Good-bye, Audios, Sayonara, Bon Voyage

I just said good-bye to Kyle via skype. He will be spending the next two years in Honduras with the Peace Corps. You can read all about it on his blog, Honduras Happenings. We will keep in contact via email and skype - thank goodness for technology these days. Kellyn is the only sibling in Arizona now - I think my parents are sad. At least it is only temporary though.

On another note, one year ago today I had my surgery where they removed 8" of my intestine. I will let prior year emails tell the story again.

February 20, 2008

Well after three weeks now of having this drain to get rid of the abscesses, I am back in the hospital for surgery on Friday. The drain has done its job as the abscesses are pretty much gone. However, there is a hole in my intestine (which caused the abscesses in the first place) and that is not healing. I had a test on Monday where they put a dye into the drain and followed it through. That is how they discovered the fistula (tunnel from the hole) which is hitting my abdominal wall and going back to my intestine. (If you are a little confused so am I but that is how it was described to me). Anyway, on Monday after the test the surgeon called me and said that he had bad news and that he thought that surgery would be the best route at this point.
They are going to be taking about a foot of my small intestine known as the illeium (that is where Crohn's most often attacks). They still don't know if they will be able to reattach my intestine immediately or if it will be three months down the road :(. The surgeon (Dr. Terazi) was in tonight and he said that he is going to do his best to leave as little scars as possible - he has been a huge blessing in this whole process. I have his cell number and I had to call him on both Saturday and Sunday and he answered both times.
Surgery is scheduled for noon on Friday and it should last about 2-3 hours. Prayers would be appreciated :) Everyone is asking me how I am doing and granted I am frustrated with this whole thing. My friend Katie said that she was going to make a shirt that says "I hate intestines" and I told her I would buy one :) However Romans 8:18 does say that the "sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Faith isn't faith without fire. I am just trying to focus on the big picture.
I will keep you all posted.
Kristin
Sent from my GoodLink synchronized handheld (www.good.com)

That Really Happened

One of my clients has operations in Atlanta, so I have been spending some time there lately.  This client owns a cookie factory, and as part of our audit process, we needed to visit the cookie factory to understand the operations that took place there (and get some cookies).  The client had told us that the factory was not in that great of an area, and to be careful - don't stop to ask for directions, lock the doors, eat lunch before we got close, etc.  So, the seniors and staff picked me up from the airport and we made our way to the cookie factory.  We thought we were going to be dodging bullets to get there, but made it there fine and we were commenting on how we did not really think it was that bad.  We go to leave the cookie factory, and we see what we think is a prostitute in the distance.  As we get closer, we confirmed that yes, she looks like a hooker - short black skirt with go-go boots.  The guy in the car next to us noticed her as well, because he slammed on his brakes and backed up.  That's Atlanta for you I guess.

Two-day Spring Teaser

Yesterday and today we have had "warmer" weather in NYC.  I put warmer in quotations, because I think it is odd that I associate temperatures in the high 40's as being warm.  However, when it has been in the teens and twenties, 45 degrees feels like summer (maybe not quite).  Yesterday I walked two blocks from work to get lunch with NO COAT!  It was so nice to be walking around and not wanting to get back into a building.  Last night I went to the gym and then I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond to return something.  Usually, I would take the bus the 20 blocks to BBB, but last night it was so nice out that I decided to walk.  I was amazed at the number of people out and about.  Almost every restaurant I walked by was full of people and there were lots of people on the streets as well.  I did wear a coat last night, but no scarf or gloves.  This morning was just as nice, so after church I only took the subway to 53rd Street and was going to walk back to my apartment.  I walked about 10 blocks but it had started to get windy and cold so I decided to hop on the bus.

I am so looking forward to spring and summer in this city.  Everyone tells me don't expect consistently good weather until May, so I will have to wait until then.  Hopefully we will have these "warm" days every so often until then.

Pop, Soda, Coke - Whatever You Want To Call It

I do not drink a lot of pop, never have.  When I was growing up, it was not something that my mom would let us drink very often.  We only were allowed to have it for special events, like birthdays, holidays and after swim meets.  Dr. Pepper was always my favorite, and if that was not available, I would resort to Root Beer.  I have given up pop twice in my life - once in 2001 for Mikele's wedding and once in 2007 for Kelly's wedding.  In 2007, I started my "no pop" streak on January 20 because the client that I was auditing at the time had a soda fountain, and I was drinking way too much Mr. Pibb.  After Kelly's wedding in May 2007, I did not have pop until January 1, 2009.  The longer I went with no pop, it became more like a challenge.  On New Year's Day my family was here in NYC, and we went to Staten Island to visit an old neighbor.  She had Cherry Pepsi, so I decided to have a can.  After not drinking it for a while, it tasted like I was drinking pure sugar.  I have had pop a few more times since January 1, and every time I have any I regret even drinking the stuff.  It is just water and high fructose corn syrup, which I try to avoid anyway.  So, as of today, I am done with it for good.  Here goes the start of another long streak, probably a permanent streak.