So, concerning the missing post, whatever! I will try to cover the highlights...
For those of you who haven't seen Fibonacci in a while, I thought you would enjoy seeing this recent picture of him. I think Kate took this on New Year's Day.
For those of you who haven't seen Fibonacci in a while, I thought you would enjoy seeing this recent picture of him. I think Kate took this on New Year's Day.
Isn't he photogenic? A real ham. Can't keep him away when cameras are in use.
Matt, here is the long-await bargain revelation. $2.00. Why so cheap?
See the next picture . . .Matt, here is the long-await bargain revelation. $2.00. Why so cheap?
No feet!
So, I just planted him!
I will not get into as many details as were lost, but I wanted to give an update on my health. It is very good that I had my gallbladder out. The doctor said the duct was very tiny (an anatomy issue I inherited from my dad.) I believe there is more going on with me though. There is a specific area in my stomach that is still hurting. Definitely brought on by food, and I am thinking this is not because the gallbladder is gone. This pain started last February. I am really watching the foods I eat to see if specific ones trigger it. In all, I have lost 47 pounds from not being able to eat. Before the surgery, I was down to a vegan diet and salmon.
After the surgery I started eating again but about a week after, the pain started again. This time, all I could tolerate were fruits and vegetables. Beans, rice, anything else, caused a horrible, burning pain. I was a pale parchment-yellow color, and I even scared myself when I looked in the mirror. The doctor was concerned that I had either a blockage in the common duct, a problem with my sphincter of Oddi, (I didn't even know I had a sphincter of Oddi! You have one too!) or an injury from the surgery, so he ordered some blood tests and an MRI. I found out about these tests one hour before I had to be at the hospital. I was very sick, and in my pajamas when the call came. Fun times.
So, to make an already long story shorter than it could be, everything looked fine. I am grateful, once again, that those concerns were laid to rest, but I would really like to know what is wrong with me. Fifteen of those 47 pounds were lost in three weeks after the surgery. Finally, when even fruits started hurting me, I decided I was going to eat food and hurt. I really felt I was compounding health issues by not getting proper nutrition. I was an unwilling anorexic. I had just finished eating my first meal, when my mom called and asked how I was doing. I told her I had eaten food, and was expecting to start hurting in a while. She told me to go eat some honey and cinnamon. I did, and amazing but true, the burning pain did not come back. I still had a milder pain that usually took turns with the worse pain, but in a few days that calmed down too.
After a while I stopped with the honey because I have hypoglycemia and it
seemed to be affecting my sugar levels, and now, the pain is back. I am so frustrated with this. But, I am continuing to eat food. I won't let myself be afraid of food again. Hopefully I can figure something out here. The doctors I have seen are baffled. I am praying for either a solution to the pain, or the grace to live with it.
Well, I spent more time on this than I had planned, but at least you know where I am. Those of you who pray, please do. I know that God will work even this together for good. He always does. Also, its not anywhere near what Jesus went through.
P.S. The spellchecker does not like the word Oddi. I do!
After the surgery I started eating again but about a week after, the pain started again. This time, all I could tolerate were fruits and vegetables. Beans, rice, anything else, caused a horrible, burning pain. I was a pale parchment-yellow color, and I even scared myself when I looked in the mirror. The doctor was concerned that I had either a blockage in the common duct, a problem with my sphincter of Oddi, (I didn't even know I had a sphincter of Oddi! You have one too!) or an injury from the surgery, so he ordered some blood tests and an MRI. I found out about these tests one hour before I had to be at the hospital. I was very sick, and in my pajamas when the call came. Fun times.
So, to make an already long story shorter than it could be, everything looked fine. I am grateful, once again, that those concerns were laid to rest, but I would really like to know what is wrong with me. Fifteen of those 47 pounds were lost in three weeks after the surgery. Finally, when even fruits started hurting me, I decided I was going to eat food and hurt. I really felt I was compounding health issues by not getting proper nutrition. I was an unwilling anorexic. I had just finished eating my first meal, when my mom called and asked how I was doing. I told her I had eaten food, and was expecting to start hurting in a while. She told me to go eat some honey and cinnamon. I did, and amazing but true, the burning pain did not come back. I still had a milder pain that usually took turns with the worse pain, but in a few days that calmed down too.
After a while I stopped with the honey because I have hypoglycemia and it
seemed to be affecting my sugar levels, and now, the pain is back. I am so frustrated with this. But, I am continuing to eat food. I won't let myself be afraid of food again. Hopefully I can figure something out here. The doctors I have seen are baffled. I am praying for either a solution to the pain, or the grace to live with it.
Well, I spent more time on this than I had planned, but at least you know where I am. Those of you who pray, please do. I know that God will work even this together for good. He always does. Also, its not anywhere near what Jesus went through.
P.S. The spellchecker does not like the word Oddi. I do!
3 comments:
Thanks for the pictures. I think I can actually recognize him in that first picture, there is actually enough visible through the hand that can be seen. ;-)
I like the planted rooster. It looks like a good use for a footless chicken.
Wow, it is quite interesting to read about your food travails. It does sound as though your body loves to baffle medical professionals. I will be praying for you. Healing and/or grace.
In the meantime I hope you can continue to enjoy your honey, at least periodically.
~Matt
It might be worth keeping a food log. At the very least you could see which foods cause the strongest reactions and see if they have anything in common (like high in certain nutrients).
Thanks to both of you. It is pretty easy to tell what is bothering me because so little doesn't, but I can try keeping a log. This time, I am eating even though it hurts. I have no desire to look as scary I did a month ago again. My coloring is actually normal now and my eyes no longer cause one to think of Discworld's grim reaper.
I did have someone suggest that I may be sensitive to gluten, but there is so much more that causes the problem. I have tried eating no grains, it doesn't make much difference.
I don't know if this could be behind it, but with all of the antibiotics I have had this year, I am going to try rebuilding my intestinal flora and taking some things to fight yeast. I will keep exploring options.
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