Pain Management

"You ok?" "Yeah, I'm just in a bit of pain"

I deal with a lot of pain. My worst pain comes right before I need to use the bathroom and while I'm in the bathroom. My worst pain is in my left lower quadrant. So essentially on the left side of my belly just under my belly button. Ouch.

I also get lower back pain, upper abdominal pain, lower right quadrant pain. 

Mmmmm comfy.

My pain lasts for hours.

So? How do I manage this?

Good question.

I find that heat is one of the best ways to sooth the burn. Ironically. 

Heating pads and hot showers are daily pain management techniques I use. which is good because well, I love to snuggle and I love to be clean.

When heat isn't enough we call in the pills.

Diss stuff. 

 Tylenol muscle and cramps or whatever it's called. It's my go to. I use it as needed. My GP told me to take as much tylenol as I need. SO... I do.

When that's not enough?

Well, I have a small prescription to a pretty strong pain killer that I take when the pain is completely unbearable. However, when I take it I'm not really supposed to drive, or operate heavy machinery (Do hair tools count?)

I never used a pain killer before I transitioned out of the children's hospital. No idea why, but that's just how it was.

I can't tell you how many times I've been told that I need to take up meditation to deal with my pain. I'm not hugely for this. 

The last thing I can do when I'm dry heaving my empty guts from the pain I'm feeling it try and clear my mind of all thoughts. Am I right?

Regardless, pain management is a daily thing that I do just to keep truckin.

Comment below with your pain management techniques if you have any!

Fever in the Heat

"I have a fever" "Take some Tylenol and try and get back to sleep"

Last night I had a dreadful experience. Somehow, I developed a fever in the middle of the night.

So? 

People get fevers all the time, it's not that big a deal. Would be what someone with a healthy body might respond with to that statement. But for me, fevers are really dangerous, not to mention as uncomfortable as Satan. 

I'm triple immunosuppressed. This means that I have three very powerful medications working to suppress my immune system in order to try and control my Crohn's disease. So when I get a fever, something is wrong. Very wrong.

I woke up last night at around 2am with a skull crushing headache, an unhappy body and a delirious mind. I didn't know if I was hot or cold, my apartment was hot, but I seemed to have goose bumps. I didn't want my sheet on me, but I didn't want to be bare either. I was so confused I couldn't really figure out that io had a headache. I know it sounds stupid, but I swear, I woke up by the sounds of my own moaning and calls for my mother.... Way to be a grown up Jack. 

Eventually I got myself together enough to drink some cold water, text my parents and take some Tylenol. Unfortunately, fevers feel worse before they feel better when you take Tylenol. I started to get really hot. Before I knew it I was contemplating having a cold show at 3:30am. I'm pretty sure my roommates wouldn't have appreciated that. 

It doesn't help that it's been above 30 degrees here. Who gets a fever in this kind of weather?

I think the worst part of it all was that I was so confused and delirious from my fever that I was scared. That really sucked. 

Anyway, I've been feeling like crap, obviously, which is why my posts are a little less than on schedule right now. I'm working on it guys.

PS. Any advice on how to deal with fevers would be much appreciated!