It's an 'Awe-Stomy' Story

After you read a few more words, you'll hopefully understand why I call myself a Ward Warrior. I've got bruises all the way up my right thigh, and on my belly, a big opening on the left side of me, causing things to ooze out of it (sorry for being too graphic here), and phantom feelings from where my IV pump used to be, confused to where I'm getting at? Well, this last week, I stayed at the Hospital, until being fully discharged on Wednesday, July 4th, 2018. I've received my very own, permanent, ileostomy.

I name body parts, to help me deal with my scary, almost life threatening, problems. Alright, maybe I went a bit overboard with the whole 'life-threatening' situation, and to tell you the honest truth, if I hadn't gotten this ileostomy, I really would have received a disease called, 'septic shock' and here's the definition of 'septic shock.'

Oh, imagine being in prison, certainly a scary vision right? Well, the first two days, they sent me to the ICU - Insta Care Unit. The first time I woke up, I slowly observed the room around me, and noticed that there toilet was in the left hand corner, with only a curtain for privacy! Haha. Prison was just my goofy way of lightening up the mood for those around me. I know they giggled, but I'm not sure if they actually believed for a fact that I was humorous, or if they were doing it to please me. :) 

2 days later, when I was being transferred to room T1111 the first thing that came to mind was, "Oh boy! 11 is my favorite/lucky number!" You see, I've had several of my surgeries at the IMC, and it was fun to be in a room with all the same number, '1111.' My blood pressure finally read up to 100, which meant I could receive my pain meds. The good news about the pain, is that the nurses treated me so well, that I can barely remember feeling any sort of discomfort, until they took the pain button away.

Man, I wish I could have taken a picture of this fantastic pain pump. Actually, it's more of a button. The patient is the only one in charge of the device, but only when feeling uncomfortable. If you know my mom and I, we have a saying when it comes to pain and medication(s), "It's always good to try and stay ahead of the pain. Medicine is your friend." However, you should also remember that medicine taken all the time, can be a bad thing too. Finally, on June 30th, I was relieved of that precious pain button. At first, I was nervous about not having that magical device, but I ended up being fine.

On Saturday, June 30th, some of my extended family came to visit me. The Harpers, 'Cameron, Alexis, Lincoln, and Story.' Plus, Opa and Oma. Lincoln gave me a cute artistic masterpiece, of a glittery, jellyfish, that he chose to paint for me. My grandparents gave me some nice smelling lotion - 'Bodycology,' and a cute little round, stuffed dog. Apparently the name of this stuffed toy is 'Sky' and from a T.V. Series known as 'Paw Patrol.' I've heard of it, but still have yet to experience an episode.

{ It's nice to know what shows are on the infamous PBSgo.org station. I was a huge fan when I was a mere toddler myself, and mainly enjoyed viewing shows titled, 'Arthur,' 'Sesame Street,' and 'Mr. Rogers,' to name a few. The other day, I watched a current PBS kids show titled, 'Super Why' and the characters teach kids how to read. It was actually quite engaging, even for someone like me, who's in their late 30's }

On July 3rd, my dad sent me a Marco Polo (while using my mom's phone), and showed the front door to me. Why would the front door of our everyday home be so important to show? Well, my friends from the Lone Peak Young Single Adult Ward, gave me a friendly 'Heart Attack.' 

Selective Hearing

Have you ever dreamed of having your, perfect day? Even though the word perfect seems a bit overrated, it's like the word normal. No one can ever really be, normal.

Recently, I've felt so great physically, and even mentally, that I've been counting the days since I've last visited the E.R. So far the streak is going well. I hope to not attend the E.R. for a long time! On Sunday, I told one of my friends, that I take in all the happy things during these days of healthy bliss. It's hard to explain...

Imagine holding a jar, and scooping up some smooth, warm beach sand in the jar; every time a water droplet enters, the sand becomes hardened and turns to mud. The sand is represented as our body, and the water is represented as those unhealthy germs and bad symptoms that begin to plague within ourselves. Don't worry though, mud eventually dries up, and becomes sand again. However, the sand will always be a bit darker, leaving us memorable scars from those hard times we experienced...

*I hope my analogy made sense*

Being healthy isn't always easy. Have you ever been on a diet, or tried to run a mile at a decent time without stopping for a breath? Washing your hands before and after we eat, or after we use the bathroom. Touching stuff in public and washing your hands when you reach home. Let's face it, there are germs everywhere, but don't let them scare you. Having good hygiene helps keep the bad germs away. I'm one of those people who've always struggled with keeping good hygiene, but in different terms. 

