My One and Only Friday Favorite: Round 6!

Hello lovelies!

Wanted to write a small post to update all my readers, especially because I somehow manages to get over 500 views within two days of posting my latest blog! Wow was I surprised but oh so happy that I could share my story with even more people!

So I am out of the hospital! I got out on Thursday and went back to the condo with my grandparents. After a long nap and a very long hot shower, I went on the beach for a walk. Then my grandmother and I watched Survivor and I caught up on my shows while she slept through Scandal, which she was dying to watch.

Everything is staying the same though! Surgery date is still planned for April 24th, and I will continue on the nightly TPN up until the day of the surgery. The only thing that changed was how long I have to be plugged into the TPN. It's now 16 hours, which is soo long, but if I have to do it, then I will. And with a smile on my face!

My Grandparents

So as my one and only favorite thing this week, I chose my grandparents. I would not be anywhere close to where I am today if it weren't for them. I honestly don't know what I would do without them. I truly think God had a huge part in making sure that when I got sick this week, they were here. I would have ended up in the hospital all by myself if they hadn't been here already, and I would have been absolutely miserable. It may not have been the best vacation they have ever had (not even close), but they helped me get through this week like no one else could do. I am forever grateful for the two of them and could never thank them enough. I don't know where I'd be without them, but with them, life is always a little bit happier! Love you guys!

Next up, my dad's mother comes to town! She will be here on Sunday, and she says she is coming to entertain me, which thankfully is what she usually does for me!
Hopefully next week's blog will be back on schedule!

Hope you lovelies have a magnificent weekend!

XOXO,
Kayleigh

Tuesday with a Twist

Hello my favorite people!

I wish I could say I have some good news but unfortunately this week has been kind of rough so far. I will continue with my Tuesday Themesday next week, but this post is mainly acting as an update to all my followers.

A couple days ago I started to get very nauseous and started cramping in the same spot I used to get cramps from. I figured because my body was very immuno-compromised, that I probably picked something up and it was affecting my health. I kind of put it off for a couple days. Laid low. Didn't really leave the house except to go to the library and Walgreens. Didn't want to chance anything quite yet. My grandparents came in town on Saturday to get me "out of the house", as they had rented a condo on the beach. I went with them on Saturday night and continued my schedule as always. I started to feel worse on Sunday and pretty much stayed in bed the whole day. My grandmother wanted me to call the doctor, but I wanted to wait until I saw my home health nurse on Monday morning to see what she suggested. Monday morning I woke up and right before I unplugged from my TPN for the day, I got violently ill. But I felt better. As most people do after that happens. I saw my home health nurse and she listened to my bowel sounds and couldn't hear anything, plus I had a high heart rate. So she suggested I go to the ER immediately. She called both my GI doctors and they suggested I go to Gainesville because that's where my specialist and my surgeon were.

So off we went. We drove to the ER, and it was a madhouse. There were 42 people ahead of me. They said if I promised to stay, they would order the necessary tests and have me do them while waiting so that when I got back there, they would pretty much already have a plan. So they did bloodwork and a urinalysis and a basic x-ray and then sent me to this more secluded area in the cancer hospital to keep me away from all the contagious people. They knew I was immuno-compromised so they gave me a sheet, a mask, and put it in my file where to find me when they were ready. They did a CT scan next, and then 7 HOURS later, I finally got a room. They hooked me up to the fluids and went to retrieve the doctor. My grandmother left the room to go to the car, and in those five minutes, I got violently ill again. Thank goodness I had a sick bag. So they immediately gave me some nausea medicine and then the doctor came in to tell me the plan. I had a very large amount of fluid in my digestive tract. Fluid that had basically been sitting there for a while. It had all accumulated from the TPN waste, daily body waste, etc. And it didn't help that I was on so many immunosuppressants. They decided the best route was a conservative approach.

They then inserted another tube. This time an NG tube, which is thicker than the one I had before. It was traumatic to say the least. They gave me some pain medicine and left me to be suctioned and get some rest. Not long after that, they transferred me to an observation ward, which is basically ten people in one room separated by curtains. The plan is basically the same. I have to keep the tube until the fluids slow that are coming out of me. And trust me, it's a lot. I honestly don't know where it has all been sitting. I'm a very tiny person. I'm on pain and nausea medicines as needed, and then they will add the TPN back into my nightly routine once the fluids slow. So it is basically just a waiting game again. Not really much to do, but I am getting the attention I need so I am okay with it.

