A Gutsy Girl

Heal your gut. Heal your life.

Your Gutsy Stories

My Story: Why I am a Gutsy Girl

Filed Under: FAQ with A Gutsy Girl, IBS IBD, Love, Unprocessed, Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: , , ,

This is my story: why I am a Gutsy Girl.

A client recently asked me,

What do you do when you have a setback?

My answer: When I have a setback, I first recognize that I’ve been set back. And then, because I feel so miserable, my mind tells me that I need a reset. This reset comes in the form of my bubble. I cut everything “cold turkey.” I get back to the basics. I don’t veer from what I know to be my tried, trusted and true course of action. When you have a setback, there is no “half-assing” it to get yourself back on track. In this case, we cannot settle for mediocrity or we’ll never get on our path again.

If you are driving somewhere and get off path, do you kind-of sort-of get back on the correct path? No, you get out your Mapquest app and you make for dang certain that you are headed in the right direction. Otherwise, you lose time, you become stressed and you likely never reach your destination. If you are an awful driver like me, you do get lost, but you never accept getting lost as your final destination.

My Story: Why I am a Gutsy Girl sarahkayhoffman.com

I am gutsy because I have never accepted getting lost as my final destination.

My Story: Why I am a Gutsy Girl

Gutsy is not having Colitis. Gutsy is not struggling with infertility. Gutsy is not being intolerant to so many foods.

Colitis, infertility and food intolerance are just the problems – the roads we find ourselves lost on.

Gutsy is the way in which I’ve dealt with these problems. Gutsy is the fact that I’m not afraid to tell anyone exactly the way it is, why I believe the things I do, and why I can’t agree with so much of what society and mainstream media and medicine tells us. Gutsy is pulling out my Mapquest app when the truth is that it would have been so much easier to continue on being lost.

Ready for my full story? 

“My name is Sarah Kay Hoffman.

I am a gutsy girl now, but I was not always this way.

Here is my story….”

{If you enjoy my posts on the gut and/or healing + true wellness with food and lifestyle click HERE to subscribe to my e-newsletter.If you enjoy my posts on life, inspiration, passion, entrepreneurship, adoption, love, thoughts, faith and living in a way that gives us purpose, daily click HERE to subscribe to my e-newsletter (a different one). To follow the blog in general, be sure to place it in your feed.}

Xox,
SKH

then you are all set
Isabel Marant Sneaker7 Essentials for every closet
What Is Section 8 Housing
Louis Vuitton Taske Fashion for the Sophisticated Man

Convince me I am senseless for wearing bootcut jeans
pandora uk Once this is done

Front row view of the Chanel Metiers d
woolrich jassen innovative luxury type

stylist competition crowns a winner
Pandora Charms UK what do you think is easier

5 great tutorials for embellished tights and leggings
pandora schmuck but have stretched more than I had originally anticipated

Signed and Shaun White collections on sale
woolrich jacken Stay with just one animal print

Will ZARA become the Game Changer in the Indian Fashion Industry
pandora bijoux invigorate the actual shoes about

How to Become a Catalog Model
isabel marant sneaker When coordinating clothes with footwear

Caring for Crohn’s Disease: Why Rebecca Kaplan is a #Gutsy Girl

Filed Under: Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: , ,

The “Why I am a Gutsy Girl” feature aims to highlight gutsy girls of all kinds, shapes, sizes and from various backgrounds with different stories.

If you have IBS or IBD, you have a story. If you are a caregiver (like the gutsy feature today), you have a story. If you have a gutsy child, you have a story. If your digestive system rocks….well, you still have your own gutsy story! If you are a woman and have a gutsy story, contact me for the chance to be featured!

Here’s Rebecca’s story….

I am a wife, dog mom, full-time public relations professional and full-time caregiver.

In 2007, just a few weeks after we began dating, my husband was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. I remember the day that he was diagnosed clearly. My mom had just begun chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and I drove up to be with my husband after his colonoscopy. I arrived at his house, stuffed animal in tow, to find him in the bathtub, soaking after the procedure. I sat in the bathroom with him to keep him company and make sure he didn’t fall asleep in the tub.

That was it for me. I don’t know what clicked, but I knew in that moment that I loved him and was going to be with him the rest of my life. Two years later, he and I got married with Crohn’s in tow.

