Complaining Today: The negative side of Crohn's Disease

(**Ok, actually, that title may be a little bit ridiculous because there really aren't a ton of pluses to the disease until you get looking far below the surface and see the growth, patience and empathy for others that clingy disease friends (or struggles in general) bring to your life**)

It snowed last night, only about an inch or two (no, we don't close things down in Utah for that like my friend reports they have been doing in Louisiana this week).

This was a really wet snow so when I headed out to shovel this morning I expected the worst.  It was really watery, pretty much just organized slush.  Still, only an inch or two of snow, shouldn't be too awful, right?

Well, it didn't used to be, but when my tag-along pal, Crohn's Disease, decided to shadow my life I found some unexpected side effects.  One of those is that my joints -- particularly my wrists and ankles -- are much weaker now than they used to be.  As an added bonus, when the weather is changing (so essentially when barometric pressure is up) my joints get pretty sore.  It gets kind of ridiculous sometimes like I have to call Josh or one of the kids to help me put casseroles or brownies in the oven because I just can't quite lift them.  I know, pathetic, right.

Anyway, while Crohn's Disease and I went out to shovel (not that he's any sort of help with that, lazy sack) I quickly realized that this process was going to be much longer than usual.

Normally clearing the driveways and sidewalks doesn't take long and isn't that big a deal (bonus work out for the day don't ya know).  Normally it is a simple process.

However, when the snow is really heavy it means that I can't lift a shovel full to throw it off the cement and onto the grass area.  That means that I have to take much smaller shovels full and thus the process is much more invasive than I like (ok, actually, I don't love shoveling snow on the very best day so it's not like I ever "like" it to any degree).

Ugh.  I really did get my workout this morning.  Guess there is a good side after all!

Seriously, this disease has opened a whole new passageway in my life and while it is pretty dark and stinky, hopefully there is good that comes of it.  You build physical muscles by working them and putting them through difficult lifts and stretches.  I think it is the same when we are working to build our emotional muscles.  When we are faced with troubles and difficulties in our lives we are given the chance to build strength and find abilities we didn't know we had.  We can choose to let our trials overwhelm us and wash us away, or we can stand up to them and become strong.

Even one tiny shovel of slushy snow at a time.

HA!

Take that Crohn's Disease!