Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Happy 2012! (Hope the Apocalypse isn't true...)

Well, it's been quite some time since I've blogged. Basically, life has been pretty busy, but here I find myself at work, sitting in front of the world's most useless PC, having waited over two hours for IT to show up. I am tempted to ask the secretary if they've called back, but she and her cronies are squawking about God knows what, and I've learned never to interrupt their hour long chats with anything as silly as work. Ah, the joys of working for the state!
So, I guess now is as good a time as any to catch up on my blogging...from my iPhone, one letter at a time...
Well, it seems that 2012 has brought the return of my IC symptoms, full force. I laid awake last night with that all too familiar pain of a pissy bladder that just couldn't be bothered with emptying. It wasn't until about 11 that I realized I'd let my medicine run out of my system. This new prescription seems to take longer than the samples from my doctor to kick in. In fact, it didn't take effect until about 3 a.m. So, resolution #1 of 2012 is to not let the meds in my system run out! Even as I write this, I realize I left them on my nightstand. Surprise, surprise, I can't keep resolutions very well!
In other news, yesterday I started studying for the dreaded MCAT. I organized my little desk and added some candles and pictures of J and his daughter Ceci to make it homier, since I will be there about 40 hours a week from now until May. I hung up a dry erase board for formula practice, and filled out a giant calendar with a crazy strict study schedule. It will be interesting to see how I juggle work, studying, and taking care of Ceci this month. We get her for a solid two weeks and I could not be more excited, although trepidacious. It will be a little test run for what life will be like when I am (God willing) a full time working mom.
I am flying to Ft. Lauderdale to pick her up, on my own for the first time, and we will have her until we leave for Colombia in late January (will blog on that excitement later!). I will be taking a triple dose of meds on travel day, since I can't leave her alone on the plane if I need to go. In fact, traveling with a 4 year old, I will probably need to hold it for the full 5-6 hours, something that sounds as daunting as a marathon! I haven't been on a plane since my diagnosis, let alone traveled with a little one. Any ICers out there have tips or strategies for surviving this without a diaper?!
Speaking of needing diapers, I am brought back to my preparations for the MCAT. I have been struggling with the decision to apply for accommodations. I am seriously concerned that I won't be able to hold it during the test (6 hours with 3 breaks), especially because stress exacerbates my IC symptoms. The MCAT approves extra time and permission to go to the bathroom during testing for those with IBS, so I assume IC would fall under the same understanding. However, they want to see a history of needing accommodations, which I don't have, considering the newness of my diagnosis. The application process looks about as daunting as applying for parole and I can't decide if it is worth it. Should I just take a mega-dose of meds and soldier through? I just don't know.
This new constant concern of how/when/where I will go to the bathroom when danger strikes is definitely less than awesome, but as the fantastic Tim Gunn says, I will just have to "make it work"! Life is only going to get more complicated, not less, so I will try to appreciate my IC as a tool for learning how to improvise, accommodate and problem solve. Here's to figuring out how to do that in 2012!

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