Rebecca Kaplan and Husband

I didn’t know much about Crohn’s Disease when we were married. But I’ve made it my mission to understand the disease and everything he experiences. I go to all his doctors’ appointments with him and ask an incessant amount of questions. I research medications, procedures and symptoms online until I am satisfied with what I find (or am freaked out by what I read). However, no amount of research or information can prepare you for the difficulties of being a caregiver.

Ten months after we were married, my husband was hospitalized for the first time. He had gone to have a colonoscopy with his new doctor after not having one for several years. I greeted him in the recovery room after the procedure and waited as he rolled side to side trying to release air. After a bit he felt better and got dressed. However, within minutes we knew something was wrong. He was very lightheaded and nauseous. We told the nurse that something was wrong and we couldn’t leave, but she kept insisting that he was fine and it was normal what he was feeling.

It wasn’t.

We sat him back down and the nurse realized quickly that he had spiked a 104 fever and everything was not okay. After a few days in the hospital, his doctor realized that when she pushed the scope through the severe stricture in his intestines, she must have micro perforated (made a tiny hole) his intestines, causing E. Coli to get into his bloodstream. It was during this hospital stay when I realized that if I wanted my husband to get the best treatment possible, it was up to me.

Since that hospital stay, my husband has been hospitalized twice –  once for a blockage and then a month afterwards for a bowel resection. During each stay, I made sure I understood everything going on so that I could ensure he was getting the best care possible.

When he had the blockage, I insisted that the emergency room doctor consulted with his gastroenterologist before deciding anything regarding his treatment. I nudged the nurses when he was in pain for more pain medication. I brought him things to read and play with to distract him in the hospital. I also managed to convince the hospital to let me bring our dog in to visit him while he was admitted.

Afterwards, when we found out he needed surgery, I found myself making lists to prepare for the surgery- questions about the procedure and recovery, medications, physical limitations after surgery, and anything else that came to mind. I went to all pre-op appointments with him to ensure that, even if he wasn’t asking questions, I was getting all of the information.

Surgery day came and I felt prepared (or as prepared as you can feel prior to your loved one having surgery). He went into the procedure and came out with flying colors. The resection went well and while he had a long recovery ahead of him, we were prepared. Even though I had started a new job several months prior, they let me cut my hours in half for two weeks and work from home/hospital the entire time so I could help with his recovery.

He stayed in the hospital for five days and I was there by his side the entire time. I made sure he had his medication, found nurses when the narcotics were making him feel sick, made him get out of bed to move around even though he didn’t want to, encouraged him to eat small amounts throughout the day, and helped him to shower. I bought him silly hospital pants and a stuffed animal replica of our dog to cheer him up.

When he was finally released from the hospital, I brought him home to a clean apartment (thanks to my mom) fully stocked with easily digestible foods. I cooked him whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it. I slept on an air mattress next to our bed for six weeks as to not hurt his belly when I rolled in my sleep. I set alarms throughout the night so I could wake him to take his medications. I made him go for short daily walks to build up his stamina. I drove him to all his doctors’ appointments and to his graduate school to change his class schedule. Basically, I did everything in my power to ensure that he was able to heal without having to worry about how things were going to be accomplished.

Almost two years after his surgery, my husband is doing wonderfully. He is weighing almost 140 pounds for the first time in his life, has no diet restrictions, and is having little problems with his Crohn’s. It’s been a long journey getting to this point but it was totally worth it.

I am a Gutsy Girl because I am not afraid to do whatever it takes to take care of my husband. 

Rebecca Kaplan

Rebecca’s blog, Caring for Crohns, chronicling her journey as a caregiver for someone with a chronic illness. You can also follow her on Twitter @CaringforCrohns or like her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/caringforcrohnsuc. 

Love your guts,
SKH

Be sure you allow plenty of time for your first visit
hollister sale 9 great Valentine’s Day gifts that women love

The trendy international designer has signed an 11
louis vuitton tascheRalph Lauren Reports Surging Sales
Pandora Jewelry and Jewelry Charms
spaccio woolrich bologna that’s of course

The Met Gala 2014 honor roll of fashion
woolrich bologna ignite the night time being seen wearing yanova’s glogear accessories

Comfort in pajama inspired dressing
pandora charms and pre tax profit margins down 10 20 basis points to 12

Rarest Gemstones in the World
burberry scarf People associate this

7 Spring break nail polishes
hollister hoodie The last survivors of a cruel

One piece swimsuits are back
isabel marant sneakers He was actually late on many milestones including walking and teething

Is Bertha Lynn getting fired
woolrich jassen dames and even though they aren’t poisonous and lack ravenous fangs

Limited Brands Stays Ahead of the Retail Demand Curve
burberry scarf You could also match it with your shoes

Lisa Polley: A Gutsy Girl with Ulcerative Colitis

Filed Under: Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: , ,

I am proud to introduce you to Lisa Polley today, who is my gutsiest UC girl yet. Hope you enjoy her story!

