I’m a late 30’s something mother of two. The two being two girls, the loves of my life. Between the three of us we have two autoimmune disorders and a couple of neurological conditions, although the children often argue that I could be counted as a neurological disorder in and of myself. They consider me crazy by most normal people standards, but then turn around and brag me up as being the “cool mom”. I’m not sure I’m that cool, but having a disease that keeps you off and on near death you do learn what really matters in life, and you kind of let the rest slide by.
So here it is, the intro to the cast here at Diary of a Crohnie:
I’m Deanna and like I said I’m a late 30’s something, by no means an old cronie, but I have had Crohn’s Disease since 2004. Hence the blog name. I’m a self employed photographer. If I wasn’t self employed I wouldn’t be working. Sort of hard to keep a job if you are in the bathroom 20 times a day. But I love my work to much to quit and collect disability, although I have already been told I could get it. Instead I piss my doctors off by not eating if I have appointments coming in. Apparently it’s twice as hard on a body that is already starving itself if you don’t feed it, but it’s the only way I can get through a session sometimes. If nothing goes in, nothing comes out. I have had to refocus my specialty to studio friendly sessions, mostly I photograph babies for the local populace and pets as freelance, mostly being published in calendars and whatnot.
Madeleine called Maddie or sometimes just Mad, is the neon, rainbow bright clothing wearing, preteen. She has Tourette’s Syndrome with comorbid conditions the worst being RAGE, then we have sensory issues and very mild OCD. She was also recently diagnosed with hashimoto’s thyroiditis – not a fun condition when you have a kid that has sensory issues making her not like to be touched, an OCD fear of needles, and tends to go into rages at the drop of a hat. TG for lidocaine cream and a preteen over awareness of what others might think! It has been at least a year since she has kicked a doctor or tried to bite a technician.
Chloe is our little sweetheart and she plays her part up as often as she can. She dresses like Fancy Nancy, loves having her hair done up, and crys if someone so much as looks at her wrong. She recently started ticing herself but we don’t think it’s Tourette’s yet, but it’s to early to tell. So far it just seems to be transient tic disorder with a little OCD thrown in for good measure.
Then there’s Mr K, the red neck wanta be husband. He’s the “normal” one in the family and takes care of the rest of us when I’m to sick to function. He scoops sidewalks, plows drives, mows the yard, does the dishes, cooks dinners, and runs the kids all over town. The outside work he loves and would spend all day doing the yard or the drive if there was time. The inside work isn’t exactly mom quality. Meals from a box, dishes stacked in the sink until we run out before they make it to the dishwasher, and who needs a clean floor we’re not exactly eating off it, but he gets the jobs done when I’m to sick to move so I do not complain if it’s not done to my standards. I do grumble just a little though if the clothes in the laundry come out looking like we are all sporting neon pink tie die. :)
