Love

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!
I LOVE Valentine's Day. Admittedly, because I enjoy so many pink options when I am out shopping. Not many things are more girly than V-Day decorations. Hearts, pink, red, flowers, candy. I just adore all of it.

Now, I have to say, I get mildly annoyed on V-Day. I log onto Facebook and there is so. much. anger. And negativity towards V-Day. I get it. It's cheesy, it's consumerism at it's finest, it's an excuse for your already annoying friends to be more annoying about being so in love!!
Guess what.
That's The Point!
It's not supposed to be taken seriously.
Yes, we as a whole, should be telling our loved ones how special they are every day of the year. Great. But that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with setting aside a day for love.
 There are much worse things to celebrate.

To Mourn

This post is not about my ostomy. It is not about my disease.

This post is about life. And death. 

This post is being hastily written because I can't make sense of the overwhelming emotions I feel right now. 

I am writing this through tears. I am writing this out of the sorrow I feel for a family that I have never met. A friend of a friend. A blog that I follow. A story I know through a mother's words, shared with the world. This mother is feeling the worst. The worst thing has happened. 

Her daughter has died from cancer.

Her beautiful six year old has taken her last breath today. 

I can't make sense of it. It is so heartbreaking. No mother should have to go through this much heartbreak. 

I am sitting here weeping. My heart is aching.

I know I am not the only stranger who is mourning the loss of this girl. I only wish that the power of all of the love we all feel for her mother could ease her hurt, even if it is only a fraction. 

Rest in peace, sweet JLK. You will never be forgotten.

For the Cause

My son is three years old. He is starting to get into superheros. He will wrap a blanket around his neck and "fly" around the house, his cape flying behind him. He knows that superheros have super strength, speed, or can take flight. 

But real heros can't fly; at least, not without help. They don't have super strength or super speed. They look like the rest of us. Some of them wear uniforms. Some of them wear scrubs. 

My hero wears sneakers.

My sister Jessica truly inspiring. She is a gracious wife, mother, daughter and sister. 

And now she is doing an amazing thing for my community, for people like me who have Crohn's Disease.

This summer Jessica will travel to Hawaii to run the Kona Half Marathon with Team Challenge. Team Challenge is the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s endurance training and fundraising program. If you, your family or someone close to you is affected by Crohn's or Colitis, please consider 

donating on Jessica's website. 

Your donation will help find a cure for these painful diseases. 

Enough with the serious! I haven't told you the fun part yet! Jessica has created a little incentive to the fundraising.

Copied from her website:

$10: I will send you a Blue rubber bracelet that shows your support of the Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis foundation of America.

$50: I will write your name on the back of my jersey to share your support with everyone.

$100: you can sponsor a mile of my race.

$200: I will make a "flat Stanley" character of you and take pictures along the course and send them to you after the race.

Thank you all for your continued support and a big thank you to Jessica for fighting the good fight and being my hero!

Paging, Dr. Stork!

My boyfriend Dr. Travis Stork and the rest of the doctors on the show The Doctors discussed ostomies in the show that aired today Tuesday, January 28, 2014. 

Here is a link to that show's synopsis, which includes video clips!

I didn't see the original airing but on my drive home from school one of my best friends called me and told me that she had stayed home sick from work and had seen the show. She and I have discussed my ostomy and Crohn's Disease before in depth. She has seen my pouches and heard my story. She was the first to call while I was in the hospital and lets me talk and cry for hours when I'm feeling overwhelmed.

 When she called tonight she told me that she finally feels like she truly understands the technical aspect of what had happened to me. She explained that hearing the process of an ileostomy and seeing the diagrams and models on the show really hammered home what I had been through. 

I would just like to say thank you to The Doctors for reaching at least one person today.

I can only hope she wasn't alone.  

The Newness

Hey all!
I didn't grow up with a lot of new. I lived in the same house since I was five, I went to the same schools in the same school district, I had a lot of the same friends, I went to the same malls and ate at the same restaurants. As an adult, I can't keep up with all the new things happening. I moved to a new state, and then back to a new house, I had a new baby (is it possible to have an old baby?), I moved to another new state, I found a new job which led to a new passion and career path, I started a new school and made new friends (sorta!) Anyone who is a parent can tell you that every day brings new challenges and new adventures. Today is the first day in the new semester at school.

Since my surgery I have wanted to try new things. Not things like skydiving or bungee jumping because I'm afraid of heights and that's just crazy. I thinking more along the lines of getting involved and pushing myself to be a healthier and happier person.
And I have already completed one task. I completed my first 5k!
Okay, I walked it because I am still extremely out of shape, but I crossed that finish line all the same. I did it.
And I am very proud of myself.

What's next? Who knows... 

Stay tuned to find out!