I get a lot of things in the mail that are politically connected. I get surveys asking for my opinion on different things like health care, cap and trade and other hot topic issues.  Imagine my surprise when I got a survey from the Senior Citizens Council.  The letter began “As a senior citizen, you know the danger that Social Security is in.”  Well, no, I don’t know because I’m not a senior citizen.  I do know Social Security is in trouble and I seriously doubt I will receive any of the money that I have paid into Social Security.  This letter and survey didn’t get me thinking about Social Security, but what is it about my name that says senior citizen.  When I went in the hospital in February, I had to have a CT scan. The technician was surprised when he came to get me from the ER.  He said I thought you were an elderly lady. What???  Now I am getting surveys for senior citizens.  This is my second mailing in the last few months.  I am only 36 and although sometimes I feel old, I certainly am not a senior citizen.  After 9/11, I seemed to always be called out for extra security checks when I would fly.  I thought maybe my name sounds too Eastern European and I could have been a spy.  I guess I could be a senior citizen spy.  Hey I would get some good discounts.

Since having surgery in April I have found myself referring to before I was in the hospital (BH) and after I was in the hospital.  It’s funny to me that I refer to things in those terms.  I so wanted to get out of the hospital and now it has become a huge part of my vocabulary.  I have had Crohn’s Disease for 14 years now and finally had to have surgery.  I knew going into it that it would be worth it.  I wasn’t prepared for the three abscesses and three drains that I had to deal with over the course of three weeks.  Now that I am healing and feeling better every day I still use the word hospital to refer to before and after my surgery. I don’t even want to step foot in a hospital, but hospitals have been a big part of my life the last six months.  So the last six months have been before hospital and after hospital. That’s how I remember things.  This year I was in the hospital for a total of 31 days.  That’s a lot and something I wasn’t expecting.  I am looking forward to the time I will be able to stop referring to things as BH and AH, but until then I am thankful for my health and the ability to heal.

When is the last time you saw a pay phone? I bet it’s been awhile.  Today, I had one of those days when I needed one. I left my cell phone at home.  We were down in Albuquerque for swim lessons. I had made plans with Bill to meet him for lunch.  He said I will call you.  Well he called me, but I didn’t get any of the calls.  I left my phone on my dresser.  UGH!!!!  When I got to the restaurant Bill was no where to be found.  So I took off down the road in search of a pay phone.  None to be found.  Plus since we still have Maryland numbers, I wasn’t sure 75 cents would pay for a long distance call.   Billy told me he saw a pay phone by the ATM.  I thought he was just being silly.  That is until we went to Walmart in Edgewood to return something and there in Customer Service was a pay phone next to the ATM.  He was right.   It all ended well.  I spied Bill’s truck traveling down Central Avenue and we had lunch after all.    From now on, I will make a mental checklist, wallet, keys and cell phone.  Can’t leave home without it.

The primary for the 2010 election were held in New Mexico today.  The biggest race was for the republican candidate for governor. Susanna Martinez won the nomination and will face off against Diane Denish, the current lieutenant governor.  Talk about girl power.  This will be the first time in New Mexico where two women will run against one another for governor.  Already people are wondering if the campaign will be dirty because two women are running?  I think this is a bit sexist.  Are they saying women are catty? I mean there are women who are, but I would hope that both the candidates would rise above this talk and run fair campaigns.  Even though I am not a registered a voter of  New Mexico (I vote in Utah), I am looking forward to the coming months to see how the campaigns are run.  I hope these women can show the detractors a  thing or two.

I was watching America’s Got Talent.  This is a show where people of all ages come to show off their talents to possibly win a  show in Las Vegas.  There are people from all walks of life.  There was an awesome choir made of formerly homeless veterans.  They were great.  There were also some really bad acts, too.  The thing that got me though were the people from other countries who had come to the United States for the American Dream. This one guy from France came specifically to make it big.  He said he hated to leave his family in France, but he had to achieve the American Dream.  This got me to thinking that I never hear anybody say I want the English Dream or the French Dream or any other country for that matter.  What is it about America that makes people from other countries believe their dreams can be achieved here?  Despite what our current president thinks, we are a great country.  People from other countries dream of coming here to make it big or just to do better for their families.  When I hear people say they want to move to another country, I think they have to be crazy.  Why would anyone want to move away from the greatest country in the world?  America does have talent in its people and in the dreams it extends to those around the world.

I have been from the hospital a week now. It is so wonderful to be home.  Since I still have a drain in and have home health care checking on me, I can’t really go anywhere.  I can go get a hair cut, go to doctor appointments, go to church and go for special occasions like Billy’s graduation.  The rest of the time I have to stay at home.  I feel like I am under house arrest.  I do take a ride every once in awhile to the mailbox or for errands.  But I am not allowed to go shopping or go to the movies.  It’s not too bad because I have a drain bag hanging off my shirt and I don’t particularly want people staring at me.  I am just glad to be home. I have an appointment on Thursday and I hope the drain will be taken out then.  Until then I am under house arrest sans ankle bracelet.

