Hidy ho good neighbor

September 22, 2008 · Posted in Blogging the disease, Life, Reflections · 7 Comments 

You know, I think the worst part about being ill this long, aside from the financial implications, is the extreme boredom. I have been off work now for over 6 weeks and I am not set to go back until the beginning of November. While some might see this as a good thing, I am not really all that thrilled with it. I have all this free time when I could be out taking photos, but to be honest, the drive just isn’t there. I make the plans but that is about as far as I can get.

I was out and about the other day driving around, can’t remember why at the moment, but that isn’t the important part of the story. Anyway, I was behind a Camaro, guessing it was a 68 or 69, and the smell of the exhaust actually triggered a memory. I know, that is weird but just hang with me here. It reminded me of my best friends Camaro and we would go out riding around in it aimlessly. The smell in the car was a mix of exhaust gas, yes he had a leak, and whatever the interior was made of. The car was loud and it felt like it was going to vibrate you to death, but we had great fun in that car. Heck, we had fun in about every vehicle he owned. The old pick-up truck, the little car that I think was a Vega, although I am not sure about that. All I remember was it was small and really fun to ride in with the windows down.

I remember we would go on drives out in the coutry looking for places to explore. Old abandoned farms and such. Usually we would freak ourselves out before we got too far into anything though. Billy, my friend, loved to get out on a dark coutry road and while we were driving around he would douse the lights. He knew it scared the crap out of me and oddly, we never had an accident, doing that! We did however have one once when I asked him what happens when you turn off the key while you are going down the road in one of his cars. In retrospect, that wasn’t a very intelligent thing to ask him because the next thing I knew he had turned the ignition off, all the way. So basically he locked the steering column as well as took away the power to the brakes. Oh the next few seconds were ones I will never forget. I think we both nearly crapped ourselves as we drifted off the road and went sideways sliding into a fence.

Pretty much from that point on, whenever I wanted to ask him something I thought it through really well before I asked, Is there the potential for pain if I ask? Could this harm someone else? Yep, those were good times and while I do cherish the memories, I don’t think I would want to relive most of those moments, I just don’t think my poor heart could take them anymore!

On a side note. I am pretty sure I never told my mother about this. But my brother does read here from time to time so I imagine she will know soon. D, let me know what here facial expressions go through when you tell her this!

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Let’s make a little longer post this time.

August 3, 2008 · Posted in Blogging the disease · 1 Comment 

Yep I am still alive. Nausea is still a problem, but they did give me medicine for it, it only lasts 6 hours though and even it can be defeated if I stand for too long. Pain is still there but they gave me meds for that too!

The big news is that my wife helped me secure an emergency consult with one of the top gastroenterologists in Indiana, so I will be going to see her tomorrow. Hopefully she will have some insight into what is happening and maybe even help me fix it. I know she can’t cure Chrones but maybe she can offer a better treatment course.

I have been really tired lately, of which I am sure I can attribute part of to the medicines. I would gladly lay in bed all day if given the chance. I tried the other day, but they wouldn’t let me!

On that note, I am going to go lie down and rest a bit. Everyone else is at vacation bible school so this may be the only silence I get tonight!

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Six of one, half a dozen of the other

July 31, 2008 · Posted in Blogging the disease, For His glory, Life · 7 Comments 

I have not been at work at all this week. Instead I have spent the majority of the time either in bed or wishing I was in bed. At the moment I cannot stand for more than 15 minutes before the nausea becomes overwhelming. So here is the symptom count at the moment:

  • Abdominal pain
  • nausea
  • exhaustion
  • dia*****

No it is not very pleasant. On the plus side, in a major coup, I was able to secure an emergency consult with the best Doctor in the state when it comes to Chrones. She agreed to see me this coming Monday. I couldn’t even get in to see my regular gastro until the end of August.

I did manage to see a nurse practitioner yesterday that was able to prescribe something for the nausea and pain. The medicines do work somewhat, I still get nauseous after standing for a bit but it is now as overwhelming and it goes away if I sit for a few minutes. Unfortunate side effects of the meds= even more exhausted than I was, but I will take it over the other problems any day.

I am hoping to resume a regular posting schedule here soon and post something that isn’t whining about my illness!

God bless,
Jeff A

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I just hope it ain’t Steve Martin!

January 18, 2008 · Posted in Life · 3 Comments 

I am off work Friday, I get to go see the dentist and have them rip out a tooth. I have been putting this off for awhile but it needs done and now is as good a time as any, plus it gets me out of work for a day!

The diet is going well. I have had a few people ask me if I am losing weight, so either it is noticeable, or they are trying to be nice. Considering the people who have commented, it must be noticeable.

About the title, for those who don’t get it. He played a dentist in “Little Shop of Horrors”, I do not need that kind of dentistry!

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On a scale of 1 to 10

November 21, 2006 · Posted in Blog · 2 Comments 

With 1 being the worst. I am going to have to rate last night as a 3. At first it was all good but the longer I stood the more I realized that things were going south quickly. First it started to ache a bit but by the middle of the night it just plain hurt like heck, it was screaming!

In all fairness I am going to say that I really didn’t do as much as I could have over the weekend to get used to standing in this brace. I really should have at least taken a walk every day to get used to it. As it was, I could really feel the pressure points of the brace after the first hour of the night.

I am hoping that by the end of this short week I will be able to stand for an hour without wincing in pain every time I take a step.

I am really tired of having a job where standing all night is a requirement. While they did let me sit as needed last night, eventually that privilege will go away and I will have to stand just like everyone else. They allow me to sit as needed right now which I really appreciate as sitting for a few minutes really helps quit a bit.

I have had to deal with so much craziness over the last few months and I am so ready to get back to normal. I am ready to complain about the rest of the world here and quit whining about me! There are so many things in this world that need addressed that it will take me a lifetime to catch up.

No I will not be granting Nancy Grace any interviews, that woman is just wrong!

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