Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Things I'm Grateful for this week...and always

• Doctors (who know what they’re doing)
• Pain Medicine (it works like magic)
• Blood Banks (GIVE BLOOD, it saves lives-it saved mine)
• A flexible job and caring boss (love my dad)
• Medical benefits through UPS (my drug benefit saved me $2,789.10 on my new medicine and my hospital stay was FREE)
• Drugs (not the street ones…the doctor ones that make me feel better and keep me alive)
• The most supportive and understanding husband, family and friends

This week has been a rough one. I have Crohn’s disease, which is a chronic disease that affects my intestines and lines them with ulcers, resulting in severe abdominal pain and many other not so fun things. I went to the hospital last Wednesday very weak with a dangerously low blood count. I ended up staying five days and getting a blood transfusion. My hemoglobin was a 6.7 and normal ranges from 11-15. I am now a firm supporter of giving blood, and while I can’t donate my own blood, I urge everyone who can to donate blood. My health issues continue to remind me of how blessed I am each day and what a wonderful support system I have around me. Thank you for the visits, the prayers and the sincere get well wishes.

10 comments:

DaNae said...

Oh Shan, I hope you are feeling better. I love giving blood and it really does save lives! You are awesome girl.

BECKY said...

Holy cow, how scary. I love your positive list to remind us how lucky we are to have the medical stuff we do. I hope you get feeling so much better so soon.

Kent and Krista Stevenson said...

I love you Shanna! I hope you are doing better. You will be in my prayers! Kent and I are moving to California in June so we will have to get together every once in awhile!

Chantell said...

Wow! I hope everything is going well! Im glad you're so positive! You're an inspiration! Also I donate blood, have the magnet on my car, but haven't in a while! Thanks for the reminder!!

Mr. and Mrs. Hillarious said...

Glad you're hanging in there. I think about you a lot and hope everything's going better! I'm terrified of giving blood. I did it once and that was very traumatizing. Maybe I'll get over that one of these days and just do it, though. We should hang out more. :)

Angela Bassett said...

Love you Shanna! Glad you made it through. Taylor gave blood for the first time a couple of weeks ago with a bunch of his seminary friends. I still have a couple years to go before I'm cleared, but I'll be back at it soon. Hate needles-but you were my first inspiration to give years ago when you first started blood sugar testing. If you could do that, then I could give blood. Did you know that? You were 11 and I was a grown up, but you were more adult than me. It also always helps me to think of the people I love like you and how I would give anything to help them. So why not a little prick or two or three every few weeks and some free dough nuts to boot!
We're praying for you.

rad6 said...

Wow Shanna, now your cvomment about blood tranfusions makes more sense. I am so glad that you are ok.
Holy smokes!!
hang in there. Praying for you.

Tari said...

I didn't know you had Chron's with your diabetes! Chron's runs in my family, so I understand how sick you can feel! I hope you feel better and that thinks mellow out!

Brittany said...

Sorry to hear about that. Glad you're doing better now.

Jeannine said...

I hate that we are so far away and didn't know any of this was going on. We love you so much!!