In doing my research on my quest for good self care techniques, two things are always on the list that I tend to overlook. Especially lately. Eating well and drinking water.
Okay so I don't drink iced coffee but I barely eat and hardly drink anything anymore. I know this is a super important part of self care and I am really trying to work hard on changing it.
Since I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease all the way back in 1995, I have had 150 lbs. of weight gain and loss from my lowest weight to my highest weight. Yes, that was one hundred and fifty pounds! All without surgery or any kind of diet or trying to lose or gain. The gain was mostly medicine related and the loss was from being sick. I am on the lower end of the scales now and, I can't lie, I'd rather be slimmer than heavier (because society tells me I should be skinny but to love myself no matter what my size is. Somehow that's confusing.), but what is currently happening with my appetite and weight is not healthy. I have lost so much weight in the last several months I hardly recognize myself. I am trying to eat, I really am, but I have virtually no appetite anymore and eating has become more than just difficult, it's actually something I have to force myself to do. I managed to eat three spoonfuls of cottage cheese and a few small pieces of turkey today. And that's all I'll have. I can't eat anything else. I just can't do it. Food doesn't taste good and it hurts my stomach. I end up purging everything from one end or the other anyway so why bother? I guess the important part of the self care eating aspect is, at this point, I am trying. Every day is a struggle but I am trying.
Drinking water is another aspect of self care that is so important that they put it on virtually every self care meme I have found. And if it's on a meme, it's good stuff!
I do drink water. That's about all I drink. Tea occasionally, but water mostly. I can't drink a lot of carbonated beverages such as soda - or pop - depending upon which part of the country you're from. I occasionally can handle a small cup of coffee but it has to be decaf and even then it will destroy my colon. So basically, I just drink water. You'd think I wouldn't feel so dehydrated all the time. Perhaps I need more water. The one or maybe two whole entire glasses I'm drinking in a day is probably not nearly enough. Perhaps.
The next thing on my self care list is going to spill over into my next post. Taking your medication. I take my medication. Although it is becoming increasingly taxing to get decent pain medication from any doctor any where because everyone who complains of the slightest amount of pain is automatically a heroin addict. I am unable to get anything to help my intestines because, dammit that lab work doesn't show I'm having an "actual" flare up of anything so we apparently just ignore the symptoms I'm experiencing.
Plus there was that time that the doctor pretty much looked at me and said "Go home and treat your diarrhea on your own, I'm tapping out." So I found my own medication that actually helps. It's illegal here, or sort of is. It's cannabis and it helps me more than anything I have ever tried and I don't mean just because I can get high. I don't have to get high to reap the benefits from this amazing plant. And next month I will be applying for my medical marijuana card so I can legally get the medication I need to do it on my own - per doctor's orders. And that will be what we'll talk about next, on Jenni's Guts. Stay tuned. And remember, eat something healthy and drink that water!!!
Comments
Post a Comment