Living Well with PI-IBS/IBS
The journal I used throughout my PTSD treatment has a quote by Henri Matisse on the cover: "There are always flowers for those who want to see them." I chose this notebook because, during that time of my life, I was bombarded by fear, anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks, and nightmares - not to mention the …
Continue reading "Finding the Flowers: When You Don’t Get What You Want"
On a sunny afternoon in August 2008, I walked into Dean Hall at approximately 2:54 p.m. and experienced one of the most significant moments of my life. Did I know it at the time, you ask? Nope. Not a clue. During that moment, I laid eyes on Erin Brown for the first time. Almost eleven …
I've never been what you would call a "still" person. A go-getter, absolutely. Intense at times, yes. But "still"...if you've known me longer than a year or two, probably not so much. I finished my four-year bachelor's degree a semester early, Magna Cum Laude, while working 30-hours per week and planning/executing a wedding and starting …
It occurred to me a few days ago that I haven't written one of my easiest and most-used recipes: the simplest low-FODMAP chicken noodle soup you'll ever make, or "Feel Better Soup" as I like to call it. To give you a little background, I was in a near-constant state of flare with my PI-IBS …
Continue reading "“Feel Better Soup”…and Other Ways to Get Through a Flare Successfully"
A few days ago, I saw a beautiful sculpture on social media. It was a huge tree trunk, carved in the middle to reveal the tree's "younger self" inside. It was a striking representation of growth. Just like all great art is supposed to do, this piece got me thinking: What did that tree go …
A few weeks ago, I had a dream. I was watching a horror movie with Erin. On the television, a young couple was hiding in a closet...terrified by the monster that was currently in the house looking for them. The woman was the one we could see due to the camera angle, and she was …
Prior to 2018, I rarely read anything outside of fiction and the Bible. Self-help books, biographies, historical accounts - they just weren't in my realm of interest. But then I was faced with something I've never faced before. And another thing. And another... And I decided to start reading a little nonfiction. I've gone through …
Last year, I wrote a blog post called "Looking Back and Moving Forward: A Spin On New Year's Resolutions". It was published on my "for fun" blog and was written prior to the "Cruise of Doom" in February 2018, prior to http://www.ibstakesguts.com, prior to low-FODMAP dieting...basically, it was prior to the gal I am now. …
Continue reading "Looking Back and Moving Forward: Another Year"
"Bloom where you are planted." That's a topic we discussed at worship tonight, and to be honest, it's one I've wrestled with a lot since February. If nothing else this year, I've learned that it's incredibly hard to trust God's big picture when you are fighting moment-to-moment for your life. But! I've tried really hard …
When I was a kid, there was a children's church song that I loved to sing. It went like this: "The Devil is a sly old fox; if I could catch him, I'd put him in a box. Lock the lid and throw away the key for all those tricks he's played on me. Second …
IBS Takes Guts 