I have a temporal bone implant located behind my right ear, once the Baha device is equipped, I can hear the world around me, and the best part about having hearing loss, is being able to have selective hearing. 

Example: One day at an art museum in Provo, Dad and I took off in different directions to explore the art piece we were interested in. Later on in the evening, a little toddler of the age of 3...? Had begun screaming with joy. I had a hard time concentrating on the art descriptions, and so I pushed the button on my device to turn it all the way off. It was magical! Sure I couldn't hear as well, but I was able to focus on what I was reading again. When the toddler left, I turned the Baha back on, smiling as I did so, since I always giggled with joy whenever I could choose with what I want to hear. 

Some of my friends and family are jealous. I'm jealous of them because they have perfect hearing! The scar tissue in my right ear also stings whenever pool water reaches it, or when I dunk my head under water several times. Since I was a little girl, I have had to wear an orange, puddy-like ear plug in my right ear. I would occasionally catch kids in the pool glancing at it, and their looks always made me feel out of place. Today, I either don't wear it when I swim, (knowing that I won't go under water as much), or wear it if I am swimming with a partner or friend. If you've ever had a broken bone, you'd know the feeling of dread whenever someone asks you what happened, or how did you end up getting the cast, over and over again, making you wish you can put a sign on yourself saying, "This is what happened, now ask me about something else. Thank you." Something like that. 😏

When I want to hear:

• When I shop.
• When I am playing music.
• When I am at a doctors office. 
• Basically whenever I"m in public that requires you to hear someone you're with. If you're like me, and have many friends that talk soft, than you're in luck, get your hearing tested and see if you need a hearing aide. 

When I don't need to hear:

• At the Hospital (too many sounds).
• At the Movie Theaters.
• At home, unless I'm watching a movie at night, and dad can hear it from upstairs.
• Big group parties, (but I always keep it with me in my purse).
• So, you probably found a common pattern. 

Loud places = No Hearing Aide.

Soft places with minimum noise = Hearing Aide.

The hearing aide I have, and many others that are not like mine, cost a lot of money, but you never place a price on helping someone hear more. At least, that's what I think. Our insurance company had a hard time accepting it at first. I'm just blessed to be able to hear when I want or need to. I've never taken it for granted, because I know that many can't afford a hearing aide. The hygiene part is that I need to clean the post of that my device is clipped onto. I use a soft toothbrush in the shower and gently scrub around it to keep the dead skin off. Another thing that is annoying about this hearing aide, is being able to keep up with the batteries, and knowing when you need to change the battery. For me, I change it once every 2 weeks. 

There are 3 programs on my hearing aide. 

1. Max Hearing. Focused on people.

2. Music. It's primarily focused on music.

3. Not Max Hearing. So I can change it lower whenever something is louder than what I'm comfortable with. Example: Dad watches the T.V. and the volume is up quite a ways, so I just switch it to program 3, and I'm fine. 

Each program beeps when I press the big button, helping me to know which program it is currently on. If you take out the battery and replace it, it completely resets it to the 'happy-medium' volume. The volume control is on the side of the device, allowing me to scroll it up high, or low. If the volume is at it's max, it beeps 3 times, if it is at the 'happy-medium', it beeps once. 

I urge you to be thankful for what you have. We are thankful to live where we live, and if something is bothering you in your life, find a way to improve that problem. Thanks for reading this post!

How cool would it be if everyone could control their hearing without a hearing device? That would be weird. It's weird to imagine anyhow. Haha.

Shelby

Kidney Stone Operation

Before I went to the ER at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, my beloved sister Sydney took a look at me, and with her final expertise, mom told her to take me to the ER for a closer look, at what was going on with me. I hadn't gone pee for a few hours.

One of my birthday gifts, was a trip to Disneyland with my parents this fall. On our way, we listened to Disney music, and that was a great way to keep my mind off of what was happening at the moment. Strangely, I wasn't in much pain until the nurses at the ER told me to do a urine sample. I also suffer from IBS (Irritated Bowel Syndrome) and whenever I get nervous, I feel the need to go to the bathroom. When we were doing my vital signs, I literally rushed to the bathroom, sort of hunched over in pain, and I was only able to get like, a little bit of urine in the cup. I wondered why, because I really needed to go pee. None of this was making any sense!

