The C Word

When it comes to medicine there's a lot of words that can make us cringe, cardiac catheterizing, colonoscopy, Picc line insertion... The list goes on.  I get to write about one of the big C words.  Yes, I'm going to mention constipation.  It's okay, you don't need to hide under your bed. No one is going to burst in saying, "I'm here to give you a pink lady." I found out the hard way that it has nothing to do with apples.

After my incident in the ER last year due to being full of crap (quite literally, there's an X-ray to prove it), I've been working really hard to avoid another encounter with the "pink lady." I have learned that exercise and lots of fluids help things run smoothly. Having a fiber rich diet. And Raspberries and Blackberries do a great job of cleaning you out when you're stopped up.  Plus they taste good on ice cream (adds calories).

Now with feeling sick and having no energy, I started getting that stopped up feeling.  It can get pretty bad.  For me, I get stomach cramps after one day of not being routine. So I can't let that feeling build up for more than a couple of days. And with me being back on IVs, I really want the rest of me working properly.

There are plenty of over-the-counter remedies. The best way to choose is have your doctor recommend one or two that you can use (don't mix them unless he okays it). In my case my doctor is fine with all the foods that can help clean you out.  He isn't a fan of most of the laxatives out there.  There is one he'll recommend so that's the one I use. It's tasteless, you mix it in liquid and drink it.  I just have to remember to really hydrate because that stuff pulls a lot of water into the intestines.  Don't want other organs suffering from lack of water.

Of course the next day I get pretty cleaned out.  It's not a fun process, but it is much better than going to the hospital for a clean out. As for me, I've gotten my clean out at home.  I'll probably be eating Craisin Bran for the rest of my IV treatment, just to be safe.

On IVs Again

So, I have found myself back on IVs again. This time it's at home. Not really sure what's causing it. Had a slight fever on Wednesday but that cleared up by the following day. Then this weekend I started having trouble breathing.

Not what I had planned for this month. My cousin is getting married, my dad is visiting, my boyfriend and I will be celebrating six months together, and I have a trip to Stanford. All this planned for October. There's no time for being sick. So here I am at home on IVs Nd oxygen, trying to figure out had to keep all of my commitments.

I guess this is one of the challenges of CF. Trying to balance treatment and medication schedules with having a life. It's not easy. There are days when I think I have it all worked out and then there are days where I have no idea how to get that balance.

Luckily, today there is nothing planned. I am hoping to rest up enough to join the ladies from my Bible Study for sushi night. That is my hope. If I can't make it, it won't be because I didn't do what I could.

I think the problem with being sick this time is that I don't want to sit still and rest. I want to be doing things. The weather is cooling down and I want to be riding my bike, getting a last hike or two in. I want to start baking. I want to attend Fall events. I feel physically tired, but my brain is yelling, "Let's Go!"

Maybe I can convince my mom to help me find my crochet supplies in the garage. That might keep my brain appeased for a little while.

Bacon Wrapped Baked Eggs

So my guy has found himself a new job. Upside it's 40 hours a week with benefits. Downside, it's weekend Noc shifts. So I thought I'd treat him to a nice breakfast on his first weekend.

I hate eggs. I normally will smother them in cheese before I eat them. I do like baked eggs. I usually smother them in cheese so it's all nice and melted by the time they're done baking.

One day I had a crazy idea of wrapping the eggs in bacon. Actually, it's my boyfriend's fault. He calls bacon the chocolate of the meat world. Everything just tastes better with bacon, so why not eggs?

Ingredients:

Bacon (two strips per ramekin)
Eggs (two per ramekin)
Grated Cheese (any kind you like)
Butter
Pepper to taste
Favorite spices

1. Preheat oven to 325 Degrees. While oven heats up, prepare your ramekins.

2. To keep the eggs from sticking, rub some butter on the bottom of each ramekin.

3. Wrap the two slices of bacon on the inside of each ramekin.

4. Crack two eggs open and drop into the center of the ramekin. The bacon should be forming a ring around the eggs.

5. Top with pepper and favorite seasoning (I used chipotle). No need for salt, there's more than enough in the bacon.

6. Top with about an ounce of your favorite shredded cheese.

7. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 24-30 minutes. I live at a higher elevation so for lower ones you might only need to bake for 15-20 minutes.

8. Let cool for about five minutes and then dig into all its bacony goodness.

For us who are watching nutrition facts, here's the lowdown on one ramekin.

260 Calories, 19.2g fat, 592mg sodium, 1.6g carbs, 20.7g protein

This is by no means an "eat only one" type of breakfast.