As well as another late blog post week, this week is a short week. If you notice, last week’s blog, Better Late Than Never, was posted on Tuesday rather than last Sunday.
Wednesday began this short week filled with doctors appointments, thrift stores, family, and of course, writing and coffee.
Wednesday and Friday I’ll call my busy days this week, with an appointment at the VA for each, and Friday I had two scheduled. I’d start my phlebotomy school medical requirements for the TB check and also visit dermatology.
Wednesday morning I got to visit primary care and get the first of my Two-Step TB Shots, Visit #1. With a total of 4 visits, my primary care nurse and I decided Wednesdays and Fridays at 11 would work. Wednesdays would be shot days and Fridays would be my check up to look at the injection site.
All of the appointments went by quickly, as administering a shot and inspecting it takes no time. I wish I could call in and let them know my arm looks fine, but it is what it is. I tried to get a photo of the boil that the medication leaves under the skin, but depht is lost in photos of the wound.
One round of visits done and this weeks visit should go just as smoothly. I need a note saying I’d completed all for visits to turn into my school, but I did turn in my Phoenix transcript and got to go to the school again. I need to get used to the drive anyway, so Lexington has somewhat been my new go-to.
Since I’d been in Lexington and around Georgetown anyway, I went to every Goodwill in the surrounding area searching for black scrub pants – a required uniform for school. Finding extra small pants has been harder than I’d thought it’d be, so I had purchased some colored scrubs that fit and decided to dye them. 
When the local Kmart went out of business, I bought them out of Rit fabric dyes, specifically dark blue and black, this would work perfectly, or so I thought.
Wednesday night I dyed scrubs and this over-the-top poofy skirt I have, or at least I tried. some of the fabrics didn’t change at all, while others turned a lovely morbid gray color. The skirt I’m hoping to use for a photo shoot, and I’ll have to buy some black scrubs. So much for trying to be thrifty, but I did find a few dresses. Win-win. 
Wednesday I got the required phlebotomy book I’d need for my upcoming class. I haven’t dived into the book yet, I have a month before class begins. I plan on having some knowledge before I get to class, I want to be prepared before I get to stabbing people but I look forward to it – I’ve always wanted to be a vampire.
Wednesday night I finished my fourth article for my ‘Scope Series’ with IBD News Today, this procedure focusing on my experience with a perianal abscess and the first of my two butthole surgeries. The next article will explain my fistulotomy. How exciting!!
Thursday was dedicated to doing nothing but having coffee and being with Bilbo. Heck, I don’t think I even showered until 3 or so, I was so useless.
We did go to the Habitat Restore in Lexington – see what I mean – and got some picture frames for cheap. If you don’t know, I am obsessed with my pictures and frames, I like them all over and I can’t pass up $1 deals. Otherwise, it was smaller than I thought it would be – that’s what she said – but I at least know now where to get a bathtub or paint for cheap.
Went to Bru Burger and got carded when I ordered a Stella – I’ll happily get carded if means I don’t look that old. A burger with loads of onions AND onion rings as my side, I was pretty happy about it. As you can tell, my liquid diet has been going too well…
Fridays two appointments were at different VA locations, so I was all over Lexington three days in a row. First, primary care spent roughly 30 seconds looking at my arm, we decided that it was okay, as expected, and I left. A major waste of time, but okay.
Then I had to go to the campus VA, my normal VA, and see dermatology. Surprisingly, my skin conditions have been getting better, a shock something is finally getting under control. Even my arms have lost their keratosis pilaris, something I have dealt with for years – small bumps that aren’t prominent but they’re noticeable, leaving my arms less than soft.
Since the medicated lotions are considered topical steroids, they have done wonders for my skin, even my dermatologist was shocked she happy for me, no more wild goose hunts for a treatment plan to work for me. I have had recurring flares for over three years, and to be fair, they still happen, but my skin flares have dropped in occurrences. Hallelujah for triamcinolone acetonide! 
Bustle shared one of my Instagram images, Manic Panic was hosting a #manicpanicpets program to help raise money for a shelter, and one of Bilbo and myself was highlighted. I swear, my cutie pie Bilbo is going to be famous one day, just you wait.
Saturday I spent with family, my beautiful nephew Keith turned two and we had to celebrate! We opened presents with him and played with his new fake grill, and we even took him to Pizza Hut for noodles – his favorite.
These trips and visits with my twin and brother are by far the best, with thrifting and knickknacks, and using Snapchat filters make us cry from laughter.
We didn’t stay in Tompkinsville overnight, so spending hours in the car was brutal. Poor Bilbo hates car rides, especially the wild curvy roads down south and back home.
And today. I guess by now it’s already Monday morning, so yesterday I wrote, actually napped, saw a movie, had an awful dinner, and now I’m on the couch, writing to you.
Today’s movie was Life, a very good but scary movie. – I swear I get such anxiety with space movies. After Gravity had me so worked up, and now Life had me on edge, space does not seem ideal for me. I can’t handle the stress I suppose.
Dinner at Local Feed was a bust, for the second time. Last times fried chicken dinner was nothing compared to my own recipe, but trying to give it a second try I got the ‘best thing on the menu’, a ham and grits and fried onion dinner that was a mess. The meatloaf was as if it was frozen from the store and then quick prepped, and it wasn’t even a ‘good’ store meatloaf – if there is one. Highly unsatisfying but our server comped a meal off the check.
The only good purchase was from outside the restaurant, a beer, the Cougar Bait by Country Boy – that local brewery we frequent.
Otherwise, for my Crohn’s, my migraines, my hands, nothing new.
I still have daily bleeding, not fun. I’ve been fighting migraines more and more, so I got bulk Gatorade at Sam’s. My thumbs ache and gripping anything cramps it. My toes have actually started hurting at the joints, too, and my lower back gets tight. I blame the Crohn’s and Remicade for the body aches and I’ll suggest upping my medication for my migraines. Perhaps I need meds to help me sleep at night, too. It is alwasy worth asking my doctors about.
I’m tired. I toss all night, and I wake with a belly ache from hell. Immediately waking in pain is not ideal, but it happens more when I force feed myself.
I’m still vomiting meals and snacks, my savior being peanut butter and jelly right before bedtime. I literally eat my sandwich before bed and hope I fall asleep before getting nauseated. I have even had mornings where I wake up and have to vomit bile and last night’s pb&j. How pleasant. Ew.
But at least my skin is good for now, right? For me, It Could Be Worse. – By the way, I apologize for another late post, friends. Good night and good morning to all of you night owls who will see this before Monday truly begins. Sweet dreams, ya’ll!
————————————————————————–
Thank you for reading, and for keeping up with My Crohn’s Journey. Please Like It Could Be Worse Blog on Facebook!
And as always, any information you’d like to offer up about Remicade infusions or any of my current struggles and/or issues, I have open ears and I’ll happily take any tips you have to offer!
————————————————————————–
CURE for IBD:
For those of you who are continuing to donate to the Cure for Crohn’s and Colitis, I encourage you to donate towards my team page with CURE for IBD – where 100% of the funds WE raise will be allocated to IBD research for a cure. That’s right, 100%!!
To Donate:
www.cureforibd.donordrive.com/campaign/icbwblog
————————————————————————–
IBD News Today Column:
Welcome to ‘It Could Be Worse’ – A Column by Mary Horsley
————————————————————
itcouldbeworseblog.com 
Leave a Reply