I haven't posted in over a month, which is surprising for me as I love to write. Or Journal. Whatever you want to call it. I know that I waffle back and forth about writing here -- who reads it? and who cares?? But as with my pictures, I write for me, for myself. And sometimes I write memories and stories because some day my kids, grandkids or greats may come across this and wonder about me. I know when I dig into the genealogy of my family, I find myself wishing I knew more about a certain moment in time.
I have a photo of my grandmother and two of her sisters, appears to be taken in the 40's. They're wearing dressing, kicking up their heels and laughing it up and I find myself wondering what the story is behind the picture: who took it, was it some kind of event or celebration, or just some random moment captured in a timeless photo?
So maybe at some point this blog will do the same for someone years from now.
I've not written because I've not been in the best of health. Since having my gall bladder out in Oct 2014, things just haven't been right. I'll go for a couple of months and be fine, then a pain will build up in the upper right quadrant. Remember being a kid and running so hard, so fast that you get a "stitch in your side"? That's how this feels, and along with the stitch, or pulling sensation, every step aggravates it -- and I'm a walker, so I aggravate it plenty each and every day. I've tried keeping a food journal to see if there's a reaction to something I am eating.
I drove myself to the ER on Jan 3 because I was having what felt exactly like the gall bladder attack I had -- even though I had it removed. I had come home from work, did a few chores, ate dinner, taken a shower and climbed into bed and then "it" hit me. I was feverish with stomach cramps and thought perhaps I was going to pass out from the pain. Which is when I decided that I should drive myself while I was still functioning! They stuck me with an IV, and did a CT scan and found nothing, but said I was dehydrated and shocky. That might have been from the panic I was feeling when it came on so suddenly. Funny how when some kind of attack hits, you start to think the worst, right? Ugh. Four hours later, they released me and I tumbled in to bed and slept. But while the abdominal cramping has subsided, I still have the weird pain in my right side. Some days it's worse than others, but I'm able to make it through a work day, and home to walk Sadie, but then I'm collapsing into bed. Your energies are depleted when you move through your days with constant pains.
After reading up on IBS, and because I can't seem to find anything else that fits the bill, I'm going to try some food changes and increase some supplements. People with IBS and this same symptom say that caffeine aggravates the condition -- and maybe that's true, because I feel better when I drink apple juice in place of my morning Diet Coke. So that's the first thing to go. I'll also cut out dairy and increase veggies. I've been eating home made chicken vegetable soup that I make using a bag of "power" greens: kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, etc, that's all shredded, perfect for soups. Good nutrition and the heat seems to relax the tightness.
Long meandering walks with Sadie at the local riparian pond is a good way to ease some of the strains of this whole mess - with an added bonus of taking neat photos!
Sadie is a social dog, most pugs are. When we walk during busy afternoons at the park, it takes a long time - she likes to stop and greet every person, every dog, and is very patient with the kids who want to pet her as well.
