I’m shocked to be posting this so soon but … I guess I’m back?

Health issues came to a head pretty quickly after my last post. I remained in bed in non-stop pain Sunday through Wednesday AM, and finally threw in the towel, called my GI and said I needed help. He had me come in immediately (not an easy task when moving or getting up is extremely painful) so Jeffrey helped me shower, dress, and pack a bag (We knew where this was going.) To nobody’s surprise, my GI sent me to the ER and by 1:30pm Wednesday, I was lying on a gurney in the ER, pumped full of morphine and in my own little pocket of heaven. (Aaahhh, morphine.)

I was sent for a CT scan, whereupon it was determined I was in a Crohn’s flare-up (my intestines were inflamed) which explains all the pain. I was admitted to the hospital for what turned into a two night stay during which I was pumped full of IV fluids, antibiotics, and steroids for two days and kept on a liquid diet of broth, jello, tea, and sherbet cups. (Which was like a feast for me after days of being to unable to even SIP something without experiencing cramping pain.)

Here was my Wednesday – Friday stay in my luxurious private hospital suite with a view.

Knowing I’d likely be admitted to the hospital and not allowed visitors, Jeffrey had the foresight to pack me a bedside buddy:

The bottom pick is after a day of fluids and steroids and being pain free for over 24 hours, for the first time since December 2020.

What made this whole thing shocking was that it was “just a flare up” of Crohn’s. No intestinal obstruction or twisted bowel, no surgical intervention needed, no new layer of disease or body breakdown. We had ourselves convinced I wasn’t coming back from this whole and unblemished, but we were wrong (thankfully.) Just a quick 2- night stay in a hospital with steroids and BAM! It was like the last 8-12 weeks just washed away and I was perfectly fine. So Friday morning they discharged me and sent me home with a simple prescription for Prednisone and a “stay well.” That NEVER happens to me. It’s always a long haul recovery and new dietary restrictions or discoveries that I have some new condition or chronic illness to contend with. Not this time – and I am so NOT complaining about that.

I am now safely, soundly, and happily home with hubby and hounds (and grateful to be) walking around like the last 2-3 months never happened and it was all just a bad dream.

My welcome home crew resting peacefully (and deservedly so) yesterday after a long and stressful ordeal:

I can’t believe this was all resolved so quickly but I am so beside myself with joy and relief that it was. So I guess my dark and doom-filled last post was a bit heavier handed than was necessary (although completely true at the time.) While it has been an awful, painful, almost unbearable two months…it is all over now and I’m feeling like my old, sassy self once again.

Now, if only I can keep the 45 lbs I lost from coming back, which won’t be easy, since I accidentally ordered 4 cases of pudding (96 pudding cups) , instead of 4 packs of pudding (8 cups) for my “road to recovery” (for which I need to remain on a low residue diet.)

Oops:

On a side note, through the diligence of a good friend, just before everything hit critical mass, I secured my first vaccination shot (Pfizer) at SUNY Albany on Sunday, February 21st. Side-effects from the shot may have amped up my symptoms, but I don’t regret getting it one bit. Second shot scheduled for March 14th, 3 weeks to the day from my first shot.

It may just be a happy 50th birthday in May fir me this year after all.

Thanks for the well-wishes, everyone.

Stay safe!

Sassybear