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Encouragement, Health, Life Is Beautiful

Observations at the IV Infusion Center

Every other Monday morning, I go hang out with cancer patients.

It’s not because I’m doing some noble volunteer work. It’s not because I work at a hospital (at least I don’t any more). It’s not even because I’m researching for a writing project.

Thankfully, unlike them, I do not have cancer. But like them, I do go to have medicine drip into my veins intravenously in hopes it’ll improve my health.

For Crohn’s disease, these IV infusions are the proverbial “big guns” in treatment. When regular medications and dietary changes don’t improve symptoms, biologics are in order, so here you are.

It’s humbling and terrifying all at once to be in the company of such warriors, these patients with these illnesses. (Side note: Crohn’s is a life-threatening illness as well); to be checking in, waiting, getting pre-treatment blood work and eventually stretching out in our recliners in the infusion room next to these brave souls.

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April 6, 2015
Encouragement, Health, Life Is Beautiful

Lists Part 2: Spring Cleaning Attack

In my previous post I discussed my love for and dependency on lists and how I had created two, one for health and one for spring cleaning. Lists allow me to function in a more organized fashion. They also give me a great sense of accomplishment when I can check each item off my list and see in print how much I’ve achieved. It’s quite satisfying for us list lovers.

Our lives are busy, often too busy. We have families, jobs, and homes. We have groceries to purchase, clothes to clean, dishwashers to load, floors to mop, meetings to attend, volunteer duties to fulfill, school conferences, extra-curricular activities, music lessons, and if we’re lucky…regular family time and the occasional date night. I feel like I need a nap simply from compiling this list.

It’s a mountainous challenge to keep up on simple laundry much less deep cleaning an entire house.  So where do we start?

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March 30, 2015
Encouragement, Health

Lists and Goals for Health and Spring Cleaning

I like lists. I depend on them. I make a list for nearly everything:

  • Grocery lists.
  • To-do list of what I need to accomplish in a day.
  • List of what I need to discuss with my doctor at an office visit.
  • A list of calls or emails I need to make or return.
  • A list of bills I’m paying each week.
  • A list of concerns I need to pray for for myself or that I’ve been asked to pray for regarding others.
  • A list of writing ideas.
  • A list of books I want to read.

As you may have realized, I just created a list of things I create lists about!  Continue Reading

March 28, 2015
Encouragement, Health, Life Is Beautiful

Packing Lightly

Pack lightly…because baggage gets heavier with each step.

When I traveled recently, I did my very best to pack lightly and be reasonable in my choices of clothing and accessories. I wanted to be sure I had what I needed.  After all, we were traveling across the world and it was unlikely there would be a Walmart I could run out to if I’d forgotten a necessity. I definitely wanted to include the necessary toiletries, and medications and I comfortably had the room in my luggage for them.

Overall, I felt pretty proud of myself that I’d managed to carefully select appropriate outfits I would need, wisely planning to interchange tops and pants, creating more ensembles out of few items.   Travel tip side note: A handy  tipster enlightened me that Parisians often wear outfits two days in a row, so mixing and matching would certainly suffice.  But even as sparingly as I had managed to pack, the day we left I threw in extra pants and dress boots “just in case.”  For eight days and two countries, I felt I had done nicely packing one decent-sized suitcase, a carry on, and a messenger bag that I would carry everywhere with the super essentials like Passport, Euros, ID, debit card, camera, and phone. Continue Reading

March 16, 2015