Update

Well, it's been about 6 weeks since my colonoscopy and figuring everything out with my doctors.  If you haven't heard, my diagnosis was/is ulcerative colitis.  Whenever I tell people what I have, they look horrified but to be honest, a diagnosis has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. Living with so many unknowns and question marks is down right frightening at times...and very overwhelming.

So now, I feel like I have a plan.  I know what I'm supposed to do every day (take my medicine).  And that's about it.  I've been trying to keep track of any foods that hurt my stomach, but so far, there hasn't been too much of that.  Obviously foods that are super greasy and/or super fatty don't really sit well in my stomach, but I didn't think they would.  Double cheeseburgers don't sit well with some "normal" people.

Some of the only things I've really had to "deal with" (if you can call it that) is learning a new "normal" as well as figuring out the side effects of prednisone, which is the steroid that I'm taking.  Overall, I'm realizing just how awful my stomach was and that I was totally unaware of what normal people feel like on a daily basis. My symptoms were completely abnormal, and I had no idea!  Crazy huh!?  So, that's nice.  It's nice to be normal, regular, average.  You know.  Just like everybody else.  Plus, it sure makes teaching a lot easier.  90-minute class periods are a looooooong time, if you know what I mean...

The medicine does have some side effects (which are totally worth it by the way--just for the record, I'm not complaining; simply informing).  The meds sometimes make me feel kinda revved up--like I've had about 5 cups of Starbucks coffee.  Thus, I don't always sleep very well.  Up until this point, I have always been a deep, deep sleeper.  We're talking sleep-walking, sleep-talking. Sleeping for hours.  Sleeping anywhere.  Sleeping in for hours and hours on weekends. You name it.  Ha.  Those days are gone.  When MK rolls over, I wake up.  When Bailey moves in her kennel, I'm up.  Ugh.  And some mornings I am awake sooo stinking early.  And I can't go back to sleep.  It's frustrating, but like I said, it's totally worth it.  I also feel like I'm always hot.  Like hot flashes hot.  I can't cool off.  I don't know what that's about.  Now, the weight gain...not really worth it.  But I guess I should just be thankful that I lost a decent amount of weight in the month of December...thankfully I am not on these meds forever.  Only about 3 more weeks...yay!!!!

I have a follow-up appointment with my GI specialist next week, and hopefully we'll figure out where to go from here...he told me that I would be on medication for the rest of my life, so I'm anxious to figure out what that means.  I really have no idea what I will find out, but hopefully I will not be on this medication for too much longer.    :)   I'll be sure to let you know what I find out.

Sooooooooooo that's all for now, folks.  God has been gracious and given me snow days at some point during the last 2 weeks.  This week has felt long, but that's because it was a full 5-day work week.  I'm hoping after some rest and relaxation this weekend that I will perk up a little.  I'm wiped today!  Thanks for your concern and your continued prayers. I appreciate you all!