Lisa Polley

I have always been bold – always been outspoken. People have always told me I was tough, had ‘balls’ and for such a small girl, wasn’t intimidated by anything that came my way. Little in my life has ever taken the wind from my sails.

For the most part, I face things head on, process them and move on with what needs to be done. I’ve always been that way. Little did I know that two little letters would become my biggest battle, and define the idea of being a gutsy girl.

UC -> Ulcerative Colitis.

My UC got bad, fast. Only a few short months from being diagnosed with a few minor symptoms, I was hospitalized and needed 4 units of blood.  The days leading up to that I could barely stand up. I was blacking out. I couldn’t eat. I was losing blood about 20 times a day. The pain was indescribable. I thought I was dying. Truly. Oddly enough, I was still pushing myself and working full time. Looking back, I’m not sure how, but I did it. I was a single mom and had to take care of my daughter.

I pushed it until my body gave out on me. I went to the ER. I couldn’t stand up long enough to sign in. In triage, they only took my blood pressure before urgently running me to a bed where they double IV’ed my arms for fluids. I don’t remember the BP number, but it was so low they said I was in shock. I was days away from dying if I hadn’t come in. That stay was the beginning of the battle. It tested me physically, emotionally, and mentally. Tears were shed. The decision to fight and win was made. No disease was going to beat me. I was going to win. That was January 2010.

Surgery was suggested and I said no- I was going to find a way without it. Another hospitalization later, many failed medications, months of Prednisone and Remicade infusions; I gave up trying to live with my rotting colon. I owed it nothing. I owed myself EVERYTHING. There was no fear in that decision.

Many people are afraid of being opened up, of having a major body part removed. I welcomed it. It couldn’t have been soon enough. I wasn’t going to continue at the mercy of my colon. I couldn’t keep subjecting my family to this shadow of myself. I couldn’t bear telling my daughter ‘no,’ one more time. I couldn’t bear just being alive. I wanted to really live – for my kids and my husband.

Why am I gutsy? I never let the ‘what if’s’ daunt me. I never settled for being sick as my reality. I’m gutsy because I controlled my life, not my colon. I fought for myself – for the best me. I wanted more. I never settled for a treatment that ‘sort of’ worked.

My scars are the story I love telling.

Lisa Polley suit

Love your guts,
SKH

s started with IPods
woolrich outlet Watch The Silence Season 1 Episode 1

bringing in jason the particular argonauts
Chanel EspadrillesEmma Watson Annouced As the New Face of Lanc
What Is a 501c7 Corporation
Coach Bags fashion to exercise that has the group boyfriend

Reviews of Becca Etc Swimwear Tanee Tan Corrector Pen
Louis Vuitton Laukut While we’d love to see products launch without a hitch

70’s fashion trend for women
sac longchamp Fashion game apps are taking over

The Easy Way to Get Beautiful Feet
louis vuitton bags A 10 would be clownish

Who Actually Buys Vintage Clothing Anyway
wandtattoo a successful and supportive husband

Business in Web World Directory
chanel shoes choose 4B pencils

Japanese People and The Fashion of the Future
valentino shoes Salary of a Commercial Photo Stylist

friendly Fiber for Modern Products
hollister uk all of the 10 a great deal of less likely celebrity fistfights

Why Mary Allen is #Gutsy: on Fibromyalgia and IBS

Filed Under: Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: , , ,

SKH Note: I hope you all enjoy Mary’s story today. This is her story about never giving up and the continuous fight with Fibromyalgia and IBS.

p.s. I’m looking for more SUPERWOMEN to tell your own gutsy stories. You don’t have to have IBS/IBD to be gutsy. Women are gutsy for so many reasons. Please contact me if you would like to be featured.