Sydney and I ended up waiting for a really, really long time in the ER. I wasn't admitted to my official room until about 2:00a.m. Sydney was thinking about staying at the Hospital too, as in, sleeping there in a bed. Mom told her to just drive home, and I was ok with that.

I did get to eat a delicious Ice Cream treat. It was an Ice Cream Sandwich, with MNM's and cookie dough on the outside, round shaped. I also had a really good Ham and Cheese Sub Sandwich. The bread was fancy, it had a certain white/dusty texture to it. If you know me, I love certain textures.

To be honest, I didn't really read. I was too nervous to focus on the storyline, and when your mind is racing, let's face it, it's hard to focus on anything. One thing I do when I'm nervous, is talk. I talked a lot. I think.

Anyways, once I was admitted to my room on the 14th floor (which is known as the stroke floor), Sydney gave me a hug, and left for home once we told the nurse about my generalized anxiety disorder. I'm probably not the only one, but it's hard for me to sleep in the Hospital, knowing that I'm away from my family and home. I took a full Xanax that night. It's also hard to sleep in the Hospital, because nurses come in to check on you at least every two to four hours. So, I slept during the day a lot when mom stayed with me...

I didn't know mom took these photos until I got home and looked at my phone. Haha. Guess I was exhausted! Then again, most medicines make you tired, and when you're sick, your body is trying to heal itself, making it more fatigue than usual. Oh, and the beds are not so bad. I'm a back sleeper, and I was able to sleep like a baby. As you can see from the photos above.

Food. Food. Food. Who doesn't love food? I lost about 35 pounds before I entered the Hospital. We had no idea why. Now we know, it's the kidney stone that caused my loss of appetite. I didn't realize how hungry I was, until I started getting fluids put into me, and medicine, or something clicked, and I became extremely empty my stomach was. Here is a little food documentary of what I had at the Hospital:

Eggs, Salsa, Fruit Bowl, Water, Apple Juice

My favorite meal turned out to be Lasagna. It came with Zucchini, and I thought I wouldn't like Zucchini, but I do! I wonder if my palate is changing along with my age.

French Toast, Fruit Bowl, Yogurt, Apple Juice, Chocolate Milk.

Strawberries

Very Rich, Chocolate Cake

I think this was my Mac N Cheese Meal. Considering the photo that comes next.

Ham and Cheese Omelet. It could have been that too.

One night, my main dish didn't show. It was hilarious, because Daun (the waitress) and I, were describing to my Oma how delicious their Lasagna was, and we were so excited to show her, and bam. Nothing was on the plate! We laughed for about five minutes. Haha. It's great to find something to laugh about at the Hospital. Daun gave me a fresh cup of Zucchini before I left the Hospital, the next day. I was good to go!

WOW! WOW! WOW!

To show the staff appreciation, they allow the patients to write what they call, 'WOW!' notes. You sign your name at the bottom and place the date when you're done. You can write whatever you want. Meaning, you can personalize the note with a nurses name, or make it anonymous. It's fun to read the other notes that are posted on the hallway too. A nurse named Andrew, gave me 7 WOW! cards. Different color of the rainbow, in my hand. It was great. I wasn't sure if he did that on purpose, or just because.

This is mom before they took me to the operating room. She was angry because we were waiting all day to get the kidney stone out of my system! I even became what they now call, 'hangry' for the first time.

- Hangry = Hungry and Angry.

Mom took a picture of herself in the elevator when they were wheeling me to the operating room. She said she was finally feeling great that they were able to work on me! Plus, it was getting to be really late in the night. By then, it was like 8 or 10 pm. So, you can only guess how she felt by then. Or by how I felt then too. I was nervous, yes, but mainly happy to get it over with. I was tired of fasting! I fasted since 8 that morning! I think I was the surgeon's last patient.

After the surgery was done, I was in the Hospital until Wednesday. Not too bad. They wanted to be sure I had my levels near normal, and that my pain was under control, before going home. I never mind staying an extra night, for the 'safety' card. It's better to be safe than sorry! I had to find ways to keep me busy in the Hospital. If you've never stayed at the Hospital after a procdure, sometimes medicine makes you sleepy, making it hard to focus on activities such as reading, thinking hard, etc. So I mainly watched my favorite TV shows, which include; Good Luck Charlie, Wizards of Waverly Place, Hulu shows, etc. I also love having my stuffed animals with me. They make me feel close to home, and remind me of home too. They make the bed a bit more comfortable too. Plus, the bed was comfortable only because I'm a back sleeper. I sleep on my back. It came in handy because the right side became tender after surgery! Still is today. Antibiotics are very helpful!