I do have a bit of good news, depending on how you look at it.

I have a surgery date!!

As of right now, I will have surgery on April 24th! If everything goes as planned, that's when it will be! Please pray that this happens, especially after this little setback.

So there it is. Probably not the blog post you were expecting, but I promised to keep you updated.

Hope you all have a great week, and if I don't see you on Friday, at least you know why!

XOXO,
Kayleigh

Friday Favorites: Round 5!

Hello my favorite people!

Hope your week has been going well! It's finally Friday, and I know so many people that are probably excited about that!

First a little update on me! There honestly isn't much of an update this week because not much has happened. My bloodwork from Monday looks good, and my shingles are for the most gone. The worst part of them is that they are now SO itchy! Thankfully I have found some gel with lidocaine in it that has helped me sleep. Hopefully it continues to help! Other than that, not much has been happening. I have an appointment with my surgeon next week (Tuesday) and that is when he will decide the final surgery date!! If it's within 30 days, I will go ahead and do my pre-op and pre-anesthesia appointment, which means I won't have to go back to Gainesville until the surgery!

Weekly Tally:

Days on TPN and lipids- 49
Days with no food- 51

Beauty and the Beast

I honestly could not say enough good things about this movie. I have loved the original since I was little. It actually came out the same month and year that I was born, which means it was obviously meant to be. I loved the story. I loved the iconic yellow dress. I loved the music. It was all just great. Plus Belle was the first brown-haired Disney princess, so obviously I connected with her. When I first heard about the live-action remake, I was a little skeptical. How could they possibly make a live-action movie based off a movie that has few human characters? How could they possibly remake such a magnificent movie? As soon as I found out Emma Watson was going to be Belle, I was convinced it would be equally epic. I knew she wouldn't let us down. She is so great in all her other movies (hello Harry Potter?). She looked the part, acted the part in her daily life, and apparently she could sing and dance. Who knew?! So I've been waiting for this movie for over a year now. And I knew I would be one of the first to see it, because duh! My friend Meredith and I went to the movie last Saturday, and I honestly felt like I was cheating on my best friend. She loves this movie. Probably more than I do. But she is in Botswana in the Peace Corp. So she obviously won't be able to see it until she gets home (although she did promise she would watch it with me when she finally got home later this year). Anywho, Meredith and I were in awe the entire time. It was truly one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. The music was great, the characters were perfect, the casting was spot-on, the special effects were amazing, and I truly felt I was there with Belle when 'Be Our Guest' happened. I could not have asked for anything better. So props to Disney and Emma Watson and everyone else involved. You've made something truly iconic. Also I just thought about the fact that this generation of children will know Emma Watson as Belle and not as Hermione Granger, which just makes me feel so old!

Face Masks

Don't know if you guys have ever done a face mask before (like the paper ones that sit on your face) but it is heavenly. I love coming home from working out, washing my face, and relaxing with a face mask on and a book in my hand. I usually get mine from Target or Marshall's. Marshall's has them in bulk boxes, which is always cheaper. But I love them so much. They make your face so smooth for days and it reenergizes you like you wouldn't believe!

Skype

This app is a wonderful thing. Sometimes frustrating, but most often wonderful. I skype my family on our phones because they don't have iPhones and can't FaceTime. That means I get to see them (and my adorable pets) at least once a week, which is great when I can't see them in person for a while. I also Skype my health coach, Pam, every two weeks, which isn't quite like being there in person, but it's good enough since I am so far away. It's nice to see people instead of just talking on the phone because I am so close to my family. So I look forward to it!

My Movie-cation

So if you've seen Pitch Perfect, you should know what a movie-cation is. It's a movie education on the classics. There are a lot of movies I haven't seen that I probably should have seen. Like Sixteen Candles or Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Yeah I know. How have I not seen those? Well I just haven't but the beauty of being a library card holder is that I can easily rent just about any movie for free. So far I have watched The Spectacular Now, Pretty in Pink, and Sleepless in Seattle. I have a list of about 40 movies that I want to watch before I start school in September, so I have plenty of time. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! I am always open to anything! The agenda tonight has Say Anything on it.

