Going with my Gut: A Journey to Wellness

For friends and family who are not on Facebook, I just wanted to let you know that I got discharged from the hospital Saturday morning and I'm spending some time at my parents' place for now. My surgery went smoothly and recovery is going as well as to be expected. Thanks again for your continued healing vibes and words of encouragement and support!

It's finally here! My reconnection surgery is tomorrow! I never thought I would be this excited about going to the hospital, but I am r.e.a.d.y. The last couple of weeks have been particularly trying, and my countdown to March 21 has helped me stay focused. If you'd like to send positive thoughts and wishes around 1:30pm, I'd definitely appreciate the love! Tomorrow's surgery is a less invasive procedure than the first one, and once again I'll be at the hospital for a few days and then spend some time at my parents' place (thank goodness for family help!). Even though it's initially an easier recovery from surgery, I'm not so naive to think everything will be peachy keen. From what I've heard, it takes 6-12 months to fully adjust to the new plumbing and the first 2 months are the hardest. This is definitely going to require endless Patience and Compassion, but we have all been good friends for a while now :) I'm not looking forward to accidents

I have distinct memories about my life one year ago. One year ago in January I was on a train to NYC midweek trying to get into a Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) clinical trial- it turned out to be poorly run and not a good match for my needs, so I didn't participate. One year ago in February I visited my parents in Florida. On my second day at the beach instead of adopting the "Sanibel Stoop" (seashell collector position) or watching the pairs of dolphins play, I whipped out a printout of the detailed medical option flowchart I had been obsessively working on and asked my parents to help me work through my options. I was sick and feeling desperate. One year ago in March I was low energy, not sleeping well, stressed at work, and spending my free time cooking SCD-legal meals since that's all my gut could tolerate. Despite being on a rainbow assortment of medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins, I was suffering on a daily basis. And then, exactly one ye