Chocolate Milk. True Moo Chocolate Milk, is my favorite! If I finished the Milk carton, I'd still have a bottle of it left, thanks to my family for buying some before they visited me in room 1411. I thought the cartoons were worth remembering, so I took a photo of them! Also, they were very handy messages.

- Nice MOOOVE #17
Do the dishes!

- Nice MOOOVE #20
Apologize when you make a mistake!

There were others too, but I didn't start noticing them until the last day I was in the Hospital. I think another one said something like, 'Go to sleep.' Something like that.

I had moments where I was bored, yes, so I decided to take some selfies with me and my 'chin' dog. I sleep with this dog underneath my chin at night. It's better than having your hand be under your chin, and in the morning finding a bruise in it's place. That's why I sleep with it. I also love the new headphones I got for my birthday!

I was still a bit tired from some of my medication, and I just went to the bathroom, so I asked to be wheeled down to the parking lot. Plus, it's kind of tradition to be wheeled out from the Hospital room to the car. :) They only had that one available. It was fun to be in a monster-sized wheelchair! It didn't have leg risers either. Whatever those things are called. I'm glad mom took a picture because I wanted to see how small I looked in that big chair!

On the way home, I took a selfie. I was so relaxed. I also forgot that Spring was on its way, as I saw beautiful blossoms blooming on trees, while mom drove through traffic to get us home safely. We avoided a car accident area as best we could, and on the way home, I was craving a smoothie from Roxberry. So we stopped by there and got me a Strawberry/Banana/Mango Smoothie with a Calcium Shot in it. It was yummy! Mom wanted a photo of the jug too for documentary purposes.

It felt so good to be home! I felt 10x better after the first day I left home. Sometimes you don't realize how truly 'sick' you are until you get some blood tests done at the Hospital. That's kind of how it all started. After I had some blood tests, I had a CT Scan, and that's how we discovered about the Kidney Stones. Unfortunately, I still have some kidney stones in my left kidney, but mom and I are getting a new doctor soon, and we'll be keeping an eye on them! It still hurts to go to the bathroom, but once I get the follow up appointment, it shouldn't hurt too much anymore. I don't want to get into the 'TMI' stuff. You'll get grossed out from it I'm sure. So, unless you've had a kidney stone before, I'm sorry. If you want more information, text me, message me on FB, ask my mom (if you know her), etc.

P.S. I'll continue to try hard to NOT go to the Hospital, but the more I try, I find I am in. I don't know. Hard to explain. I guess health issues is just my life's trials? Ya. I'm used to it, in a way. Sadly. It's true. Anyways, have a good day! Thanks for reading!

27th Birthday?!?! Wait, What?!

Well, it's official, I'm 27 years old! Phew!

 "To live, would be an awfully big adventure!" - Peter Pan

Why am I beginning the post with a Disney quote? You'll soon find out at the end. That is, if you can make it that far. My birthday WAS an adventure! Hopefully one for the books. I don't ever want to forget the feelings I felt as I opened up the gifts from my family members!

On most birthdays, you wake up and have your favorite meal, and later on, you do whatever it is you have planned, right? Well, this morning was something special. Before leaving for work, my youngest sister, Sydney, gently woke me up. She gave me a glass of water (I'm glad too because my mouth and throat were a bit parched), so once I took a nice long sip, I gave her a hug and began to pull out the wrap inside the cutest, little bag, and found some special items that I'd know I'll cherish forever! Two pairs of socks, with polka-dots on both pairs. One was black, the other was blue. Then, I immediately pulled out a plastic card! Mind you, if you know plastic cards, this wasn't just any plastic card! It was a $20 gift card to Deseret Book! One of my favorite book stores, because they have almost everything I enjoy reading there. I've been meaning to get this one book, that is a spin-off of the Fablehaven series. Let me see if I can grab a quick example photo from off of 'google.'

