January 1 - Daisy 0

January hasn't been the calm, quiet month it is for most people - My amazing mum has turned 50! So this month has been jam packed with celebrations. Even when you're feeling under the weather, it's hard to keep up a front and push on with joining in so I'm sure a lot of you can sympathise with what it's like having a chronic illness and having to keep up! In some ways, January has been more full on for me than Christmas and Crohns is always at the forefront of my mind, and I always want to stay on top of it.

My mums 50th was on the 16th January and my dad had surprised her with a trip to New York (well jel!) so for her actual birthday she was away. This meant that celebrations started a week before! She had friends round, champagne with dinner most nights, and every day seemed to have a new present to open. It's safe to say home wasn't the most relaxing of places to be, and to add to the mix, my dad me and my sister were planning my mum a surprise party. If you know my mum, you know she is the hardest person to do a surprise for. In the nicest possible way, she is a control freak. Whenever I am doing something, whether it be my hair or making something in the kitchen, she'll be watching over my shoulder telling me what to do then eventually end up taking over. So we had set ourselves a massive challenge trying to throw a 'Keely worthy' party, but she does so much for all of us we knew she deserved it. It was the one chance we had to show her how much she means to us and how truly loved she is. My level 12 mum x
So party prepping actually began back in November time last year and I had to send out texts to friends and family without her seeing or knowing. This was pretty straightforward, but then in December my phone got stolen.. gone were the phone numbers, RSVPs and all the other secret party messages - very annoying! This made my stress 10 times worse but I was so conscious of not being stressed. I knew that being stressed was only going to make myself unwell so I really had to try and stay calm. Throughout the months party planning, the gym became my relaxation place. I could do a work out and get all the angst out of me and feel relaxed again, so each day that's what I did. Plus it got me out of the house, so all my secret phone calls and activities could happen!

Regular work outs & lots of greens!

After very careful planning, arranging and lots of help from friends, mums 50th surprise party was a success!!! We had spent the day at a Spa so she had no idea what was going on at home, then when we arrived back home my dad had transformed the kitchen into a nightclub and filled it with her friends. The smile on her face was worth every bit of stress, every argument and every penny. I felt so proud of my family that we were able to pull it off and so excited to have a good time.

There was now just one thing left to do - DRINK. And boy did I drink... The first glass of champagne went straight through me. It doesn't take a lot for me to get drunk at all, seeing as I don't drink a lot now and also I don't eat anywhere near as much as I used to. On this particular day, we hadn't had dinner as I had told my mum we were going out for dinner so I had nothing to line my stomach. I don't think I could have faced eating anything as I was so nervous! I think when drinking alcohol, your mood and mind state really affects how drunk you get. I had been so anxious and stressed and nervous that this all played a part in how the evening ended up... at 12.30 with me being sick. Whoops! The next day I felt absolutely terrible. Headache, nausea, the lot. I also had a massive guilty conscience and was really beating myself up about how drunk I had got. "I'm not well, I shouldn't behave like that, I should be more responsible, it's ridiculous" and while all that is true, it wasn't the end of the world. I never drink anymore and it was a one off occasion that had had an almighty build up and getting drunk was my release. When I got diagnosed with Crohns I remember the main thing I thought about was not being able to drink. By no means am I an alcoholic, but I enjoy drinking and socialising with friends and so I want all IBD sufferers to know that you can still do just that. But pick and choose your moments & drinks! A tip I would give for the hangover days is drinking Dioralyte which I'm sure we all have at home in the cupboards. This just replenishes all the things you've lost when drinking alcohol and so it helps ease the hangover. Also bananas are amazing as they are packed with potassium - if you can stomach one of those!

Oh dear oh dear oh dear....

Dry January may not have been a success for me, but looks like I'll easily be 'dry' for a long time after my experience with Champagne!!!

XOXO Crohnie Gir