(personal) Bah. Crohn's is a sucky disease.

TMI warning. No, no cut. It's not that long or really that gross, but some folks don't like bathroom talk. If you don't want to know, don't read further.

Yes, I know, Crohn's isn't something deadly like cancer, especially since I've a fairly mild case (I've been told I can't have a chronic illness, I don't look sick). But days like today, when I can't go to work because I can't go 20 minutes without hitting the bathroom, remind me what a horrible disease this is.

I still have all my intestines. I don't have an ostomy (a bag). On most days, I can eat pretty much anything I want, including nuts, popcorn and bread.

But I pay for it - I have to take meds every day, more pills than most. (14 prescription meds, more supplements) I have to go into Worcester once every 8 weeks for a 4-hour IV infusion. And I have days like today, when stress overwhelms me and I end up in the bathroom all the time. It sucks, because while I'm talking fine, I can't keep jumping off my phone to run to the ladies' room, so I can't work. And because I'm going so much, it chafes the skin around my ass, so I need to take a bath to soothe it.

Crohn's sucks. Trust me on this one. And no, no cure.

(to-do) The list for the sick day

Yeah, it’s a sick day, but other than the fact that I can’t be tied to my phone because I have to run to the bathroom every 15 minutes or so, I’m feeling sort of human. So I’m going to take it slowly and see what I can get done. I might move upstairs, just so I don’t have to run up the stairs, but I’d like to have the living room cleaned. And find the damn tv remote that I lost last Thursday (the last day I remember seeing it).

So, we’re breaking out the timer today. 15-minute increments, here I come.

To-Do Writing stuff:
- Morning pages
- Check Yahoo Email and respond
- Check Gmail and respond
- 250 words on Advent (at a minimum)
- 250 words on Gem Girl (at a minimum)

To-Do Cleaning stuff:
- Put dishes away in the rack
- Wash dishes in the sink
- Clean off counter
- Put laundry away in living room
- Wash whites
- Clean off couches

To-Do Cooking stuff:
- Make beef stew for dinner
- Make biscuits for dinner
- Make zucchini bread for Balticon Tea
- Start recipe annex for Molly

I think that’s it. And I probably won’t get to most of it, but I don’t care. Now I know what I need to do.

If I don’t spend all day in the bathroom. *sigh*

Originally published at The words of Valerie Griswold-Ford. You can comment here or there.