for what it's worth

 C is for Chronic  Chronic: 1) constant, habitual               2) continuing a long time or recurring frequently Crohn's falls in the category of autoimmune chronic illness. It has chronic pain, chronic inflammation, chronic diarrhea, chronic ulceration, chronic depression, etc... Every morning when I get out of bed I spend the first 30 minutes (at least) trying to get my abdominal pain under control. The rest of the day is spent trying to maintain that control while also trying to function as close to normal as possible. I don't tell you this so you will feel sorry for me, I want to share why I am not always on top of my game.  It takes a great deal of mental strength to deal with the level of pain Crohn's brings. Here are some of the characteristics you might see in me when I am dealing with pain above a 4 or 5 on the pain scale the medical community likes to use (0= no pain to 10=worst pain ever). I live somewher...

This morning, I downloaded some new tunage specifically for running. I read an article in Runner's World  magazine about pacing your run and how music set to certain a BPM (Beats Per Minute) can help. This isn't exactly breaking news; however, I needed some extra umph this morning and this was it. Nothing, and I mean, NOTHING gets me moving better than some great butt busting music. Wow! I flew through my run this morning. The music is continuous so the songs go from one into the next allowing your pace to stay constant. I didn't realize how beneficial this could be. My momentum never wavered at all! I'm hoping this is not a fluke deal but more of how I will continue to run. The hubs and I are trying out a new protein shake by Herbalife. I really like these products. The ones I'm most excited about, other than the nutritional shakes, are the Aloe juice which aids in digestion and a re-hydrating powder that mixes with water to help with dehydration issues. Peop...

I think I've finally figured out how to stay cool while running in the 90+ degree heat of West Texas! I know I look bundled like I'm headed to the ski slope but I'm actually in dri-fit clothes. Around my neck is a Frogg Loggs Chilly Pad. These are the BOMB!!! It's this funky material you wet down and then hang around your neck and it keeps you cool. Also, the bandana around my head is wet to aid in cooling. What you can't tell is that I actually wet down EVERYTHING I am wearing. No more heat exhaustion for this girl! I'm using a Camelback backpack, which I added ice water to, to help stay hydrated. I'm sure all of this helps me burn more calories, at least it better. So--those of you who have ostomies or issues with the heat, how do you stay cool? What are your tips to beat the heat? I'm always looking for new info. Please share with me here or on Facebook:   West Texas Ostomy Support Group This whole staying hydrated thing has been a real issue ...

Well thanks to WebMD I diagnosed myself with heat exhaustion. Shannon has suffered from it too so he was my 2nd opinion. Sure glad I didn't have to go to a real doctor... Here's what happened: I played 2 hours of tennis yesterday morning and half way through the match I started feeling really sluggish. I was drinking water by the gallon and couldn't seem to cool down. By the end I thought I might drop on the court if I didn't get to my car as soon as possible. My car thermometer read 91 degrees at 11am. No wonder I was hot! You can add about 20 degrees to that and that's usually the temp on a tennis court. As I drove home, nausea set in. I figured I was just hot and hungry so I drove through Taco Villa (my fave :) for some lunch and an ice cold drink. When I got home, I showered and sat down to rest and get back my energy. No luck. I started feeling worse. I was shivering and sweating at the same time. I thought this is great, I've somehow contracted a plagu...