I very recently spent a week in the hospital, due to another bad Crohn’s disease flare. What’s a girl to do while being left in a tiny room with absolutely no view, very little real food to eat, a cable TV service that has the channel line-up of 1995 (Why is it that they spent all that money on replacing all of the TVs in the hospital to HD flat screens and then not offer any channels actually in HD!) This is all going on simultaneously while I’m being given massive doses of IV steroids, pain medicine and God knows what else. I was SO sick those first couple of days I was there, but after a few doses of “the juice” I was feeling pretty darn… perky. Now what does a newly perked up gal do to whittle away her time “inside,” and bonus be sorta a artsy fartsy in process? I decided to take some pictures of “hospital life.” Following the photo sessions I made the artistic decision to apply filters on them for a much more pretentious, abstract, avant garde, hipster look.
Truthfully, I really like how these came out.
IV pole, thank you for always making me feel like a dog tied to a tree. You are really good at it!
MY AMAZING IV! My veins are awful. The ER nurse got one in my AC and it lasted the entire week!
Blood clot prevention “legwarmers.” All the rage on Paris runways this season.
I always say, “when in the hospital, always ensure that your that your pudding matches your pajama bottoms.” It’s kind of my mantra.
My clear liquid breakfast, featuring beef broth! If you didn’t wake up nauseated, congratulations, you now are.
I AM IRON WOMAN!
Cat pajama bottoms with my good luck shamrock t-shirt. A fave of mine.
My Sprite and ginger ale horde.
I’m assuming that this lime sherbert is 100% all-natural. I am also assuming the factory it came from is located next door to a nuclear waste plant.
Coleslaw and fresh tomato, apparently the hospital’s idea of a “bland diet.” They are improving, during my last stay they served me up some collard greens and hot sauce. No joke.
The most wonderful grilled cheese ever… or maybe it was the IV steroids making it seem that way. Nah… it rocked.
I can eat (sort of) and my pain has lessened slightly, so it’s time to go home. I estimate I’ve been hospitalized 50-75 times throughout my 30 years with this horrible disease. It never gets easier. Finding fun, humor and even creating cheesy art is a necessity in my life. I am so happy to be home.
-The Belle
Belle of the Bowel 