A Quick Update

Life is Great!!!!!!



I was tempted just to put that, but I decided that you may want more description than that. The past couple weeks have been super-fun and super-busy! I love it! It seemed rare to have a day or night when there was nothing to do, which is nice for someone who likes to stay busy.

The decision has been made. As of this Sunday, I will begin to attend a conventional ward. This was a hard decisions. After a lot of praying and also talking with both Bishops, it feels so right. It is going to be good!

My social life has been loads of fun. I have been able to spend a lot of time with a lot of different friends and make some new ones too. There has been time for dinners, bike rides, hikes, movie nights, plays, and more. My friends are the best.

I was invited to attend a stake woman's conference. It was amazing. The speaker was Emily Watts and the food was incredible. Thanks Jenny for the invite. Also, Jenny has taken good care of me and let me attend church with her, play with her kids and treated me to something that could easily become a new favorite.... Twizleberry!!! So Good!!! You are the best ever Jenny!!!

I have also done a little bit of short road trips. I spent one day in Salt Lake to take a friend to the airport and to attend another friend's bridal shower. Yesterday, I went to Ogden to meet up with my sister and her family at the Tree house Museum, which was really neat.

On top of all of this, I have started an internship with the Bridgerland Literacy Center. It has been a pretty incredible experience and there is so much to do. We are constantly looking for more volunteers to tutor and help, as well as raise funds so that more people can learn to read, write, and more. This is an awesome opportunity to help others.

All of this has kept me busy, so in short, Life is Great!!!

Gastroparesis

This is not the easiest entry for me to write. For some reason, I have tried to avoid drawing attention to this medical condition that has plagued me for 5 1/2 years now. I received an email from a friend today with a link to a news story on a girl who struggled with gastroparesis. Please check it out. The story is great. Here is that link:

"Saving Gentrie: Teen Survives Tough Battle Against Disease that Paralyzed Her Stomach"

In some cases, she suffered far more than I did. However, when I first started getting sick, I was not diagnosed for six months or more. I, too, was placed on Reglan and many other medicines, that were not always the cheapest. The constant throwing up was not as terrible as her's was, but it was still a nightmare at times. We even discussed the possiblility of putting tubes in me to help me get the utrients that I needed. I was also asked numerous times if I had an eating disorder. It was really frustrating. I still struggle daily with different aspects of gastroparesis, but some days are definitely better than others.

Since my diagnosis, I have had many tests and actually been told twice that I am a candidate for the gastric pacemaker. Unlike the story, the first time this option came up was when I was talking to a doctor in Utah who suggested the procedure. At the point, I was told that it was experimental and insurance would not cover it. I have heard that it is less experimental now, but am fighting the insurance battle currently.

I do not write this posts to complain. There have been so many blessings that I have seen in my life that are a direct result from this trial and condition that I have. I have learned how to live a happy, fulfilling life, while dealing with this condition. It was hard to regulate what I can and cannot eat and portion size,but it has made a difference. This is more to inform people that this is a real condition that needs attention. On the side of this blog, you can find links to websites that contain more information about this condition.

Though I do not claim to know everything about this condition, please feel free to ask me questions that you may have. I will do my best to answer them. Although I know a cure is still a long ways off, it is possible to raise awareness.

Oh Mud!

This spring has been a rather cold and wet one, especially in this neck of the woods, so to speak. About two weeks ago (it was a Monday) I finally got really fed up with it. Let's just say Monday's are my day where I spend the first part on campus and usually have some other things to get done. That Monday was totally disgusting in the fact that everywhere I stepped there were big, fat, juicy worms. They were literally everywhere. Usually, I just avoid and ignore them, but it was impossible. In fact, at one point, a worm fell from my friend's garage door and almost landed on her. It was gross.

My roommate and I got to talking and she mentioned that she wanted worms.... Gummy Worms! Then we formulated a brilliant idea, reverting back to childhood days.





MUD CUPS!!!! (aka Dirt Cups)

We made these and invited a few friends over to enjoy them. These are the kind of worms and mud that I like. They tasted fabulous and made a yucky day better! :D