Does the weather make you sick?

Have You Ever Felt As Though Your Body Hates You?

It attacks you when you least expect it

Photo by Arthur Lambillotte on Unsplash

It seems like the older I get, the more body parts fail or wear out, like an old junker car. The whole disgusting process is gradual and comes when you least expect it. I think my body is getting even with me for all the abuse I subjected it to in my younger years.

This past week, I had the final medical procedure in a series of tests to determine the cause of three bowel blockages I had over 18 months. Nothing abnormal was discovered. I hadn’t had any troubles in the 8 months since my last hospitalization. So, I was feeling both relieved and encouraged about my prognosis.

I had just finished a lunch of sushi and was ready to continue putting the finishing touches on our inside Christmas decorations when suddenly I was doubled over in pain.” OMG. Not again,” I thought. I didn’t want to end up in the Emergency Room or the hospital again. It gets rather costly, especially when you never find out what’s wrong.

I hoped it was just gas, which I frequently get along with bloating, as I have IBS, (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). I began eating anti-gas tablets in hopes of easing the pain. It helped for a while, but the epigastric pain returned, this time in waves. Oddly, I felt hungry, but there was no way I was going to eat anything. I still feared another bowel blockage, even though the pain was not the same.

As the evening progressed, the pain subsided to a dull ache in my upper abdomen. It felt familiar, as if I had experienced these pains a few years ago. That’s when I had frequent gallbladder attacks, which finally resulted in the removal of my gallbladder.

During the night, I only experienced slight soreness in my stomach and intestines. In the middle of the night, I developed a fever, and when that broke, all my pain was gone. Strangely, I had to get up and pee at least 5 times during the night, which destroyed my good night’s rest.

Upon waking, my stomach was a little sore, like someone had punched me in the gut, but otherwise, I felt back to normal but tired. Thinking about what had happened, I don’t feel what bothered me last evening had anything to do with my prior bowel blockages. I think I passed a bile duct stone. Even though I no longer have a gallbladder, I can still have bile duct stones. Aren’t I lucky?

It’s discouraging to have my body attack me in this way, even though I have done my best to eat a nutritious, healthy diet. I guess our bodies never forget the wild, carefree days of our youth.

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November, Already?

The years are going by too fast

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Oh my God! It’s November already. Halloween is over, and Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day will soon be here. Worst yet, my birthday will soon follow. This March will be my 77th. 

I enjoy the holiday season, but not as much as when I was younger. I can remember waiting for the holidays and my birthday. It seemed as though they would take forever to come. Not now, though. They come way too quickly.

As I get older, my enjoyment of the holidays is clouded by the thought that there probably won’t be that many more for me to celebrate. I think of all of the past holidays I have celebrated. Some were more joyous than others, but I always looked forward to the next one. 

I can’t celebrate like I used to. I can’t drink anymore, but on the bright side, I don’t have wicked hangovers anymore. I can’t eat as much, even though I try. I gain more weight than when I was younger because I am not as active. My parents, some family members, and friends are gone, but I still have the memories.

I love celebrating the holidays with my husband, our dog, my brother and sister-in-law, our niece, and our great neighbors. I am making new memories. 

As I have grown older I have become much more sensitive to those people who are less fortunate than I, and have little to celebrate. My joy is often accompanied by depression because there is little I can do for them. I am just thankful that people are more generous and kind during the holiday season, even though they soon forget.

I don’t always look forward to the holiday season but always feel sad when it’s gone. I feel sad because I know I may not have that many more holidays to come. I also feel sad that the feelings of love and kindness that are symbolic during the holiday season are gone for another year.

But I don’t dwell on my future or how many celebrations I may have left. I enjoy seeing other people sharing their joy and happiness, many for the first time. I also feel fortunate that I have had a long lifetime of warm and happy holidays, something that too many people much younger than I have not had. I feel grateful for the time I have had, and I hope for more. 

We all must count our blessings and live our lives to the fullest, and we must do this every day, not just during the holidays.

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Just When You Thought Diarrhea Wasn’t Bad Enough

Photo by Paul Zoetemeijer on Unsplash

Diarrhea is an unpleasant topic to talk about or read about, but it’s even more unpleasant to those people who are suffering from it. Everyone, at one time or another during their lives, has to deal with this affliction. But there are millions of people with gastrointestinal disorders, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

I am one of those people who suffer from diarrhea more often than I would like to admit. When I suffer from an attack of diarrhea, I am forced to stay home if it is a nasty case, as I can’t venture too far from the bathroom. If it’s not a bad case, and it’s during the day, I can take some anti-diarrhea medicine, go to the gym, or go shopping, as long as I know there is a bathroom nearby.

There have been times when I have been afraid to drive from one location to another without having an accident. I haven’t been able to eat breakfast at a restaurant for many years because I inevitably have a sudden attack of diarrhea. It would be not only embarrassing but also disastrous.

When I have an attack during the day, even though it is unpleasant, it is not as bad as having an attack in the middle of the night. Waking up from a sound sleep with a sudden urge to go to the bathroom is frightening. Frequently, there are only a few seconds to get out of bed and make it to the toilet before my intestines explode. There have been times I didn’t make it. It’s embarrassing to say, but it does happen if you have a bowel disease.

You might say that living with this unfortunate condition cannot get worse, but it does. What makes suffering from an acute attack of diarrhea worse is that when you desperately need your anti-diarrhea medication, the pharmaceutical companies have made it extremely difficult to do so.

Drug companies have packaged their tiny pills in blister packs. Attempting to access one of the pills, I see the directions, “Cut here,” referring to a line on one of the pill chambers. This is where I have a problem. At 2 a.m., suffering from severe abdominal pain, sitting on the toilet, frequently in dim light, how in hell can I find a pair of scissors?

I’ve tried to tear the pack open but without any success. Once I find a pair of scissors or other sharp objects, I struggle to free the pill from its blister. After an ungodly amount of time, I manage to extract the pill and swallow it.

Why can’t the drug manufacturers offer these types of pills in a bottle instead of Fort Knox-like packages? Don’t they realize some older adults do not have the manual dexterity or presence of mind to retrieve their much-needed medications during a late-night attack of diarrhea? I genuinely believe that they do this intentionally.

I’m sorry for sharing such graphic details of dealing with my gastrointestinal problems, but I needed to rant in hopes it would make me feel better. I’m also forewarning my younger readers of what joys of aging lie ahead.