Living in Harmony…

It’s been a week and a half since my diagnosis , and 2 units of blood later, I’m beginning to feel a little better. This lazy liver of mine has helped to depress the hemoglobin development leaving me feeling tired with the sensation of tumbling out of my chair or passing out if I stand too long. But that was pre-Wednesday. I got my blood and am feeling much stronger. Even the pain in my tummy is lessening ; it’s getting easier to take a deep breath. The antioxidants seem to be doing their job. And my trusty little mini-stepper is helping with my level of aerobic activity.

While I’m thinking about this the chewable vitamin C(500 mg) from Costco is wonderful! It tastes just like a glass of very good orange juice, so pleasant when you have to  take a pill.  The gummy adult chewables are great too! Enough on the commercial front…I just wanted you to know how I was doing…Good enough to walk another mile! Papa God and I are great companions, His Son the carpenter fixes my troubles almost daily His Spirit giving me the fire to walk on. Down the road…

Last week I finally had my liver biopsied. I as not really prepared for the verdict and it’s taken a half of a week to somewhat digest it. Most of you know about the reconstructive surgeries I’ve had for intestinal birth defects in the past fifteen years. The defect causes the ducts and exits , and veins in that area to be very narrow and small. In the past I’ve had a procedure that has opened the ductile framework making the pain and swelling lessen , and putting less strain on my liver.

It’s been awhile since there has been any restorative work in that area since I had no insurance for 3 or 4 years, and this last year has been a catch-up for the new doctor. The biopsy show scarring and stress and a type of hepatitis that happens when fat gets trapped in the liver and cannot move itself out. Eventually this can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver failure. I’m not there yet, Thanks God! But I have some work to do and will see a specialist that can do the opening procedure next month. Antioxidants and activity will help, and somehow I have to get past the pain and able to do some type of aerobic activity for 30 minutes a day five days a week.

Whew! That’s a lot to ask just now, as I’m having trouble breathing from the pulling of my diaphragm from the hugess of my liver. This is another run off the path I walk, no faults, just some bigger stones in the way I have to walk around or climb over. I haven’t seen the nextpart as this little hill fills my eyes for now. But The Son is ahead of me breaking the little traps that might trip me up so I know as Papa orchestrates it all it will somehow work out.

BTW my celiac disease is HEALED! I’m staying off wheat additives, my study of hard & soft wheat and my own understanding of it’s digestibility guides me in what I buy and eat. So another hurdle scaled successfully! Keep me in mind as the days go by, and keep reading. Drop me your thoughts too, see ya in the “Blogosphere”…J

While there’s not much new to say, I am endeavoring to write more! The days pass slowly and bed is where I am the most comfortable. I find I don’t allow myself to breather deeply so I spend the first few minutes yawning when I give in and lay down. There is just too much liver and not enough Judy~;)…

Choir starts again in 2 weeks, we are a motley crew of songsters with angels’ voices. all shapes and ages, some highly educated in music and others, like me, just called to SING! There are tones sung in that choir that make you sit back and wonder . Our pianist is amazing too. Kathy can read a piece of music and make it leap off the page in the first sitting! She broke her hand over Christmas, so we will be without her for a few weeks, and she will be missed!

We celebrate Christmas and our return at a real Christmas party just before the semester re-starts. Some years it’s the first our Director has had time to enjoy her own decorations as we perform right up to Christmas. Between the three choirs, it’s a crazy schedule for her. We have  such fun  sitting and laughing, trading stories and kids’ pics. We never seem to have enough time to share our lives as rehearsal is such a challenge that we need every second we can garner. I love this choir and it’s singers. There’s nowhere else I’d rather spend my free time and singing is the best way I can think of to get my aerobic workout in. Our music is never simple and the satisfaction is especially rewarding when you master a piece and the audience takes that collective breath at the end. Much of our music is spiritual and it does feed The Soul. So I sure hope I can make it back someway. If they riddle out this belly so I can breathe, I’ll be back! I’ll keep ya posted…

CHRISTmas came and is leaving us, today the ninth day–I Will Dance at Tanger outlets as my gift(Nine ladies dancing). Yesterday for the milking maids I made lasagne to go with the pork kolbase to nudge us forward and sauerkraut to make sure we have the luck to service Bruce’s biz to success and provide for us throughout the year. We shared that meal with out Northern family-Ava loves kolbase and “skettis”. I DID however for get the black eyed peas, have to look up what’s missing and make up for that one;)…need that prosperity. That;s a southern one, We northerners use the kraut so we would have been double blessed! Bruce’ Mom was a southern gal so between she & I we covered all the bases. I sure  do miss her!

I taken to trying pastry flour for all my wheat baking. I DID get it ot rise, but being near a colld wall wa just too much for it to stand. The bread machine worked well, but next time I’ll just make it in there and bake it in my  own oven. The pastry flour has a lesser amount of gluten and is a softer wheat that used in bread flour. My cookies were fabulous(making more this weekend, as theyare gone, but my penchant isn’t) I always find I want to celebrate a couple weeks longer than most, and I’m just glad we are Croatian so we have a great reason to:).

Doc says the area that is affected by the Sprue is healing, so cutting down, for me, has been a success. And trying to eat as little hard wheat (breads and pastas) has really helped. While I can’t suggest it as a cure all, try a bag of real pastry flour and do some bakiing(double yeast the bread) . It makes lovely quickbreads with baking powder. So try on!

TO let you know an update tho, my tummy is as big now as a six month pregnancy and it set  my Hematologist on her ear. I was in hospital (again ) right before CHRISTmas, they scanned & x-rayed and gave me (more-6 units thus far this year) blood, trying to maintain a decent hemoglobin level. The iron treatments of the Fall are working, so iron is NOT the trouble. She had seen me before I went into hospital and my girth has grown since then. No weight gain-just girth! so the hematologist called the hepatologist to find out what the heck the plan is! I found out aI will have a liver biopsy in January and was given more pain med to help with my breathing. With thsi giganto tummy it’s becoming very painful to take deep breaths-I have to think about now, so I shy away to escape th pain/

OK, enough Update done. I WILL walk about today in the cold and SHOP(always helps) but the walk is best thing for me. Have a Happy New Year my friends, and one way or another…I’ll see you soon…