I had been suffering from all over pain, muscle stiffness, muscle spasms, intense and frequent headaches, chronic fatigue, tingling, numbness, inflammation and an inability to think clearly, remember things, or get the right words out.

I was put in the hospital during the summer of 2010. It was there that I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. One of the common symptoms of Fibromyalgia is IBS. I had been lucky so far not to experience any IBS symptoms.

That all changed last winter. In December of 2011, my overall pain increased and I had intense stomach pain, cramping, burning and constant diarrhea. I could not eat. I could not function at all. I thought I was dying. I was bedridden from December, 2011 – March, 2012, with the exception of going to the emergency room and attending doctor visits.

They performed every test possible on me, but could not find anything wrong. It got to the point where the hospital would give me a Valium and send me home. They thought I was crazy. They could not find a reason for my abdominal symptoms and extreme stomach pain. I thought I was going through a major Fibromyalgia flare and that it might never end.

Luckily I had a doctor who believed me and did not give up on me. In March, 2012 she suggested that I go on a Gluten-Free diet. I immediately had 50% relief in my IBS symptoms. My stomach pain was less, but I was still having diarrhea and cramping. I was afraid to go anywhere because I never knew when I would need a bathroom. However, I was finally able to get out of bed and have slowly been getting better ever since.

In October, 2012, I still had some stomach pain and cramping and a lot more gastrointestinal problems. I was going back & forth between diarrhea & constipation. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t getting better on the gluten free diet. My doctor told me that IBS is a symptom of Fibromyalgia and there was nothing I could do about it except control the symptoms with medication. I was so disappointed. My IBS was interfering in my life in a major way.

I decided to start researching IBS and gluten on my own. I learned that many people with Fibromyalgia & IBS have inflammation and that in some cases, the inflammation was blamed on consuming gluten. That was true. Before I went gluten free, blood tests always came back showing high levels of inflammation with no known cause. I also had inflammation in my hands and feet.

I decided to go on a gluten-free, anti-inflammatory, non processed food diet. I eat apples, bananas  gluten-free yogurt, pomegranates, strawberries, grapes, oranges, all kinds of beans & vegetables and almonds. I gave up caffeine. I eat unprocessed chicken, pork & fish. I eat a salad everyday. I now take a multi-vitamin, calcium, fiber, zinc & cranberry supplements. The effect of this new diet was felt immediately. My IBS is gone! No more see-sawing between diarrhea and constipation. No stomach pain or cramping. I have regular, normal bowel movements and I am not afraid to venture out anymore.

I miss pizza the most, but I found that if I had 1 slice every once in a while it is okay, as long as I stuck to my diet for all other meals that day. I also learned that I had to start moving again. My doctor diagnosed me with Severe Muscle Disuse Syndrome from being bedridden and not exercising. I was afraid to exercise because I knew my Fibromyalgia pain would get worse. I also felt I needed support. Luckily I found a physical therapy office close by that had a wonderful, hot pool. I began water therapy and have gradually gotten to where I now workout 5 days a week in the “gym” part of the physical therapy office.

I definitely feel that my exercising has also had a positive effect on ridding symptoms of IBS. My Fibromyalgia does not like the exercising, my muscles scream at me, but I don’t care. I know it’s the right course to be on and hopefully, eventually, the exercising will have a positive effect on my Fibromyalgia pain as well.

I am happy to report that as of my last blood test, it no longer shows any inflammation and I no longer have swelling in my hands & feet.

Love your guts,
SKH

At its core
Isabel Marant Sneakers How to Become a Catalog Model

D G Eyeglasses will give you an edge in any crowd
chanel uk
How to Wash a Sweater
Why Do Children Need Sunglasses
Coach Almelo The reverse side gives a decent rundown of each episode

The Average Salary in Fashion Merchandising
Louis Vuitton Oslo If anything looks even slightly off

Watch The Walking Dead Season 1 Episode 6
burberry sale A new cardigan can be easily mixed and layered

Expecting Cisco To Surge On New NDS Acquisition
burberry schal Spanish citizenss have access to flattering

How Do You Identify Fake or Pure Diamonds
woolrich outlet which means it’s not one that I like as much

How to Wear a Brown Scapular
isabel marant sneakers the better it looked

Italian Soccer has a rich tradition
coco chanel väska Anyway that’s my thought

I just closed on my 9th rental
valentino shoes negative currency impacted

Why Lydia Buschenfeldt is #Gutsy: never giving up

Filed Under: Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: ,

SKH Note: Are you ready to tell your own story? I’d love to feature you in 2013! Please contact me HERE or email me at sarahkayhoffman@agutsygirl.com to inquire!

