Ketchup.

So I've been really, really bad about writing blog posts lately. I'd apologize, but in the time that I haven't been writing blog posts, I've been catching up in school and doing other productive stuff. So I guess you could say that I'm not really sorry. I'll make up for it by writing a "ketchup" post. (Get it? Catch up? Ketchup? Oh, hush. It makes me laugh.)

I guess part of the reason I haven't written much was because my life really hasn't gone anywhere lately. Actually, I have gone anywhere at all lately. I'm not exactly allowed to leave the house because my parents have this strange paranoia that I might have a seizure or something. (Pssh, why would they think that? Oh. Right.)  It's been hard. I miss going to lifeteen every Sunday to get in that little bit of social life that I had. I've been suffering from some quite extreme cases of cabin fever on and off, to the point where I don't care where I go at all. I just need to go out see some different faces. And to think that I ever wanted to be a cloistered nun. Ha. 

Being at home more has given me so much time to work harder at school. As fantastic as that is, I'm starting to get worn out. School can just go die in a hole and never ever come back ever again. Never ever. And even that would be too soon for me. I am so stressed with this semester starting to wrap up. With all of the essays and projects due and the finals to study for, I'm surprised I"m not a bald headed freak face who's lost her sanity entirely. Testing is simply not my favorite pastime. In fact, other than golf and video games, it's probably my least favorite. I swear, St. Joseph of Cupertino is going to be my BFF for the next two weeks. 

For the past month, I've also been working a whole lot harder at getting to be healthy. I'm just tired of being sick all the time. I would spend my days laying on the couch, unable to keep much food down, and just feeling downright miserable. For nearly two years. It's been a hard cross to bear. The worst part was that we couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I went to all sorts of specialists and doctors, but everything seemed to be normal. It was frustrating. 

But as always, God is amazing and He has a reason for everything that happens to me. I did a gastric emptying study, where I ate a radioactive egg sandwich and they studied the way I digested it. Long story short, as soon as I got home, I passed out and had four seizures. We later found out that I have a disease called gastroparesis. That basically means that my stomach is partially paralyzed to the point where it can't digest the food that I eat. I now have to eat a special diet consisting of small meals with very little or no fiber or anything else that's hard to digest. It's kind of hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I've got a chronic illness that can get to the point where my stomach will shut down completely. But God has an amazing plan for me with this and I trust Him completely. I'm also glad to finally have a name for what's wrong with me. God is so good and I will continue to praise Him in every storm. 

I'm really glad that things are starting to turn out for the better. For the longest time, it just seemed like my life wasn't going anywhere. I was depressed and afraid. But now I'm starting to re-realize that God really does have a plan for me and that I really don't have to worry about anything. I'm starting to once again see the beauty of the life that God's blessed me with. I'm finally starting to grow stronger and healthier. It feels really good. 

P.S. I get my braces off in exactly one month. So freakishly excited. 

P.P.S. I'm turning 17 in 10 days. Even more freakishly excited.