There we go. Have you read it yet? If so, NO SPOILERS! Thank you. I've been waiting so patiently for the book to come out in paperback. Why paperback? For one, it's easier to hold (in my mind), and flipping pages is easier too. I've never really enjoyed audiobooks because I can never follow along. I'm more focused if I read the book to myself. Even in High School, when my teacher read the very first book of Percy Jackson series, I decided to read the book when she finished, because I couldn't focus long and hard enough, to understand what was going on in the story! Now, I've read that series twice! I'd highly recommend these books if you enjoy thrill, adventure, friendship, imagination, etc.
Fantasy. I've always enjoyed Fantasy books.

(Hard to see: I got a new Laptop Case with birds on it! A new set of teal blue headphones! That Harry Potter Book I'll talk more about in a few minutes! Oh, and the reason I showed this, was because I hope you can see the gift card, and the money there on the upper left hand corner) 

Enough about books. I went to see the Little Mermaid at the Hale Center Theater in Orem with my mom today at 4p.m. I must say, I'm glad they extended this play for another week!? It was so well done. I loved the characters played by, Scuttle, Sebastian, Ariel (of course), and Ursula! There is still another week to go! Act fast, tickets get sold quickly! The Hale Center Theaters around Utah are known as small stages. It always amazes me how much they can do on such a small, circle stage! Characters have multiple rolls, costumes, and it seems like they enjoy their profession! At least, you'd think it is their profession! Some do plays for their jobs! They sing well! Do singing lessons to get it, and probably have big resume's of past plays they've been in. I have a family member on my mom's side of the family, who will sometimes participate in these plays. She was in Hair Spray once. Let's just say, she did amazing! Now her 4 year old son (almost 5), will be following in his parents footsteps in show business. I hope. He is so focused when he dances for fun to music.

Here is a photo of my mom and I:

(proudly wearing my one of my favorite shirts: Hufflepuff Pride! 

Got it for Christmas from Sydney)

After we arrived home from the wonderful play, I couldn't wait any longer to open the rest of my birthday gifts that were mockingly staring at me on the kitchen counter! I decided to open up a White Envelope from my Grandpa and Grandma Ward. I shook it to show dad, and oops, $30 fell out! Don't want to lose that! 😂 So, I gently set that near the $20 gift card to Deseret Book, and sadly, my mind was racing SO much that I couldn't focus on the sweet notes that were written inside. I'll read them before bed though, so don't worry! I need to take a picture of the card! It was a fancy card that I'll hold on for awhile. I'm not a huge fan of the glitter that came with it. Luckily there was just a little bit on the inside. Not too much of a mess. 

The next gift I opened up, was from Opa and Oma on my mom's side of the family (we simply call them Opa and Oma because they served a mission in Holland). Opa and Oma is what people call Grandpa and Grandma over there. Interesting right? Anyways, after reading their card, which was simple and cute, with another kind message written in it for me, I took out the pretty wraps in the beautiful rainbow bag they gave me to appreciate. Believe me, I do admire wrapping papers if they grab my attention! I had a hard time opening up the one from my parents, and you'll soon see why in a moment. 

They gave me this: 

Which is a BIG deal coming from Oma, because if you don't know our Oma, she HATES chocolate! Such a thoughtful gift for sure! I wasn't expecting the easter edition! I'm going to let Sydney try some too, since she's been a big help for me lately, and I know it's her favorite cereal too! I also received a coloring book from her, and some bird seeds on a stick for my little birdies! My birds are quite spoiled I'd say! Just like me. I felt love today. That's all that matters on a birthday right? Knowing that you are special, and that people want you to still be around...? 😇

The biggest gift, was from my parents! At first, it looked like the box could've been a new laptop. But, I was wrong, it was just another box! What was inside the box you are wondering? MORE boxes! I had to open up 7 items to figure out a clue that was in a pink envelope, that I was told to open up last! I love it when my parents make presents fun around the holidays! Gives you something to look forward to, and hopefully it makes life a bit more exciting to hope for. Hope. That's what I also received in those mysterious, 7 - individually wrapped presents. Ready to experience a mystery?

 I didn't want to tear off this wrapping paper! 😂

 I put the bow on my head for traditional purposes. 

I was like: "MORE boxes!? Yay! Just what need!" 😂

I made sure that I had all of the boxes out! I didn't want to miss anything!

I said before, there were 7 boxes that were each indivually wrapped, along with a bright pink envelope that had an orange sticky note saying: "Open this last." So I set the envelope aside, and began to open box #1.

After opening each gift, I finally got to the envelope! 

Any guesses? Huh? Huh?

