Mood:
celebratoryNow Playing: Day 573-The Final Road To Survival
Today's the day! It's time to kiss this decade goodbye and welcome in a new one! WHOAHOA! Now it sure wouldn't be a birthday without the ole GP monsters paying a visit now would it? So that would be at 1pm when I just thought maybe I got over a wave of nausea and vomiting. Nope, because that would leave me with a GP FREE birthday right? Right! 
I got a fairly decent night of rest. I now have a daily routine down with my Zofran. Usually it makes me a bit tired but after taking it so often its starting to lose the side affect along with zapping most of the nausea. Last thing I need is to become immune to the only medication I can take so sadly I have to cut back a bit starting tomorrow and maybe just bring more Peppermint drops with me in my purse when I go out anywhere. My family is getting together at a local fondue restaurant this evening which happens to be one of my favorites so sorry Mr. GP if you don't settle down then I guess you are coming along for the birthday festivities.
This morning at 10:30am my friend said he woke up to the sound of the doorbell and what appeared to be a forest in a huge vase, heeheehee! No silly, instead it was a beautiful arrangement of flowers sent to me for my birthday then thirty minutes later another knock at the door brought a dozen of gourmet cookies-more like 'NONO' cookies but a few bites here and there won't hurt but this time I do need to be careful. Family and friends still try their hardest to remember what I can or can't have but its hard for them seeing most people can eat without ending up in the local ER but with this gal I have to really be careful. With all the nausea and vomiting I don't need any reminders since I now get them on a daily basis. I also got many nice cards and lots of birthday greetings sent via text, email and voice mail messages through out the day.
By 4:30pm me and my friend headed out to meet up with family. So I had to bring Mr. GP but no worries seeing no matter what each day brings you still have to get out there and live life. I refuse to waste more precious time that I already lost over the past eight years so if I want to do something or go somewhere I am going! Crawl there? OK. Wheelchair? Sure. Cane it all the way? Why not because I won't stop living and life doesn't stop evolving.
So today I celebrated the first day of many happy beginnings. There are nothing but positive changes ahead for this new decade of my life. It was indeed a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Thank you to family, friends and loved ones for all your thoughtful gifts, cards and messages. You truly made my day a memorable one! Thank YOU from the bottom of my heart XOXOXOXOX... 
Its one more day before I make that final turn. That final exit out of my 30's and into my 40's. EEK!
OK. To be exact my boots!
I have this one pair that I just refuse to let go of due to #1 they are comfortable and #2 I just was always too sick to take the time to find a new pair to replace them. 
Today was the day my friend vowed if need be take a Port O'Potty with us and head to the mall to find me some souls. NEW SOULS! Hahahaha!
My friend also chuckled and lets just say there isn't strong enough superglue to hold them together for another decade. Hahahaha!
Tomorrow is a day to celebrate. Celebrate life. I am fortunate and beyond blessed to be a living, breathing, walking miracle. My doctors always tell me, "Kimberly, you have been through hell and back but your strength has allowed you to survive. You are a survivor and its your determination that makes us fight harder for you to continue living the best life we can give you." After over 8 years of fighting today I can look back and say, "It was worth it. Life is always worth it and YOU are worth fighting for!" Amen. 
hug me
By the time I finally got up it was 1pm. I let the fur kids outside and started with the normal house chores getting blankets put away, feeding the kitty gang, etc. Once I was able to finally look outside the wheelchair ramp was quickly coming along. It looks surreal seeing the ramp slowly come to life. Maybe its because for years I tried playing the 'Superwoman' role wearing my cape as if I wasn't aware of my limitations due to being sick. Maybe it also was because of people who surrounded me who acted like I wasn't sick or avoided me due to changes in my life from being sick. Now a new side of me is being embraced and now I fully accept me with all my limitations. This will never mean I am giving up or giving in because no matter how many hits or punches come my way I will always do my best to fight back and continue defying the odds.
Later this evening once I got my Hell-In-A-Jug together, chaser glass of Hawaiian punch and a few pieces of hard candy I paused for a moment to look outside at those working hard to complete the wheelchair ramp. I was touched. I was touched that although they know about my medical condition they are not fully aware of all the limitations that it places in my life. What they do know is that they 'care.' They care about my well being. They care about making life a bit easier for me. They care about me and caring shows support. I have come to realize its OK embracing support from others and its OK for me to take it. I guess after years of giving support because it helps me with my own journey I never realized that at the end of the day you also need your own form of support. Your own support team.
It's the start of a new week and the first day of new changes in my life! First one I woke up to at 11:30am as the sounds of hammers brought new hope as the ground work begins on the new wheelchair ramp. 
I tried a few small bites of solid food today. I guess I was feeling a bit bold but hours later once it drops out of my stomach it never seems to make it past my upper right side intestines then I get the pressure feeling, severe nausea and then I either suffer for awhile or vomit. Clearly as my surgeons said, "Your intestines are a paralyzed twisted mess. Your upper right colon is fused to your liver and the part of your small intestine that drops into your large intestine is extremely narrow. That is where we also had problems during your last surgery trying to unravel the huge mess."