I have been waiting for April 27th since February.  I was in the hospital for ten days with a perforated bowel and knew that surgery was on the horizon.  Because of a full schedule for my surgeon, my surgery wasn’t able to be scheduled until April 27th.  Now I am almost there.  It’s only four days away.  I am not worried about the actual surgery. I do have some anxiety, but that’s normal for any surgery. What I am really dreading is the cleansing prep I have to do on Monday. It’s called MoviPrep.  I love the names they give these preps.  Wonder who came up with Golytley?  I was really hoping for Miralax and Gatorade, but I guess it’s not good enough for surgery.  I have read that MoviPrep has a salty flavor so I am hoping that’s true.  I am not a huge sweets fan especially when it comes to drinking icky prep.  I will be up early on Tuesday so I can be at the hospital at 6 am.  Then it’s surgery at 7:30 am. It’s going to be a long day.  I am somewhat dreading having to get up for the first time after surgery and am hoping the nurses give me 24 hours.  I have hinted to Bill that a recliner for Mother’s Day would be nice.  I am trying to figure out where I will sleep when I get home.  I know I won’t be able to sleep very comfortably in my bed especially when my little one comes in every morning between 3 and 4 am to climb into bed.  The climbing usually means climbing over me to get to the middle of the bed.   I will have about a 15 inch scar running down my abdomen so having a two year old climb over me wouldn’t be a good thing.  I am really thankful for my family and friends. They are all so supportive and it has really helped me get to this point.  I know the quality of my life will be better.  For the last five months or so, I have basically checked out.  I have pain every day and don’t have the energy to do things.  I feel guilt that I haven’t been a better mom.  The boys are awesome and know that I don’t feel well.  They try to help me with things around the house. It has been hard on them especially Billy. Luckily, he will be able to come visit me.  In February all of the area hospitals didn’t allow children under the age of 18 to visit because  of the H1N1 flu and the seasonal flu. That ban has been lifted so I am hoping it will help Billy to be able to visit me so he won’t feel the anxiety he felt in February.  Bill has a lot on his plate.  He has a sick spouse, working, taking two college classes and is involved in Boy Scouts.  I know he is under stress, but he keeps it together.  So, Tuesday is a big day for all of us.  It’s going to be a long road. I will still have Crohn;’s disease after the surgery, but it will be worth it to feel better once again.

I really shouldn’t be surprised, but I am.  Today, the campaigner in chief was back on the road.  This time he was in Iowa.  He told the crowd, “If these congressmen in Washington want to come here in Iowa and tell small business owners that they plan to take away their tax credits and essentially raise their taxes, be my guest.”   How arrogant.  He seems to think that the American people will just forget about this very decisive issue and move on.  That is not happening.  The things that went into effect immediately are the type of things that most people would say are good things. For example, people with pre existing conditions will not be denied coverage or lose coverage.  Don’t be fooled.  There is more to this bill and it will cost this country dearly.  Instead of uniting this country, the campaigner in chief has torn it apart.  I don’t really think he fancies himself as president of the United States, but rather king of the world.  He is arrogant and it shows every time he speaks.  One thing I do wonder is where do all of these people come from that attend these rallies?  When the majority of Americans are against the health care bill and Obama’s rating falling are they paid to attend?  Are they there because they want to say I saw a president? I don’t get it.

Onward to November!  Let your voice be heard!

The last several months I have been having a major flare up of my Crohn’s disease.  I have spent ten days in the hospital. I will have surgery on April 27th.  As I wait to  have surgery, I have been eating a low residue diet, but sometimes I think I can branch out.  This weekend I thought I could, but obviously I didn’t pick the right thing.  At the Range Cafe in Albuquerque, I ate the B.L.O.A.T.E.M sandwich.  It’s a bacon, lettuce, onion, avocado, tomato sandwich on an English muffin.  It sounded good so I ordered it.  It was good until I really realized that I was BLOATEM.  Definitely something that is uncomfortable and not fun.  I am already bloated most of the time because of strictures, but being bloated from a sandwich named BLOATEM is no fun at all.  I am feeling better now, but I won’t be eating the B.L.O.A.T.E.M anytime soon.  I have learned a lesson through all of this – you are what you eat.

As I have continued to read Emily Freeman’s book, 21 Days Closer to Christ I realize that the more I focus on having a better relationship with Jesus Christ the better my days go and the closer I feel to Him.  The biggest thing to remember is that He is always there. We are the ones that have to “come unto Him”.  He never leaves our side.  We may feel like He does, but He doesn’t.  I am thankful for this growing testimony.