Category: Health

Step into the Light

Posted on by Inappropriate Girl

A few of you may have noticed that I’ve been posting a lot from Durham, NC. My eldest daughter is in a Partial Hospitalization Program for an eating disorder here. In December 2012, she was diagnosed with anorexia, severe depression, and anxiety. She’s been in treatment since then. Up until now, I haven’t told most people because she did not want to talk publicly about it. The other night she “came out” about it on her Facebook and has let me post this.

I cannot begin to tell you how freaking proud I am of her. She’s been dealing with this shitty disease for so long and she is still fighting! There are so many brave, strong people I’ve met over the past few years who are fighting the same battle. Some are current patients and some have dealt with it in the past. Eating disorders, depression, and mental illnesses live in the dark. We need to shine a light on them and make sure everyone who needs treatment gets it. If anyone who is reading this is struggling, please get help. Stay strong. You are worth it.

 

A few of you may have noticed that I've been posting a lot from Durham, NC. My eldest daughter is in a Partial Hospitalization Program for an eating disorder here. In December 2012, she was diagnosed with anorexia, severe depression, and anxiety. She's been in treatment since then. Up until now, I haven't told most people because she did not want to talk publicly about it. The other night she "came out" about it on her Facebook and has let me post this. I cannot begin to tell you how freaking proud I am of her. She's been dealing with this shitty disease for so long and she is still fighting! There are so many brave, strong people I've met over the past few years who are fighting the same battle. Some are current patients and some have dealt with it in the past. Eating disorders, depression, and mental illnesses live in the dark. We need to shine a light on them and make sure everyone who needs treatment gets it. If anyone who is reading this is struggling, please get help. Stay strong. You are worth it. #FUED #anorexia #southernsmash

A photo posted by Julie Lang (@inappropriategirl) on

What did you do this weekend?

Posted on by Inappropriate Girl

When someone asks what I did this weekend, I won’t be able to point to any particular accomplishment. I didn’t finish any project, read a book, run a race, or really do anything notable.

This weekend I spent time with family and friends, fed and nourished my stomach and my soul, enriched my brain, and had fun. I didn’t accomplish anything in particular, but I got a lot done. Life was happy. I am happy. Isn’t that enough?

The Only Way is Up

Posted on by Inappropriate Girl

A week ago I was in the Critical Care Unit. It doesn’t get much lower than that. I have nowhere to go except up.

Fortunately, I only spent about a day in the CCU. The day before, I had surgery to repair a paraesophageal hernia, including a fundoplication. It’s a procedure commonly known as GERD surgery. I would have come through with flying colors except that I had the most common complication – a pneumothorax. After the surgery, I woke up with a catheter, NG tube, and a chest tube. They were removed a day later and I went home the day after that. Since then, I’ve been resting and recovering.

The biggest challenge in my recover isn’t recovering from the operation, but recovering from the year preceding it. I spent the last year with a severe case of GERD. Between the vomiting, nausea, pain, and discomfort from the GERD, and the general lack of nutrition and exercise that resulted, I’m in pretty pathetic shape. I don’t just have to get my body back to pre-surgery shape, I NEED to get my health back.

It won’t be an immediate thing. There are no quick cures. It will take hard work and dedication. I’m ready for the challenge. I’m ready to start living again.

Teach Your Children

Posted on by Inappropriate Girl

This latest bout of surgery has granted me a fresh new set of scars – six from the laparoscopy (was supposed to be five – was there a bonus round?) and one from the chest tube they had to insert after my lung had issues. That brings my grand total to, um, no clue. I don’t exactly keep track. A few from the appendectomy, a few more from the cholecystectomy, one really big one from the hysterectomy, a smaller one from the catheter I had for that, and now the newest additions. A lot of scars. It makes me wonder what kind of picture I could make if I played connect-the-dots on my torso. I should find that out some day.

Having all of these scars made me think of one thing – wearing a bikini is a part of my past. It seems a logical conclusion. Even if I get my body back to where I want it to be – which I intend to do – I have so many scars that my body is not something I should want to show off. Right?

Silly me. I’ve been spending years telling the kids that they should be proud of their bodies, scars and all. Apparently the lecture has penetrated their brains and not mine. When I mentioned the other day that my time in a bikini was done, the HTR looked at me and said “So what if you have a few scars?”

Right. That. Exactly what I would tell them if our places were traded.

Guess I have a goal for next summer.