I GET TO GO TO DISNEYLAND THIS SEPTEMBER WITH MY PARENTS! We get to fly in a plane on Monday, and we have a total of 3 days to explore the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH, then we arrive home on that Friday! I hope to see the electrical light parade! It was my goal to visit Disneyland once my Crohn's was taken care of. I thought my parents forgot, but they didn't! I'm SO spoiled! Am I not? 

See that awesome lanyard I got to hold the pass to enter Disneyland? I also got a Mickey Mouse pin to attach it on. I can't wait! Thank you mom and dad! I've never been to Disneyland around Halloween time either! Should be fun! Hardly any lines!

Oh and I'm sure I'll be wearing that shirt a few times throughout the year too. Haha. 

To summarize my birthday, it was GREAT! I only got to blow out 4/27 candles, and I didn't forget to make a wish! It was a red, velvet cake? I think my parents might eat some of it. My tummy has been gaining it's appetite slowly since I've had pouch-i-tis (crohn's flare up), a few weeks ago.

Thanks to ALL who gave me birthday wishes by texting, on my mom's 'Marco Polo' app, through Facebook, it meant the world to me! I had a rough morning but it turned upside down to the happier end, once I saw the Little Mermaid with my mom. Mornings have been hard on me lately. I'm still figuring it out with my Psychologist. I get nauseated, and use a warm corn bag to help settle my stomach. I wonder if it's nerves on getting up earlier? I've had a hard time being an early bird these days. Which is irnonic, considering I own two parakeets myself. 

OH wait! I almost forgot to mention, my birds seed sticks are great for them! You just attatch it to the cage and they chew their way through it! 

 

 Our family has been SO blessed in the year of 2018. Now to await to see how my other sisters birthday turns out. Elisha's birthday is on April 7th. We shared a few birthday parties when we grew up together. We had a few at Chucky Cheeses, and at our house. I didn't mind. When we shared a room, both sides were decorated with different colors. Mine was often Yellow, and Blue, and hers was Pink and Purple. She was such a little diva princess growing up. 💗 Loved her for it though!

Oh, and I got my 3rd chocolate frog card. It was Godric Gryffindor. The founder of the house of Gryffindor. Quite amazing. I finally got another decent card. Now I have, Rubeus Hagrid, and Madame (Irma) Pince. The book I got, was a replace of the one I lost in a hotel once on a Temple trip my mom and I took a few summers ago. This one is WAY more creatively done. I'm SO glad I lost the other one to have received this one. If you're a true Harry Potter fan, Harry Potter never gets old in your world. The chocolate frog tastes like those crunch bars from the Nestle company. I think it's a company. Not sure. Haha.

I can't wait to go through it! If any of you want to borrow it, let me know! 

To sum up my birthday in one word.....FUN!
to sum up my birthday in two words.....ADVENTURE!

"To live would be an awfully big adventure." - Peter Pan

P.S. I may start quoting Disney phrases on my blog in the future. Enjoy! I hope you had fun reading up on my life! If not fun, then, I hope you were at least entertained. I try to make it a simple read. 😅

I'm also watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. 

Tucked in!

This last week, I've had what's called pouch-i-tis. If you've heard of Crohn's diseases, pouch-i-tis is basically a flare up in the lower half of the belly, and when not treated with proper foods or medication, the patient can be in serious pain. The first signs of experiencing pouch-i-tis, (at least for me) would be nausea, and going to the bathroom more frequently, and low grade fevers. I normally don't begin to feel pain until about a day into the cause, so it's not so bad, but sometimes I wish I felt it sooner, so I can treat it quicker.

How do we treat pouch-i-tis? Well, we use a very organized system.

If you have a corn bag, warm it up and place it on the pained area. It will hopefully decrease the flare up. Plus, if you're cold, it's an added bonus. Unfortunately, this time I had another side effect, known as blurry eye vision. It wasn't a migraine, but it was close to one. I couldn't see well in the light, and I always had to be in the dark, and before I took my naps, we put eye drops in to see if that will help. It did. So if you're having eye issues, try using simple eye drops.

One day, when I was in bed, my parents told me that 2 of my best friends had come by with a treat. I texted them the next day telling them how much I appreciated their thoughtful gift! It truly did make my day. As simple as Chocolate and Balloons go, anything can make a persons day a bit brighter, you never know until you do the service. Thank you girls! Don't worry, we'll get together someday soon and do something fun!

