m. dash to the bathroom. I can just close my eyes and let my body do what normal bodies do to digest.

A specific moment that hit me hard came last week with my follow up with my surgeon and doctor. I saw both of them back to back. As it is no longer necessary to see my surgeon, I made my follow up appointment for my regular Crohn's doc. We scheduled my appointment for August. AUGUST. Yes-for the first time since I was diagnosed, I will go six months without seeing a doctor. For some reason this really made me aware of the fact that this is real, that I am healthy, and that the past really is over and done.

For now I am enjoying life because that's what we are supposed to do and hopefully everything else will begin to fall into place.