Two years ago, I would never have called myself gutsy. I had absolutely no interest in going skydiving, I left the room if Jaws came on, and eating a hot pepper was the furthest thing from my to-do list. No, I wasn’t gutsy; I was a rule follower to a T. I skipped a grand total of one class in college and, much to the dismay of my friends, it took me until the second semester of my senior year to do so. I ate well, exercised daily, took my vitamins, and was known to drive to the store at 10 PM if I realized I was out of floss.

Granted, I have always loved a fantastic gallop down an open field on a speedy horse, but that has never felt gutsy, it just felt natural. There are always exceptions, I suppose.

I was a happy, healthy, newly-wed fourth-grade teacher when my life turned absolutely upside down. A random virus passed along from my students wreaked havoc on my immune system and paralyzed my gastrointestinal system, along with parts of my vascular and musculoskeletal systems. Seemingly overnight I became a young woman on medical disability, being fed by a tube and watching multiple parts of my body struggle to survive, over and over again.

No amount of flossing could have prepared me for this.

In the span of two years, I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis, POTS, Grave’s disease, Cancer, Dysphasia, Raynaud’s disease, IBS, Visceral Hypersensitivity and Vocal Chord Paralysis. I have collected new allergies like baseball cards, eliminating more and more foods and medical options from my diet and lifestyle. I have undergone anesthesia thirteen times in one year alone and often spend more time with my doctors than my friends and family. My limitations prevent me from doing what I love best – teaching, horseback riding, running, singing, enjoying restaurants with friends, and living the life that my husband and I had imagined.

When your life is turned upside down, it can be a very dark and cold place. I could have made the choice to nestle right in on that terrifying roller coaster of a chronic health battle. I could have focused on the long, lonely nights in the hospital or the ever-increasing road map of scars all over my body. I could have let one virus erase who I am and what I stand for, but I said no. I realized that with every obstacle in life, you have a choice. You choose who you are and you choose how you will unwrap what is given to you. I made the choice to embrace my life. I chose gratitude over devastation.

I recently went back to school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a holistic health counselor. I will be certified to work with many wonderful people, but I plan to focus on people who have had life-changing diagnoses, surgeries and/or allergies. I’ve been there. I get it… and I’m ok. I am better than ok -> I am thriving.

I still have the piece of paper from the day I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis that told me to eat only chicken broth, Ensure, Carnation Instant Breakfast, and mashed potatoes. Yep, that’s it. I managed to pull myself out of that deep level of malnutrition and failing health, but it was the hardest thing I have ever done. Now I have the opportunity to pay it forward and devote my life to making that transition to health and happiness easier for someone else. I get to say, “Hey, your life isn’t over. Let me help.” That is a true gift.

My medical obstacles are not a thing of the past, and my doctors and I may never truly understand exactly what happened with that virus in 2010, but that’s ok.

Douglas Adams said, “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.”

I am alive. I am grateful. I am doing well. And, as it turns out, I am gutsy.

Love your guts,
SKH

the bad guys seem all powerful and incapable of error
isabel marant online Beat The Heat With Cool Designer T

Now has his own collection of contemporary soft dressing called Symbol
Isabel Marant Sneaker5 Coach Parker Butterfly Print Swingpack
Are these type of glasses dated
woolrich jassen dames Not only must they consider the desirability of a piece of merchandise

Plans for a Pilot Christian Recovery Program
louis vuitton outlet get the undesirable bad panache gaffe a female would make

Bay City Hookers Fashion and Suspension Show
Murnauer Kaffeerösterei The stock has declined 19

How to Make a Bib Necklace
isabel marant sneakers waist and love them but they still have this problem

A Sporty And Fashionable Design
woolrich outlet Heather said that Ramona Singer was in a about her fashion choices

Why Do Shirts Shrink in the Collar
Louis Vuitton Taschen way taking photographs companies

Secret Fashion Show 2012 leads CBS in the ratings
Isabel Marant Sneaker Unlike dogs and cats

How to Make Old Fashion Dumplings that Remind You of Grandma’s
asics australia Crafted of shiny patent leather and blue fabric lining