Oh, and I was supposed to volunteer at the Temple last Saturday night, but I'm glad I didn't, because later on I ended up throwing up a sauce I had at Arby's that day, (Arby's Sauce). That's another issue patience seem to struggle with while having Crohn's. You never know what foods your body will reject at a certain time of your life. It's mainly trial and error. For example: I haven't had broccoli for awhile, because last time it made me really sick. It's hard sometimes because I really love these foods, but I can only have them in moderation, or not at all. Fruits and Veggies need to be consumed in moderation, cooked veggies are easier to digest, too much fiber is bad for our bowels (weird word to mention on a blog, I know), but what can we do? I guess in the future, if I use a word that's awkward like - bowels - I'll change it to something fun like; bubbles. Haha. Okay? Okay. Now that we got that out of the way.

Another remedy that helps pouch-i-tis, is baths. A nice warm bath will help soothe your belly in more ways than one, (as it relaxes your entire body). I was lucky to take 2 baths this last week, and I use this special oil to make my skin extra soft. I suffer from eczema in the Winter. I enjoy watching movies on my iPad, and one movie I watched was Tarzan:

Today has been an interesting day, as I was supposed to volunteer at the Temple tonight as well. I chose to call in sick because I still kind of am. Have you ever heard of the term, irritated bowel syndrome? Well, I have that. and it's not fun at all. Whenever I get nervous, I feel like I need a toilet to sit on to calm my nerves, otherwise I'd go in my pants. That wouldn't be fun, or clean. So, that's one reason why I called in sick. Another reason, is that I had a hard time sleeping last night. My right ear kept making a light sprinkler sound that wouldn't turn off! I think I'm at the end of my medication too, so my IBS is in for it big time. I just need to learn to meditate and calm my nerves down whenever I'm sick, because being sick is normal. Meaning, I'm not the only person whose ever been sick. I'm so thankful for my Psychologist, because he's helped me a lot in the past, and continues to help me today, but more on him another time.

For those of you who don't know this, I have 2 parakeets, Phoebe and Kirby. They always make me happy when I'm feeling a bit under the weather. I'm so blessed to have a support system who takes care of me at home too!

Brain Power

Our life is like rollercoaster. We have school, work, household chores, church (for those who have a religion), hobbies, and lots, lots more. Not only that, but scientific research shows, that we only use one tenth of our brain capacity, and personally, I've always wondered what would happen to one human being (or even all of us), if we used more than one tenth of our brain's full potential. I mean think about it, if we used all our brain cells, could we be able to:

• Levitate objects?
• Skim a long book, and still remember each detail?
• Control the weather?
• Teleport to places?
• Live a longer life?
• Take advanced College courses and pass without taking a single note? On top of scoring high numbers on our homework assignments, quizzes, tests, etc.?
• Seeing where things are moving with our eyes closed?

What do YOU think humans would be able to accomplish if we had more brain power? Think about it, and as you continue reading on, feel free to write a comment in the comments section. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts on this subject.

For those of you who may not know me, I'm very aware of my bodily symptoms. If something goes wrong, I want to find out what the issue is, and get it fixed instantly so nothing gets too serious. However, it can be dangerous to overthink the situation, because our minds are so powerful, that often enough, whatever is wrong with our body can get worse! For example: small waves of nausea keep bubbling up within side of me, and when my mind lures towards the symptom, I might actually rush to the toilet throw up.

*One smart tip: stay ahead of any pain you may be experiencing, by taking medicine to reduce your struggle(s). I took the initiative, and swallowed a pill to help the nausea go away. Don't worry about me.* 

This is why I'm starting this blog. To help those of you understand your body more, and to hopefully put a smile on your face, to find ways to make your life as happy and optimistic as mine is, no matter how impossible life may be sometimes.*

Progress

It's nearly been 8 weeks, and when I arrived at Physical Therapy last week, I asked if I can start learning how to walk up and down the stairs again. They said, "yes." Now, the first time I did it, Jared had me use the half sized step, and a leash to hold me in case if I fell. This time, as you can see, I used more of a full-sized step, and no one stood by me, knowing I had full control over my quad.

I only did one step 'up-and-down' in this video, but overall I did about 10+. I felt much improved. When I'm home, I try to remind myself that I can easily walk up the stairs while using my bad knee. In fact, my bad knee isn't all bad anymore! I think my right quad is truly stronger than my left.