Symptom Showdown

The number of times I have emptied my stomach of everything that was in it in the past two weeks has been a lot higher than it has been in the last year and a half at least. It mainly happens in the morning is when I feel the sickest... and strangely enough the most hungry. I get up and generally don't feel sick at all, and then I'll happy dive into some kind of breakfast and then not minutes later it's making an grand exit of my insides. The effort to make that happen, and the lack of energy I already have is generally enough to put me in bed for at least four or five hours. Even then I shake like crazy when I pull myself out of bed because my body has used up so much energy and has had nothing to refill it.

I think some of the problem stems from one of the pills I was given to cut down on stomach acid. I wonder if it doesn't cut down on it TOO much and so when stuff hits my stomach there is nothing there to digest it so it feels like a ton of bricks and my body says, "Nope, closed for business. Try us again in eight to ten hours..." Which is perhaps, why I am able to eat just about anything in the evening without any problems keeping it where it belongs.

I cut the pill from my nightly pill intake (yeah, down to seven from eight!!) and this morning, while I did feel sick, I also helped it along by not eating solid food. My old friend "ensure" came by for a visit and it seems to do a pretty good job staying where food is supposed to stay right after consuming it. "Ensure" is also my lunch plan today as well.

If there is anything that I have been reminded of in the past week or so is that mostly digested food is fine to throw up, but non-digested food is like throwing up rocks. (Well... maybe I shouldn't be eating rocks...) I am sure parts of this ventures into the TMI arena. It is also why I haven't said much the past week or so. I've been in between feeling several types of horrible.

Last week I was able to get my new tooth installed and it fits and looks just like the other teeth. The doc said that should last for 15-20 years assuming I stay away from the super-sticky things. (Not really that big of a sacrifice for me...) That is another medical saga that finally has an ending. Maybe not as complex as some of my other medical issues, but frankly, I can't imagine spending as much time at the dentist as I have at the hospital.

We also started our new small group last week as well. We mixed it up this time around and decided to go with a group that was going to be a little smaller, so we added ourselves. Plus we figured it was a chance to get to know some new people we hadn't known as well/ hung out with as much.

We're going to have having a rash of visitors in the next couple months. Feb will see "the guys" I grew up with hanging out down in Galveston. (They are coming down from Seattle) Then I have another scan in the first part of March, and then Lisa's Siblings are coming for a week or so around Rodeo time. Then in April I have a meeting that I'd like to attempt to make in Colorado Springs, so we'll probably spend some time there then. And then... well... who knows?

I haven't gotten back to book writing like I had originally planned or hoped. Mainly because of the desolation that barely eating and then throwing up has wracked on my body, and it took so much energy the first time I wasn't sure what I would be digging into this next time. The book isn't in a linear fashion... so technically I can write it in whatever order I want... maybe I'll spend some time focusing on things that aren't as difficult.

Prayer requests would be for my health, that I can resolve something so I don't feel so sick all the time. (I am seeing supportive care on Friday) Also Lisa and I are trying to make a financial decision and while we have been praying about it we haven't really gotten a solid "yes" or "no" yet. So we wait. Also, prayers for the book, that God would give me the words to say, as I don't always have them.

~B.
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