Hiatus

I took a hiatus. Did you notice?

HA!

I haven't written on this blog for 4 years, but my heart and mind have not moved far away from it.

Writing about my experience with chronic illness was very cathartic for me. Sharing what I wrote gave me a voice, and through speaking out I also found support, and not the criticism I feared.

I left this place because I began to feel overwhelmed. While I have written many things I haven't posted, I couldn't find all of the right words, or never felt "ready" to share certain experiences. In addition to the upkeep of a blog, my children grew to ages where they have homework and activities and are on the go - often requiring parental attendance or rides. Trying to manage a career, home, and children is challenging - and adding blog maintenance on top of it seemed to increase my anxiety, not reduce it.

And still, I think of my experiences, what I've written, and the chronic illness community I've become connected to often. And I remember my blog. There are days I grow frustrated with myself, my children, or my disease; even the news and the world. I sometimes feel that frustration building within me, and being unsure of what to do with it. And then I think, "my blog would be a good way to channel some of this."

Alas, when I finally have the time to write, I'm exhausted.

But I'm going to try anyway. December 1-7 is Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week, and I've decided that I will share posts here that I've been sharing on my personal Facebook page. And after that, maybe I'll share some old ones. Maybe I'll dust off some of the things I've written, and that will inspire me. Even if no one reads any of it, sharing a little is better than none, if it at least helps me release what I need to.

The content won't always be about Crohn's, or educational. Some of it will be about the challenges of parenting. Or pictures of my dog. But still, this is my place, and you're still welcome to come visit.

xo,
H.

Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week, December 1-7

Hello! I'm back, after an unexpected 6 month hiatus.

Where have I been? Busy with summer, road trips, family affairs, and taking some time to heal. But I'll get back to that.

In 2011, the U.S. Senate designated December 1-7 as Crohn's and Colitis Awareness week, and I would like to take this opportunity to 1) Help raise awareness and 2) return to my blog.

I'll share here what I shared last night with my friends on Facebook:

Today is the first day of Crohn's and Colitis Awareness week, which was first established by the Senate in 2011 to encourage people in the U.S. to join in the effort to cure these diseases.

I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2005. I've had one surgery, 4 hospitalizations, and several ER visits. I'm one of the lucky ones. I didn't "catch" it, nor did I do anything to cause it. "Eating healthy" won't fix me, nor is Crohn's limited to the digestive tract. Even when things are going well, I can suffer from pain, fatigue, and malnourishment, among other symptoms. Crohn's can present life-threatening, and even fatal, complications.

This photo was taken in 2011, when I was hospitalized and Chris brought the boys to visit. It was a bittersweet moment, but given the complications I suffered, I was glad to be alive.
If you have questions, I am happy to answer them, and am always thankful for people who inquire or provide support. Thanks for listening - Carpe Diem!

I hope this finds you well!

What is IBD (and what's the difference between Crohn's and Colitis?)

It's difficult to explain what IBD is, but this video does an excellent job of explaining the diseases in regular language, and with illustrations. If you have a few minutes, please take the time to watch:

Last Day of Kindergarten

Yesterday was W's last day of Kindergarten. Doesn't he look enthused about it?

W on a cool, rainy morning. Where is spring this year?

Actually, he was. He was also sad, because he had a great year, and loved his teachers and will miss them. What a lucky kid! We've really had such a great experience with his school.

I know that this is one of my child's milestones, but sometimes I am amazed at how quickly time goes, and how much life has changed in the past 6-7 years. We've managed to get our first baby through Kindergarten. How did that happen so quickly? Weren't we just painting the nursery? Wasn't it just yesterday that he cut his first teeth?

One of my favorite things about having children is the opportunity to see things anew through their eyes. This includes Kindergarten, and I am enjoying it so much. Life for our son is still so amazing; it's simple and new and fun. As adults we tend to muddle things up and over complicate things. Do we do that to ourselves, or is that just the way it is?

I know that next year will bring more homework, and I'm not looking forward to it, because the little we had to do this year was already a challenge to fit into our schedule. But we'll worry about that in the fall. For now, I'm just going to take in our son enjoying his summer, and learn as many new things along side him as I can.

Inspirational

If you haven't heard of Zach Sobiech, his battle with terminal cancer, and his song, "Clouds," which has risen on several music charts, please take the time to learn about him. Zach died on May 20th due to a rare form of bone cancer. Here he is performing "Clouds," one of the songs he wrote and recorded in his final months of life. Listen to it, and then download it.

 

Because Zach's story has been covered by local media, I've been following it for awhile. To say that Zach is an inspiration somehow feels like an understatement. This kid was utterly amazing, and so is his family.

Today, I finally took the time to sit down to watch the entire "My Last Days" documentary filmed by SoulPancake. It's just over 22 minutes long, and I encourage you to watch it, too. Make sure you have some tissues handy, because it will move you to tears. But it will also make your heart swell.