Throwback Thursday: One Year Ago...

One year ago, I felt like such crap. My stomach and sides hurt all. the. time. I thought my ribs were broken. It was terrible. Then I had a CAT Scan and found out I had an abscess on my ileum, aka the part of your intestines in the lower right quadrant of your abdomen. And then I got to spend 8 days in the hospital hooked up to an IV for antibiotics (and pain meds that first night).

The past year has been full of lots of doctor visits and more pills than I can even attempt to count, but I have felt better in the past year than I have a long time. That's because I've been taking medication for Crohn's Disease, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It's an immune system problem where the lining of your intestine becomes inflamed basically because your body thinks it needs to be in some sort of altercation with it. That's what caused my abscess last year. Or that's what usually causes abscesses in that area of intestines.

Normally, you need a colonoscopy to get a solid diagnosis of Crohn's, or the similarly related Ulcerative Colitis, but my doctor didn't want to upset things further while I was in the hospital and once I got out and the meds were working, he kind of just pushed it off more. So my diagnosis is super unofficial, but since the meds that treat Crohn's are working and I'm feeling good, he's pretty sure that's what's up with my intestines.

Basically, although I felt so terrible for so long last year around this time, I'm actually insanely grateful that it happened because I feel so much better now. Happy one year, Crohn's Diagnosis. Let's keep it the way things are right now because right now, we're good and feeling great. Also, shout out to my fellow Horned Frog alum, Bob Schieffer, for his Colitis diagnosis I just learned about last week. Not only do we love purple for our school, but for our stupid disease (purple if the official color of the awareness ribbon).

If you're interested in learning more about Crohn's and Colitis, check out the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America's website.

High Five for Friday!

I've officially finished week one of grad school! YAY! To celebrate, I'm linking up for High Five for Friday!

1. In honor of my first week of grad school, I participated in #throwbackthursday on Instagram with this gem! My first day of kindergarten. Check out that hot uniform.

2. Last Friday, Nappy got a bath which means a new bed for his crate. I put the old bed out in the living room so I could vaccum it and save it for an emergency. He was so tired but afraid to go to his crate, that he laid on the old bed. He also got a new toy as a peace offering from me and I laid it on him for a picture. He was not amused, clearly.

3. ESPN Classic reran the Rose Bowl TCU won the other night from 11-1. Did I stay up to watch it? Hell yes. Until TCU goes to the national championship (preferably with me in the stadium) this will be the greatest game ever. Also, IS IT FOOTBALL SEASON YET?!

4. I've made the terrible decision that Fridays will be used for catching up on reading and hopefully preparing for the next week. Lame, maybe, but I'd really like to be great at grad school!

5. And finally, this is my room. Doesn't it look cozy? It is. My tempurpedic mattress is my best friend for life, sorry everyone else. I love it so much! I still have a little decorating to do, but my apartment is definitely coming together. Aside from my noisy upstairs neighbors, I'm loving apartment life so far!

BONUS: I saw the Mortal Instruments solo on Wednesday and really enjoyed it! I wasn't a huge fan of the book but I love Lily Collins so I was excited for the movie and was not disappointed! It's made me interested in the second book of the series... I don't know when I'll read it; maybe Christmas break?

How was your week?

Take Me Back

I wrote this post before I realized I'd be posting it on Thursday, so now I'm pretty pumped because I can theme this whole post "Throwback Thursday"! It's the little things, y'all.

There are so so SO many times I think, "TAKE ME BACK!" And as my campers (of three times) start to head off to their freshman year of college, I'm thinking about how I left for college 7 years ago. I'd love to rewind and go back (wouldn't we all). I guess I can always relive it on Facebook like I just did, hahaha.

There were glow-in-the-dark stars on my dorm room ceiling when I got there and the C was backwards... Sadly, my freshman dorm has been redone so I can't go check-in on these beautiful stars and boys live in my room now. Ew. Once Upon a Time, TCU made freshman boys and girls live in separate dorms... Now, notsomuch.

Homecoming freshman year with Brigitte and Maggie. I met some of my best friends (and all future roommates pretty much) my freshman year of college.

TCU lets their students go to any sports' home games for free (with the tuition those kids' parents pay they deserve it). My advice to all incoming freshmen: GO TO THE GAMES. You'll have a blast and you can walk with your friends. You have no excuse not to go (unless it's a Thursday night game and you have a douchebag professor giving you a test the next day... then I suggest you study and then maybe still go to the game).

I'm so lucky to be going back for grad school. I know it will be completely different (harder and not to mention Fort Worth has changed A LOT in the last 7 years), but I know that grad school will be it's own awesome and fun chapter. And yes, I'll be going to any and all home games that I can - GO FROGS.

My advice to you incoming freshmen, TCU or any other school: LIVE IT UP. Your freshman year will be over before you know it. Your sophomore year is totally different and you'll miss freshman year. Not to say that each year isn't fun, but there's a certain carelessness that freshman have that other classes don't have.

Do you ever wish you could relive your freshman year?

Everyday in May: Day 9

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! Today's prompt is perf. So get ready for a little bit of picture overload.

I'm 25 now and I've decided that 25 is going to be the best year yet. I went to the Dr for a check up Tuesday and all of my blood work was as close to normal as it's been in a LOOOONG time. It's all because I FINALLY have my tummy issues under control and I feel a million and a half times better than I have in a LOOOOOONG time. I hate that I had to stay in the hospital for 8 days two months ago, but damn - I'm SO glad to know what's wrong and has been causing so much trouble. ANYWAY, since all that is good to go, I'm dedicating 25 to being the most phenom, amazeballs, fantasmagorical year ever. Here are some shots from my day!

yummy cake my mommy made

My cards from my family and coworkers

I got a rose at work today!

#throwbackthursday birthday edition

I was trying to recreate my #throwbackthursday picture and failed

Was your 25th year everything you wanted (and more)?!

Throwback Thursday

I'm bringing Throwback Thursday to blogger today! In 2010, my bestie and I went to see Lady Gaga for my birthday present. Both of our birthdays are in May and Gaga came to Dallas just two months later. It was perfect.

We're going Tuesday night again! I'm so excited! We're going to have a blast and a half.