Dancing With the Stars

So I haven't watched the show in a while. I watched the Laurie Hernandez's dances on YouTube last season and was so happy she won, but I haven't watched the entire show for a while now. I figured I had a little more time right now, so I watched and I really wish I would have stuck with it. I really think this season is going to be tough because there are so many people that are actually good this time around. I was so surprised by all the athletes from this season, but they are ALL good. There are only a few people that I know won't make it very far. I always feel bad for the pro when they get voted off because I'm sure they don't get paid as much, but hey, it's a pretty good gig nonetheless. I think I would say I am rooting for the baseball player and the glee star. Obviously everyone is rooting for Simone Biles, but she is the obvious choice. We shall see as the season goes on!

That concludes Friday Favorites! I can't wait for tomorrow because it is the start of family coming! My mamaw and papaw come tomorrow and then I have Grandma coming and then my mom for her spring break! It's going to be a fun three weeks!

Have a great weekend!

XOXO,

Kayleigh

Tuesday Themesday On a Wednesday: March Edition Part 3

Hello lovelies!

Hope your Wednesday has been wonderful so far!

So I definitely didn't realize it was Tuesday yesterday until it was too late to write a blog. It was just one of those days! SO I am doing Tuesday Themesday On a Wednesday!

Firstly:

SURPRISE!

When I first started school in Florida, I missed my family terribly, and I didn't think I would get to see my family until they came down for Thanksgiving break. So when the opportunity arrived to visit home, I took it. But I only told my dad. I flew home, my dad told everyone he had a meeting in Charlotte, and he came and picked me up. I decided to go home because my brother Clay had one of his last band competitions. I hadn't seen any of the show yet, so I figured this was the best way to see it. My dad's parents came to town for the competition too and my other set of grandparents were coming over for a big dinner the night I was flying in. So we pull up to the house and I immediately hide at the front of the house. We wanted to surprise my mom first so my dad went inside and told her that someone had dented the bumper of his car while he was in the meeting. She came out (while he was filming this), and I popped around the corner. She didn't even believe that I was there. She had no idea whatsoever that I was coming home. So then she took over the filming, and I went to the front door. I rang the doorbell, and my dad asked my grandmother to answer the door. In the video, you can see how excited I am because I am shaking and jumping up and down. She answers the door and I ran up the stairs to hug her and my other set of grandparents. Wes, my dad's stepfather, was outside grilling, so when he walked in, I ran and hugged him too. Then I went upstairs and surprised my brothers. My grandmother asked how I got there and I kinda look at her funny as if it's obvious. It was the best weekend. So short but so great! So here are some pictures of the weekend! The video wouldn't upload but if you want to see it, friend me on facebook! It's so cute!

Secondly:

Flyers Game

This past Thanksgiving was the first Thanksgiving that my family were able to go up to Pennsylvania in a long time. I flew from Florida, while my family drove from SC. While we were there, we did so much, but as a 50th birthday gift to my aunt the entire family went to a Flyers game and got to enjoy it in a private suite. We had so much fun (despite not winning)! And it was also my first NHL game!

So before we left for the game, we took a grandchildren picture. This was the first time we had all been together at the same time in years, so we took advantage of it. This picture was reenacted though. When we took the original, Evan had gotten sick in the parking lot, Mia wouldn't be in the picture unless she was right next to me, Victoria was crying moments before, Moms were trying to get their own kids to smile, and I was about nine years old, and as the oldest, I had to set a good example. So here is the comparison! It's crazy how much we've all grown. Sidenote: my legs were being crushed by Evan. He's gained a little weight...

Thirdly:

Universal Studios

Everyone knows how much I love Harry Potter. But I had never been to Harry Potter World until I moved down here. For my birthday, my friend Sarah promised she would take me to Universal Studios. Of course I was beyond excited. I didn't really know what to expect. I had seen pictures from when my mom visited the park, but I hadn't seen everything. It's an understatement when I say that it is truly magical. I was blown away. Sarah even said she wished she had a video of my face when I walked around the brick wall to get to Diagon Alley. It looked exactly like the movie and had so much more. Exactly what I picture when I read the books. We took pics in front of the castle, rode the Hogwarts Express, ate at the Three Broomsticks, tried Butterbeer, and shopped at Honeyduke's and Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. It was an awesome 25th birthday!

And there you have it! Week 3 of Tuesday Themesday has come to a close already! Wow that's crazy. That means there is only one more week with this theme, and then I will switch it up a little bit!

Hope you all have a great rest of your Wednesday, and I will see you all on Friday!

XOXO,

Kayleigh