Keep on going

Where to start. The last 14 days have definitely been a tester for me. I was aloud free... discharged from hospital on the 25th April. However, I then had to go back, for another MRI a week later; the long incredibly loud tube or should I say tunnel of boredom, unless your lucky enough to have music which is normally the ever so not delightful classical songs. Each day the pain was getting worse and worse and by this point I was crippled with pain (yet again). I saw my consultant who let me know I now also have an abscess growing inside me, which has now caused me to have my 4th infection around the JEC. But I will not let it beat me and I will keep going! Luckily I didn't have to be admitted back into hospital (YAY!) and I'm on the antibiotics for 2 weeks to try and get this horrible alien growing inside me down. This Friday I am having the botox into the opening of my intestine done, due to it not working correctly. This will be done in the endoscopy department by my consultant who did actually say he would film this, but I'm not really sure I want to see my insides, do you?! Grim. At some point I will do a blog talking more about what I can't have due to a large part of my intestines nerves not working, I currently get my nutrition through a JEC, this is a tube which goes into my jejunum which a feed goes through at night. Through my travels in and out of hospitals, I have met quite a few people who also have this treatment. I know a lot of lovely people, who I feel need more support, especially young adults. I am not aloud to eat anything solid, only liquids or purees (maybe a cheeky suck of chocolate now and then but shhh) however, it has only been the last couple of months I have been aloud this. I went 1 year without being aloud to have anything oral. So getting back onto small things has been much more difficult then you think. I must admit, I must have been a nightmare of a patient. Anything that tasted too strong, too sweet, too sour, too thick, too creamy, too salty, too cuimny, too hot...yes, I was definitely a nightmare. I had to start on baby food... now that is bland! Then onto formage frais and jellies and I'm now at a point where i have simple soups, fromage frais, ready brek, mouses and jellies. Both my dieticians at UCL and East Surrey are amazing. There is a lot of special medical foods out there for nutrition. At the moment, if you are in a similar situation you've properly heard of these, I'm having Complans, Forisips and Fresibins or you can get 'Ensures' too and there are many other types that companies do but they all do the same job. They're a liquid nutrition drink, that are not the best tasting I must admit, but they are full of everything you need and are packed full of calories! Last week, I received recipes from my dietician where you incorporate these drinks into soups, smoothies etc to make them more substantial. I'll talk more about all of these when I do the blog. However, anyone with  feeding tubes or any nutrition problems due to medical situations, I'm here to help. I'll leave my email at the bottom where you can contact me, even if you simply need to chat because I know how tough it can be, with tubes all over you. I've had NJ, NG, and now a JEC and I'm still a long way from the finishing line however, I have seen a lot over these past months in and out of hospitals, and I really do believe that knowledge is power, and this can help other people. Ok, beautiful ones, I'll keep you up to date when I can, about my journey but in the mean keep your chin up and always think, there will be light at the end of the tunnel and it will be ok.

eloise.k.smith123@hotmail.co.uk