Being Sick Is Not Glamorous - Health Update

While many pictures of me will show little evidence of illness, let me assure you, being sick is not a glamorous existence. Without make-up, stylish clothing, the concealment of my medical devices, and the repression of specific information regarding certain unpleasant symptoms, my life is actually quite vulgar. Hospital stays like my most recent are the true epitome of my life. This excrussiatingly real existence I attempt to keep out of the light of others because it is very unpleasant and not exactly appropriate conversation to strike up with others. No one truly wants to hear about your leaking body parts, horrendous rashes, or infected stoma drainage that ruins all of your clothes.

Sunday night after another beratement of heart palpitations, explosive diarrhea, weakness, dangerously low O2 saturation, excessive bruising and extreme paleness, I found myself in the Universities ER for the second time in ten days. My ragging case of SIBO had once again depleted my electrolytes, this time causing moderate anemia. My bowel moments had become so frequent that making it to the restroom was not an option. A lovely symptom of Scleroderma is decreased pressure in the different sphincters of the body, suprisingly you have more than just the one; there are actually over 60 in the human body. So when you have diarrhea and Scleroderma, you better have a change of pants. Now are you getting the picture why my life is less than glamorous?

After being admitted for electrolyte and iron infusions my levels had risen to stable and I was aloud to return home on antibiotics after one night in the hospital. Due to this consistent issue with electrolytes, anemia, and reoccurring SIBO I will have to start Iron infusions weekly. I will be working out the details with my GI when i see her in a few short weeks; hopefully I can stay out of the ER until then. 

So when you see pictures of me smiling, looking well put together, or wearing a stylish outfit remember, that is not an authentic representation of my life... and those probably weren't my first pair of pants for the day.