Wow! Are they sure rushing the holiday season already or what?! I have never seen so many commercials and they all started a few days before Halloween. We have yet to even start a new month without tons of commercials. Seems Christmas has become nothing more than a quick consumer sale. One thing I sure don't regret or miss is working during the holiday season and traveling. I can remember taking hours to get home from working with one of my reps or a client when typically it would take half that time. What I do miss is being around people. I miss socializing.
My friend still has a few other things to sell at his house. Mostly furniture. Its been a very slow process but with utilizing Craigslist and Classified ads it has now started to become a huge success as he gets down to the last of the furniture. Today we went over to his house as I braved the car ride full of the typical nausea, etc. At least I was able to venture out of my house-jail a bit. It was nice to have a change of scenery seeing I am back down again with another Hell-In-A-Jug treatment Tuesday next week so just a few days away. It was nice to see all the furniture today go to good homes. Sometimes in life we are too consumed with material things and fail to forget there are others out there who would be tickled pink to have something that one just takes for granted. Some items we just gave away including a few TVs. 
A gentleman who came with his daughter and her family to buy the kid's bedroom set told a story about last year during the holiday season when him and his wife went to look for a new tree. They were going to buy a new one for their home then donate their old tree that they took with them on the way to the store. When they arrived at the store and started looking around for a new tree they came upon a young woman and her two children who were there as well looking for a Christmas tree however had a very tight budget. He told us about how they overheard her talking to one of the children about wanting a large tree to have for Santa to leave gifts under this year so he offered the young woman the tree in their car. He said, "The woman and her two children were so happy you would think they just won the lottery. It was so nice to see them all smile and they were very touched! It felt great to give back to others."
chillin'
With me not feeling well my friend and the animal gang have been working overtime around the house. We got a new big comfy recliner for the back bedroom in case I want to feel as if I am taking a little escape but seems the only ones who are getting the escape are Precious and Bear kitty. One would think it was bought just for them! Hahaha! What a life! What a life!
My friend took a few naps today as well in between my waves of nausea and vomiting. I was going nuts being stuck in the house so we attempted a few car rides but once we hit the road waves of nausea from my intestines would hit. DANG IT!
I do my best to just deal with it but I don't like vomiting in the car. Especially with the puke pan. Today I vowed to do something about it! If I am to deal with and work around this new symptom I better find a more comforting way to get sick while out on the road. Sure it sounds gross but when you are dealing with Gastroparesis one has to get creative. AMEN!
Later this evening we attempted to get some more toiletries at the local Target store which is right by my house. I also needed a few others things I was running low on as far as fluids. I was also determined to find something other than that darn yellow puke pan. It seems to go wherever I go lately so while we were at the store I made my way to the garbage bag isle looking to see what I could find. Right in front of me were these new extra large Hefty zip lock freezer bags. Hmmmmm...THIS COULD WORK! Not only did it work but they come in handy and fit in the car glove compartment or side of the seat. It sure beats taking a large puke pan around with me! Now its not so obvious that I am dealing with vomiting and being sick. Now I can hide it a bit. BONUS! Its also a "zip lock" bag so need I say more? We placed a few in my friends car as well my own this way I always have them around me. Now I don't have to carry a huge obvious puke pan around with me ever again.
CHEERS!
don't ask
I agree.
not sure
So I am still having vomiting and problems getting things to stay down my intestines. What I do need to start today is the ole Drano because the pressure and swelling is at its worse. My Gastroenterologist can't force me to do treatment today but him and his assistant as well the doctor on call this past weekend are all very concerned and feel I need to at least 'try.' 
Looks like another Drano day "TAKE-TWO" tomorrow.
I tired to text my roommate-ex but of course I might as well be texting the squirrels outside. At least they might had come in to rescue me and bring the puke pan to my side. So I tried to make it to the bathroom but sadly I didn't and instead had to utilize a Walgreen's plastic bag I had on the rolling cart next to me. 
Honestly I do better standing and moving around a bit because once I lay or sit back down it hits me over and over again. I am trying to keep icepops down but of course they just seem to find their way right back up. Now I am in big trouble because my intestines in the process also need cleared. I am so swollen that I had to cut the waist on a pair of shorts I wear to lounge around the house. 
THIS IS GETTING OLD!
loud
This is the day I look forward to as I put each head onto a different body then top them all off with Santa hats and silver tinsel scarves. Now no monster Xmas holiday would be complete without some music right? Right! CHECK! GOT IT!
Wow! For once I am not the patient lying in the bed, hahahaha! Oh it was all in good fun and the looks from others who drove or stopped by was priceless! They were confused then laughing then confused then laughing. Most just HAD to take their cameras out to take a few photos. Some even posed with their children for the future holiday card this season. 
OK. That was FUNNY!