Random Ramblings

This year is the year of weddings for my family.  I’ve already posted about two of my nieces’ weddings, Carlee and Cami, and two weddings in a year is already a lot for the same family.  But, it doesn’t stop there.  My other niece Kelsey just got engaged a little over a week ago.  She and her fiancé are getting married on September 10.  I’m very excited for her, and at the same time, I really hope none of my other nieces or nephews decide to get hitched this year. I’d actually like to use some of my paid time off for vacation rather than weddings and/or sickness.

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I had my colonoscopy yesterday. The colonoscopy was a breeze just as everyone said it would be, but I never want to have one again.  The preparation for a colonoscopy is awful.  I felt so sick Tuesday afternoon and evening as well as most of Wednesday morning.

To clean out your body, the doctor makes you drink magnesium citrate, a saline laxative.  The normal dosage for someone who feels constipated is between six and a half ounces and ten ounces.  I had to drink 30 ounces on Tuesday, 15 ounces at 3:00 pm and the other 15 ounces at 9:00 pm. When I first started to drink the stuff, I was okay with it; it had a nice lemony flavor.  After six or seven ounces, it started to make me sick.  The flavor’s so concentrated and it’s so sour that your body just wants to reject it (and you’re not allowed to throw it up).  When I had to take the 9:00 pm dose, I thought I was going to cry.  I never want to have a colonoscopy again just for the sheer fact that I don’t ever want to drink magnesium citrate again!

After my experience with the magnesium citrate, I don’t understand how people willingly go on a colon cleansing diet.  I know they may not drink magnesium citrate, but they still drink something similar to it that produces the same effect.  I’d never willingly put myself through what I went through.

As far as the results of the colonoscopy go, I don’t have Crohn’s Disease.  But, I don’t really know anything more than that.  I have to schedule an appointment with my gastroenterologist in a couple of weeks to go over the biopsy results.  More than likely, his suspicion of it being SIBO is right, either that or IBS.

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Because the first half of the year’s over, I thought it’d be good to check in on my yearly goals.  I haven’t been doing as well this year as I did last year.  But, maybe if I take a look at them again, it will help motivate me to do better.

In 2010, I want to:

• Continue to improve my relationship with Corey.
• Read The New Testament.
• Go back to school.
• Read at least 35 books.
• Lose another 30 pounds.
• Go to church regularly (every week).

I feel like my relationship with Corey continues to improve and grow each day.  There are days when it feels like I’ve (we’ve) taken ten steps in the wrong direction, but we’re still trying and I know that’s all that matters and it will be a lifelong process.

I’ve had a hard time consistently reading The New Testament.  I love reading it, but I don’t understand it as well as I do The Book of Mormon.  It doesn’t seem as clear or as easily understandable so I struggle to read it each day.  I go in spurts.  I’ve finally finished the Four Gospels and I’m now in Acts.  I don’t think I’ll get through the rest of The New Testament by the end of the year, but I’m going to get as far as possible and I’ll continue to read it until I finish it next year.

School has been going well as most of you’ve read from time to time on my blog.  I’ve been enjoying my break for the past few weeks and I look forward to starting a new semester at the end of August.

As soon as I started school, I knew reading at least 35 books would be difficult to accomplish.  At this point, I’ve only read seven books.  I’ve counted both of the books I read for my English classes.  I did read a ton of short stories and essays for both classes, but I haven’t really been able to track them.  Even though I haven’t read very many “books,” I’ve still read a lot.  I hope to read at least ten books during my break, but I’ve been so busy with other things that I haven’t even finished one yet. Hopefully, I can remedy that soon.  I’m actually tempted to put The Lord of the Rings aside for now and reread some of my favorites just so I can read.  But, I really want to read The Lord of the Rings.  Maybe, instead of trying to accomplish something numerically this year, I just need to make a goal to read certain books.  If I did that, then the books I’d want to read this year are:

• The Lord of the Rings trilogy
• The Hobbit (done)
• Elantris (done)
• The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (done)
• Pride & Prejudice
• Pride & Prejudice & Zombies
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Mockingjay (this includes rereading The Hunger Games and Catching Fire)
• Clockwork Angel
• Linger (this includes rereading Shiver)
• The Lost Saint (this includes rereading The Dark Divine)
• Matched

Losing 30 pounds hasn’t gone so well either.  Once I started school, I kind of let this goal slide.  And, unfortunately, I’ve gained back a lot of what I lost last year.  I’m trying not to feel guilty about it because that’ll just make me not want to do anything about it.  Right now, it’s tough because of all the health issues I’m dealing with and trying to figure out what I can and can’t eat.  I’ve made a decision that will help remedy this problem and help me get back on track.  People with SIBO and IBS usually do better on a low-carbohydrate, high-fat (good fats) diet.  Because of this and the fact that I’m borderline diabetic, I’ve decided to stop eating sugar and refined carbohydrates or starches.  I’ll concentrate on eating proteins and vegetables.  (My mother-in-law has been doing this for a while now and she’s lost quite a bit of weight and feels better than she ever has.  She says she doesn’t even crave sugar anymore either.)  I want to wait to change my diet until after I talk to my gastroenterologist again just to make sure it’s not going to create more problems.  If he gives me the green light, then that’s what I’m going to do.

I go to church fairly regularly, but not as regularly as I should.  It’s something I still need to work on.  I love it when I do go to church, but I have a hard time talking myself into going on some days.  Since I’ve been put into Young Women, I’ve been doing better.  This last month was a little sporadic because of family gatherings and being sick, but I’ll keep working on this.

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My blog hit another milestone a couple of weeks ago.  I was so busy with everything I completely forgot about it.  My blog is now three years old!  It’s hard to believe I’ve had enough to say to keep my blog going for three years.  But, with this being the 641st post, I guess I’ve had a lot to say.

Thank you for helping my blog be as successful as it has been.  I really appreciate your comments.  I’ve started to learn not to expect comments and realize that I’m doing this for me more than anything else, but it’s still nice to have the comments I do get.