Going with my Gut: A Journey to Wellness

*disclaimer: this post mentions bodily functions and the like, so you've been warned :) Summary (for all you busy folks): I was in the hospital last Thursday to Tuesday with a small intestine blockage. It hurt like hell. I'm better now and going back to work tomorrow.  On Thursday morning I woke up for work and I didn't feel right. I was nauseous and a little light-headed, so I called my dad to come over to monitor me. Later I learned that these symptoms were probably early signs of a blockage, but I didn't know at the time. I rested and ate and we even went on a walk- it was a really pleasantly warm fall day. However, after lunch I developed belly pain and I realized I hadn't gone #2 all day (very unusual for me). I tried to stay calm and drink lots of water and stretch. The pain just kept getting worse. I knew from past experience that this might be a blockage and that blockages can take time to resolve, so I tried to muscle through the pain and hope

I kind of miss crumpling up a piece of writing and chucking it at a waste paper basket. Hitting the delete button is much less satisfying and leaves me with nothing to show for my writing efforts. Guys, I've sat down and tried to draft a blog post a bunch of times since my last post in July, but I couldn't get going.  It's hard to air your dirty laundry to your broad circle of family and friends and acquaintances for so many reasons - mainly it's hard for me because I don't like continually give negative news to people who really care about my well being. (and honestly, even though I am eternally grateful, it's even harder to give baskets of my actual dirty laundry to my parents and close friends and realize that I can't take care of my basic needs on my own right now) The reason I keep sharing is to try to educate people about chronic illness and to keep folks who care about me in the loop. Plus, I'd rather be real with everyone even if my news can