Fighting for Joy

Oh, Monday, how glad I am to see you! It was a very difficult weekend here. On Friday I joined the Five Minute Friday crowd and wrote about joy. Little did I know, that night I would be given the opportunity to fight for joy and live what I had just written.

I had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep on Friday night. My autonomic nervous system was going wild. My heart rate wouldn’t slow down. My blood pressure was nearly non-existent. Eventually I was up with one of the worst gastroparesis flares I have had. I’ll spare you all the graphic details, but let’s just say that throwing up while almost fainting is scary and really hard to do.

I got little sleep that night due to pain and a heart that kept racing. I was exhausted and physically felt miserable. My Friday post came to mind, and as I lay in bed I was reminded to fight for joy on that very hard night.

I am happy to say that I made it through the night, and I fought for joy with all I had! On Saturday Will took me to the ER for IV fluids. I was dehydrated and was given 2 liters of fluids. I had the sweetest nurse and doctor to help me, so that was a bonus! On Sunday my stomach still wasn’t emptying well, and we went back to the hospital for two more liters of fluids.

The fun side to all of this is that I got out of the house for the first time in over a month! And not just once – I got out two days in a row! I rolled into the hospital with my stylish wheelchair and light up wheels, and I joked with my friends that I have a rocking social life!

Today I am able to drink fluids and eat soft and liquid foods again. I'm still extra weak, but I am doing so much better than I was yesterday. This weekend was hard, but it was also a good opportunity for me to choose joy even on the hard days. 

Photo Credit: Sara Frankl