Recovery Update- Balancing Appointments, School, and A Social Life

I have been home from the hospital now for over two months and have made huge strides in my energy levels, appetite, and overall health. Now that I can do most activities normally, I want to update and share how I am managing balancing everything I am doing to address my health while also being a master's student and trying to see friends for my mental health, with recovery, and my recent breakup.

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I have been slowly booking more and more appointments each week to try to address my Crohn's/Colitis, mental health, and weak muscles from being bedridden for so long. So far, this has included weekly physical therapy, weekly therapy, weekly functional medicine practitioner check-ins, energy-healing appointments I won at a silent auction, reflexology, fascial release, and breathwork. I hope to review some of these appointments in the future. In addition, I have to take peptides, which I do not like because they are an injection, and go to GI and primary care physician appointments semi-regularly. While I am not working, I am a student, and these appointments start to leave little time to work on my thesis. I recently met with my thesis advisor and learned that I am still on track to graduate in the spring with my thesis, despite taking almost two months off from school. However, I no longer have much flexibility in my schedule, and have to make progress each week. This, combined with my increased number of appointments, makes creating my weekly schedule more difficult.

One large part of finding my new normal this year has also involved managing food. At home, I have help from my mom, and I have found some good recipes. However, going out with friends is hard. I don't always want to bring my own food, and I can basically only eat fries at many restaurants, which is still not great for my gut because they're fried instead of air-fried, and the oils are usually inflammatory. As a way to cope with my breakup, I have scheduled at least two days a week to see friends: once during the week for a game night or craft night, and once over the weekend to do a larger adventure like going to the mall, a bookstore, or other outing that everyone can agree on. As someone who thrives on human interaction, I need to see friends regularly for my mental health. I have been largely hosting events at my house, partially so I have my food with me at home, and partially so I don't have to use extra energy driving to another person's house. I also just like hosting, and am happy that events are at my house.

It has been hard for me to balance all of these components at times. Sometimes I have multiple appointments in a day, where I feel tired from the day before. Sometimes I am upset that I have to manage bloodwork and peptide injections, and I don't want to do any of it. Other times, I am stressed about balancing time with friends and the time I need to spend on my thesis. Because my energy levels are lower than they used to be, if I schedule a day to work on my thesis but am too tired, I don't always know when I will find time to make up that work window. However, I am grateful that I am on track to graduate, because I was worried I would need to work over the summer or take an extra semester, and now I might not have to if I can find a consistent schedule. I also, for my mental health, have been booking fun things, like workshop classes, reiki experiences, and retreats for my mental health as things to look forward to.

While I don't have a perfect system for balancing all of the components of my hospital and Crohn's recovery, I am learning how to find balance. I have been able to work on my thesis, and I am grateful for that because at one point I couldn't sit up long enough. I have also had the opportunity to experience very cool types of appointments that I think are helping. And lastly, I am grateful for friends and family who have been extremely supportive during this time in my life that, as I say, can only get better from here.

Thank you for reading about my update in my recovery from the hospital as I navigate my still-new diagnosis of Crohn's/Colitis. If you have any questions or comments, please comment on the blog, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook, or email me at Anniekrollblog@gmail.com. I hope to see you next week!