Monday, April 25, 2011

Fried Worms on Toast?

I am a mid afternoon person, an Oriole if you want to put a name to it. That means I am nodding off by 10:00pm, not a night owl, and barely crawling out of bed by 8am, not an early bird. I am at my best mid afternoon, right after lunch and before the evening news. I am squawking away right about 3:00pm. Mom say’s I have always been this way, the first kid to pass out at a slumber party and the last kid to awake on Christmas morning. I like my sleep, what can I say?
My friend Trish and I have been doing Aquafit every other day and couldn't make tonight’s class so we decided to hit up the early morning offering instead. I bucked the trend and set my alarm for a rousing 6:10am. OMG. I hauled myself out of bed after a quick fight with my pillow (who clearly thought I should spend at least another hour, preferably two, with it) and made a quick cup of tea. I was up for about 10 minutes and instead of the usual achy, sick feeling that usually accompanies a morning I found that I was ravenous and wolfed down some corn flakes and another cup of tea. Twenty minutes into my morning I was dressed, laundry was rolling and I was ready to face the day. It was 6:30am.
Driving to class I couldn't understand why I wasn’t in pain and throwing up. I was in amazement that I didn’t have to spend 2 hours in the washroom preparing to leave the house. It was 6:50am and I was prepared to not only drive 20 minutes but partake in a fitness class.
Crohn’s took a lot of things away from me, being able to enjoy a beautiful spring morning was one. Most days were a struggle to get myself out of bed and when I did I looked forward to joint pain and sitting on the toilet for two hours. Every day I would stand in the shower, the hot water dulling my aches and pains and think “if I could only stay in here forever” or “when I get out of this shower I have to towel dry, get dressed, blow dry my hair, put in my contacts etc” and could only think about returning to the safety of my bed. I would spend most days in a foggy haze of pain with my fake smile plastered on so the world wouldn’t really see what I was feeling. Mornings where always the worst time of day for me and brought sickness, aches and pain. In the months leading up to Oscarness I would get out of bed at 7:00am, go to work and be back home by 6:00pm. I would eat something that I would inevitability throw up and be back in bed asleep by 7:00pm. This is what a 32 year old had been reduced to. No life.
It was with energy, strength and that glow that only a truly healthy person has that I arrived at class, only to find out there were no classes on Easter Monday. Crap.
A few quick texts to Trish and we decided to meet at Tim’s for a morning coffee. Me. Drinking coffee. Before 7:15 in the morning.
I can’t explain the feelings that were washing over me as I sat drinking my coffee, chatting to Trish about this and that. I’m a normal person now, at least a normal person who doesn’t care where the washroom is or what time of the day it is.
Thank you Oscar for allowing me to see the beautiful spring morning. I may never be an early bird but at least I know that if I want the worm I can go out and get it.

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