The Eye of the Storm: January-March 2011

January 2011

Mommy and me celebrating!

Cheesecake!

A new year always brings excitement of things to come. In 2011, I would finish my freshman year of high school, turn sweet 16, get my driver's licence, and the list goes on and on. 2011 started off great with a mommy-daughter celebration. I had declared myself "cured" after four months of being sick. To celebrate, my mom and I went to the Cheesecake Factory and treated ourselves a delectable slice of cheesecake. I also made my mom a collage of pictures that were taken over the last four months. These pictures showed me doing what I loved to do in spite of being sick. The rich and chocolaty cheesecake was a much needed treat after living off a diet of grilled cheese, quesadillas, pudding, and other bland foods. I was also able to drink my homemade coffee drinks, and my appetite was still increasing. I found myself hungry a lot. One time I ate a bowl of macaroni and cheese for a snack. For a snack! My stomach was still a little sensitive to foods that were spicy, salty, or contained a lot of garlic. My mom cut back on strange spices and salt in recipes so I wouldn't have an upset stomach. My appointment with the pediatric gastroenterologist was scheduled for January 11. I had tried to convince my mom several times to cancel the appointment because I was feeling so great, but she wanted to wait and see how my first weight check went. We learned that I only gained one pound in a month when I was weighted at Dr. S.'s office. Nurse T said she was going to check with Dr. S. to see if he thought we should keep the appointment or cancel it. I was, of course, mad. I wanted to leave the office knowing that I would never have to see this "stomach doctor". Half way home, my mom's cell phone rang. It was Nurse T calling with the verdict. My heart was pounding in my chest as I awaited the news. When my mom asked, "Should we cancel the appointment or will you take care of it?" I burst into tears of happiness! No stomach doctor for me!! We stopped by Dairy Queen to pick me ice cream cones for us and Daniel, who was still on Christmas break. In addition to celebrating and eating real food again, 2011 brought a new look for me: I ditched the glasses, switched to contacts, and had blunt bangs cut. I felt like a new woman!

Doing the Jillian workout! :)

  My confidence grew even more on January 15, 2011, when I was able to do the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. As you remember from my first blog ("Pre-Sick Sarah"), I was just starting to enjoy-yes, enjoy-Jillian's butt-kicking workout when I got sick with mono. After completing the work out, I laid on the floor and cried (in case you haven't noticed, I'm a rather emotional girl!) because I was so happy, thrilled, and exhilarated.

 As January proceeded, our home school drama group started rehearsals for its 2011 production of "Leaving Iowa". I had the role of "Cart Gal"--an overly excited grocery store employee who really loved to talk about slopes, or as I shouted in my fake southern accent: "Sllllooooooope!" My favorite part of drama was chatting with my dear friends Elizabeth and T.   Elizabeth has been my friend since kindergarten; we are both part of the same church and home school group. T. has been my friend since about second grade; we also met in the home school group.

 February rolled in with a not-so-great weight check. I had lost three pounds in one month. I had to stop doing the Jillian workouts, and I had to start drinking one 360-calorie Boost drink a day. My mom said she felt like she had been drenched in cold water when she saw my weight on the scale. I didn't understand how I could be feeling and eating so great but still losing weight. I was hoping that our annual Super Bowl Party at Grandma's would help me get my weight back. Since 1996, my family and I have been going up to my grandparents' house for a party on Super Bowl Sunday. Grandma always makes a feast of chili, French fries, fruit kabobs, pizza, dips, and desserts. Every year the list of food seems to grow. Daniel wasn't able to join us in 2011 because he was in college, but we still had a great time eating and watching the game. Well, I couldn't care less about football so I usually ate and visited with my grandparents. My grandpa bruised his spinal cord in a farming accident in 1994. He still farms with my grandma and uncle in spite of being in a wheelchair.

 The rest of February was filled with school, babysitting, and volunteering. The more I volunteered at the hospital, the more I thought my future career. I wanted to be a Child Life Specialist--someone who helps sick kids in the hospital understand why they are in the hospital, what is going on with their bodies, and prepares them for hospital testing. I really enjoyed being with kids, and I had always thought it would be cool to work around doctors, nurses, and medical things. Even though this same hospital made me sick, I still enjoyed volunteering with J.

 March brought another weight check at the beginning of the month. I had gained a whopping five pounds in one month! I was almost at my pre-sick weight. I was going to continue drinking Boost for another month to hopefully reach that weight.

My "Leaving Iowa" castmates
and best friends! <3

 Spring was finally starting to bloom in Iowa. "Leaving Iowa" was a hit and enjoyed by all the audience. Spring Break was upon us, and this year both my siblings were home! We had plans to eat out at a new restaurant every evening for dinner. I was enjoying a week of no school and relaxing, but a strange trend was happening every time we ate out. I had an upset stomach after almost every meal. My mom and I put our thinking caps on and came up with our usual accusations: too spicy, too salty, too many strange spices, maybe I ate too much, etc. I started drinking 7up and popping a Tums that I was now carrying in my purse. Even the tradition corned beef on Saint Patrick's Day made my stomach upset. My stomach would be upset all day; nothing could touch it. I just had to sleep off the stomach ache and start again the next day. My mom thought I should start keeping a food journal again. Garlic bread, leftover corn beef, pizza from the drama cast party, and fried chicken all made the list of foods that made me feel sick. What was happening to me?!? My mom was getting worried, and I was losing my ability to cope with this onset of stomach troubles.  I was also having trouble volunteering. Germs were on my mind all the time. I found myself holding my breath while walking around the pediatric floors. My heart would start pounding when it was time to clean toys, and I would feel hot and shaky when entering the hospital. I considered quitting, but I loved spending time with J.

 I didn't know what to expect as March was coming to an end. All I knew was that something wasn't right with my stomach. It was lasting too long to be a virus, but what else could it be?

I titled this post "The Eye of the Storm" for a reason: the eye of the storm is the calmest part of a hurricane. The first wave of storms passes and then there is an eerily calm feeling. While the eye of the storm is a nice break, it is almost foreboding. There is one more wave of storms that follow the eye. In my case, I needed to batten down the hatches because the second wave was fast and furiously approaching.


TO BE CONTINUED!!!!