Back to School

At least it seems like that is what I should be doing. I haven’t gone back to any sort of classes in September for more than 10 years but each Labor Day I have the urge to go out and buy new notebooks, pens, paper and all that fun stuff. Or maybe its just the new clothes that I miss…Actually this year Pat and I were both very aware of the first days of school, because of how it would effect our commute. Since we drive to work/train we wondered if we would have to adjust our departure time to avoid school buses, parents, and all those folks returning to work after vacations. Fortunately we seem to be OK, in between the start of high school and grammar school and not too many buses along the way. That’s good because the thought of getting up any earlier is not pleasant to me.

For some reason I’m finding it more difficult to find time to write my blog entries these days. The nights that I get home from work, the last thing I want to do is go near the computer and the days I’m off, well it’s a similar feeling. I find lots of other ways to occupy my time – there is always a project to be done at home or some errand that needs to be run. It’s all good, though the front garden is still in sad shape and will probably remain that way for the next year. Fine with me as I got poison ivy for the 3rd time this summer, and this time I had on long pants and long sleeves and gloves – somehow I managed to kneel in it and get it on my knees. I really am going to get a hazmat suit for next season!!

Pat is busy as ever at work and is starting to travel a bit – so I’ll also be spending my first couple of nights alone here in the house. Fortunately I’m very comfortable and shouldn’t freak myself out too much. No horror movies for me though, just sappy romantic comedies.

And time for the medical update. I hade my quarterly CT scan a few weeks ago followed by my quarterly check in with Dr. Lange. All is well – scan was clean, tumor markers are all in range and he thinks I look great. OK, well what he actually said is I look incredibly healthy, except that I am the thinnest he has ever seen. My face is still full, but the rest of me is skinny. Pat was glad he noticed because he actually thought it would make a difference to me to hear it from a doctor. I realize I am having some difficulties putting on weight but its not for lack of trying. I don’t exactly follow the Atkins diet or anything. I just can’t keep any food in me long enough to get anything out of it. The lack of nutrients is also effecting my energy and stamina levels so I know we need to do something, but I’m just tired of all this. It’s not that I don’t want to be healthy, but I’m tired of having to do all the work. I’ve lost my appetite for most food because it just doesn’t stay with me long enough for me to enjoy it.

It’s all stuff we’ve heard before – eat carbs, eat sugar, wait cancer cells feed on sugar and carbs, remove white flour from your diet, eat lots of fresh fruit, don’t eat fresh fruit, only canned. It’s too much. I don’t feel like sorting through all these diets and seeing who has the best evidence to back up their claims. I’m going to eat what I like, when I like it. I just want it to stay in me. We are making an appointment with a gastro since 2 rounds of antibiotics didn’t take care of this latest problem and we all know that I suffer from short bowel syndrome – but we don’t know is if there is actually anything that can be done to help me or if I have to spend the rest of my life taking narcotics and opium and carrying around a roll of charmin toilet paper and butt paste. Let me tell you I got some interesting looks for the TSA during my last bag screening – especially since they had to hand check my bag because of the liquid I was carrying.

Enough complaining and back to work. I’ll keep you posted on my progress with gaining weight…yea, yea, I know don’t we all wish we had this problem. Smile….

Posted by jean at September 12, 2006 07:17 PM