Weight loss and Crohn’s Disease go hand in hand. This is a flashback from when I was 18. The day after I graduated high school, I began one of the worst flares I’ve ever had. I suffered for months, almost didn’t start college, and eventually needed my first surgery. I was in so much pain that I completely lost my appetite and dropped weight at an alarming rate. At the end, I was 5’11” and 98 lbs. I didn’t have any fat on me, so I was always cold. That summer, we took a family vacation. To even be able to tolerate being on the beach, I had to wear a sweatsuit, jacket, and a hat. Needless to say, I stood out and caused concern everywhere I went. I hate being the sick guy. It’s humiliating. So, I usually opted to just stay inside and watch tv. It wasn’t how I wanted that summer to go…
Month: March 2017
Ideal Employee – Work
Ideal Employee depicts the rough transition a lot of people experience when moving from school to work. I definitely struggled with this. These days, they call it the quarter-life crisis. You have to shift all of your habits and essentially learn to be a new person. Enjoy staying out all night drinking and talking to friends? Only on weekends if you have the energy. Like sleeping in and you’re most productive at night? Too bad, the working world is governed by the tyranny of the morning people. Not feeling like showing up today? We don’t care, just be here.
That said, it’s not all so bad. Earning money is nice. Independence is nice. Learning a trade can be fun. I think it’s all about being willing to change. That, and finding the right job at the right place. I had a difficult time at my first job. They treated their employees like crap (that first boss regularly said things like this), but I also own that I wasn’t willing to change. I’d loved school and I resented having to move on.
Wait, Do I Have A Problem? – The Crohn’s Saga Part 13
Wait, Do I Have A Problem depicts one of those fun little moments of sudden self awareness. My fiancé and I both have stressful jobs, so we like to split a bottle of wine with dinner. It helps us relax and let go of the day. I didn’t think it was a thing and I certainly never added up how much we drank in a given week. This did not make me feel so great.
Dealing with Doctors – The Crohn’s Saga Part 14
“Dealing with Doctors” depicts a common scenario with Crohn’s Disease – there is a ton of waiting involved. I love my doctors, but this happens a lot and it’s very frustrating. During a flare, you feel lousy and antsy for something to change, but you usually have to wait to see if things get better or worse, or if a treatment will be effective. It usually takes 3-6 months to get a flare under control.
The symptoms in today’s comic may seem graphic, but that’s the reality of Crohn’s Disease. The best advice I can give when dealing with doctors is to be honest and curious. Don’t hold back when telling them what you are experiencing. Don’t hesitate to ask if there is something you want to know. Ask about diet, exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle factors that are in your control. You are not totally helpless.
Greek – Let’s Go to School in Belgium
“Greek” pokes fun at the language requirements for studying Philosophy at the graduate level. Even though I went to school in Belgium, my program was in English. However, I quickly discovered that for Philosophy, they expected a working knowledge of Ancient Greek, Latin, German, and French. Thank goodness I took 7 years of Spanish…