Made apple puff parcels this evening. I haven’t tried them yet but they seem to have come out ok. It’s just ready-to-use puff pastry cut into squares and put into a greased cupcake tin with apple sauce in the middle, egg wash on top and cook for about 25 mins at 200C. They didn’t take very long to make at all.
I had an appointment for Universal Credit this morning and because it was in the middle of town (which isn’t that far from where I live), we decided to do a little shopping. I got a few things for my stoma emergency kit as well as a new pair of shorts. It was a good day, even if I am a little tired from all the walking. I was a little stiff from not doing much yesterday so I think it was good to go out for a bit today.
I had a really nice afternoon today; some friends who I haven’t seen in such a long time came over, and I was able to walk (albeit slowly) to the local coffee shop and back without feeling exhausted or in pain. I think I’ll stay inside though for the next couple of days to give myself a rest; I don’t want to overdo it.
Waiting to be picked up to go to my fiance’s parents for dinner.
Also, I’m starting a new thing on my Facebook page called Selfie Sunday (because everyone seems to be doing Selfie Saturday) so feel free to post your selfies there if you want to.
It took me all day because I had to take several breaks, but I made a banana and chocolate chip cake yesterday with whipped cream in the middle and chocolate cream and sprinkles on top.
I find cooking and baking relaxing and it gives me something to focus on whilst I recover.
Made some cute heart decoration this afternoon.
Went for a little walk today and was wished “Good luck” by a complete stranger when he stopped and asked if I was alright because I was walking slowly and holding my tummy. Small amount of faith in humanity restored.
Had my stitches out this morning and the nurse said I don’t need my dressings anymore so, aside from my bag, no more annoying things stuck to my tummy!
I’m having some tea and biscuits (I’m not old, I promise!) whilst browsing YouTube and enjoying the sun outside.
I remember being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in the fall of my junior year and thinking it was a death sentence. Not immediate, but eventual. I remember also thinking that having a colectomy was the worst thing that could possibly happen to me; that any medicine was better than surgery, no matter the side effects, and that I wouldn’t be a complete person without a colon. Which was stupid because a) it meant I made the decision to undergo multiple hospitalizations and endless drug treatments over two and a half years and b) as Clare put it, “whoever said you needed a colon to kick ass was sorely mistaken.” The ostomy bag isn’t forever, and it took a lot of getting used to, and it still weirds a lot of people out, but I consider it another step in the long list of steps that I’m doing an impressive job of conquering. I’d rather have a bag of 💩hanging from my abdomen than bright red blood in the toilet, excruciating pain, anemia, fatigue, weight loss, hopelessness, colonoscopies, infusions, blood tests, and up to 30 pills a day with fun side effects like immunosuppression, anxiety, moonface, weight gain, hair growth, white blood cell loss, osteoporosis, and more. Hey, it isn’t pretty, but it’s what I’ve dealt with and there’s nothing shameful about anyone’s body or what anyone has to go through to get to happiness. So here’s the colitis patient / ostomate body positivity post that no one asked for but everyone secretly needed. Only two more surgeries to go!
Having just been through my first surgery, this was really good to read. I hope to get used to my bag and be back to “normal” before long so I can continue to live life to the fullest!
Had a bit of a scare this morning; woke up about five thirty to my stomach cramping badly enough I started crying. I had no idea what was wrong so I went to the bathroom incase it was just that I badly needed to pee. It turns out that when I changed my bag yesterday, I cut the hole a bit too small and my stoma was being squeezed a tiny bit. I’ve changed the bag with a slightly bigger hole and it feels a lot better. I think I may have also had a slight blockage as a result but I think that’s starting to clear now.
I need to be a bit more careful when changing my bag; my stoma is still pretty swollen and will be for the next six weeks or so. I also need to be careful with my food intake; I’ve over-eaten for the last two days which probably hasn’t helped. I’m going to try and stick to my recommended daily calories from now on and not allow myself to go over as much as I have. I know I need to put on weight but over-eating is clearly not the way to go.
What Can I Eat 