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A Personal Post: Medical

Posted on by Lantiis

Some of this may be TMI.

Consider yourself warned.

As many of you know, I have IBS-D and was put on Loperamide to help control it for the last year+. Well, a couple weeks ago, I started seeing a nutritionist thru the VA, and she started me on the Low-FODMAP diet which is apparently for IBS sufferers. ((wtf my gastric doctors didn’t do this is beyond me, but whatever…))

To say that I am pleased so far on this diet is an understatement. Three weeks in and I can see and feel improvement. On this diet, I have one or two episodes every day to two days – a huge improvement over 2 or 3 a day on the Loperamide or 6 to 7 a day with nothing to help at all. This improvement alone makes me want to keep the diet, but there is more…

The gas, swelling, cramping, and overall constant discomfort in my stomach and chest area has lessened. My pants are fitting again – I haven’t lost any weight yet they are needing to be pulled up or worn with a belt! Also, the acid reflux has almost completely went away!!! Hooray for no more heartburn!

So three weeks into a six week trial, and my brain is already weighing the pros and cons of this Low-FODMAP diet.

  • PRO: Reduction in pain / symptoms beyond the ability of medication

  • PRO: Feel better; look better (I have needed this boost for a while!)

  • PRO: Less embarrassing bathroom trips and bowel episodes…

  • PRO: Easier to work, go out, spend time with family / friends, etc

  • CON: BUT IS EXPENSIVE!!! More expensive than medication alone…

So the big con here is $$$ (really the only con besides no chocolate) … But I am leaning towards it being worth a lifelong hit to my pocketbook for relief and the ability to have a life most of the time. Right now I have to plan everything according to bathroom locations and time / travel between those locations. I bring an empty ice cream bucket in my car for sudden episodes between bathroom locations – and have had to use it on the side of the road!! I can only imagine what travelling without spare clothes, towels, wet wipes, poop bucket, toilet paper, and an abundance of plastic bags would be like! And to reduce the embarrassment of bathroom trips would be spectacular!

I don’t know what money can or can’t buy in life for everyone, but I know what I want in my life and for my life. If making a lifestyle change like this will bring all this relief but cost a little extra money, then I think it is time to re-evaluate my budget.

Granted I am only 3-weeks into a 6-week trial, but the results have spoke for themselves so far. I will wait and let my nutritionist weigh in too, but I think she will probably think what I am thinking: Go for it! And as of right now, I think that is what I will be doing – no longer a 6-week trial but a new way to live!

Bipolar Mania then Depression and some art stuff…

Posted on by Lantiis

The Rollercoaster Ride is Almost Done?

I have been sitting on my own personal ticking time bomb. I was doing so well. I should have expected it, but I didn’t. However on about day 3 of not sleeping, I knew I was having a bipolar episode – and I was at the point of it coming to a close. That seems like a mighty relief except that when the mania ends, a crash often begins…
And so the crash began. I have survived the worst of it. I am not going to go into details, but I was out yesterday with my daughter grocery shopping, we’ve made cookies, and while I am not at 100% yet, the sketchy scary part seems to be done with. Now it is just Emma and I vs the world haha! Really though, Emma is a Godsend during these troubling times!
I did forget her backpack this morning tho… Ugh. However it isn’t a loss since today is Parent Lunch Day with her class! Wish me luck as I navigate the school to find the cafeteria lol I am so directionally challenged!!!
The other half of this is some medical issues requiring an outpatient surgury coming up in the near future. The 411 here is they can’t find my IUD – I got back this week from the ultrasound where they located it – definitely not where it belongs I am told. So now that my doctor has those results, I am just waiting on a call to figure out when she can put me on the table and surgically remove it. :/ Not so much fun to look forward to, especially with my anxiety getting into the mix. Basically my anxiety is telling me I will die for sure.  It is agonizing. If anyone could offer words of encouragement, that would be great <3

Kenly and Duryn for Kenlybop

This is a work I did for a friend. We are sort of doing an exchange of sorts where I create for her and she for me. These are Kenly and Duryn, both vampires. I still have two more to do for her but those will come later XD
I really like how I did their jewelry in this. I was kind of told they wear it ie Kenly only wears silver and a choker with an ankh plus three earrings in each ear. I just took the description and went with it and then mimic’d it on her boyfriend, Duryn. Her earrings… I want LOL
Kenly’s hair was a B*TCH. I love how it turned out but it wasn’t easy to get it to where I liked it enough to say “Ok” and move on to another part of the work. I am likewise in love-hate with Duryn’s hair. I really wish I had the skill to really make his POP like Kenly’s hair.
The make-up and skin was kind of tricky. Pale skin is pale lol Silver is pale lol There is a lot of pale here XD It contrasts so well with the darker reds and gray/blacks. And Kenly just backing into Duryn “on accident” is kind of sweet along with her mischevious smile…

House and Sniffer Drama

Posted on by Lantiis

OMG Have you EVER?!

I am not even playing. Last week towards the weekend, our deep freeze stopped cooling. Well, I didn’t notice because Emma was at her dad’s, so I had no need to access the freezer contents. I just laid low and did my own thing: ran errands, did some art, cleaned, reorganized a few things… you know, adulting-like stuff. Come Monday tho, my nose knew something was brewing…

I got home from work on Monday and immediately noticed a faint putrefication smell coming from… I had no idea where! I checked everything and then, when all else failed, I cleaned the garbage disposal unit thinking that MUST be it. A few minutes after that, I opened the deep freeze to decide on dinner. HUGE MISTAKE lol.

You know that curse we all have where if something is horrible you just keep on looking – you literally can’t look away? Well I was choking on stank fumes unable to look away from the carnage inside my freezer (now dubbed Hell). Anyways, for those interested in knowing, Hell is filled with a putrefied sampling of blood, goo, and box bits that slosh back and forth quite rhythmically. The beef, OMG, that was horrible to see and smell. The pork too! Don’t even get me started on the chicken! And the poor pizza and fries left melting in Satan’s urine… The whole thing was intensely nasty – sight and smell…

But the kicker is – after cleaning out the offending plane of Hell from the innards of my freezer (RIP a good work shirt, two bath towels, a washcloth, an entire roll of paper towels, and the inside of my city trash bin…) – THE SMELL LINGERED. All throughout the house. As strong as if Hell were still upon us!! That happened Monday – today is Thursday. TODAY MY HOUSE STILL SMELLS but at least it isn’t deathly rank and putrid like on day one. The smell gets a little fainter each day… But I am terrified to open that damn freezer again! We are basically living with the AC off and windows open when at home just to survive!

And it is still sitting there – in the kitchen – a giant white landmine. I opened it on Tuesday to put some Freezer Baking Soda boxes in it – oh LORT THAT WAS FOUL! I got all 4 boxes of baking soda in there, but not without serious sniffer rammifications.

….. I swear that stench stains the inside of your nose ….