Hey Y'all, it's Isabella💛 On August 17th, I'm having my gallbladder removed, aka laparoscopic cholecystectomy! 📋Brief backstory: for ten years, I've lived with chronic nausea & vomiting syndrome and a body that kept telling me something was wrong, without answers. This year, after increasing hospital visits and rapidly declining health, they finally found the (likely)cause: a gallstone about the size of a ping pong ball! My surgeon is 90% sure it's been the root of my illness all along. It's a lot to sit with. There's relief that we finally "know", and grief for the years, opportunities, and connections I lost while being sick. Ten years of "we don't know" becoming "we found it" is validating in a way I don't fully have words for yet🙃 It's taken a lot of heart-work to get to a place where I can ask for help without shame. I'm relearning how healing isn't meant to happen in isolation; it's an ecosystem, and building ecosystems takes tending. So I'm asking folks to help me tend & nourish mine🌸 ⭐Here's how you can show up for me: •Drop-in visits: Come sit with me, keep me company. Even a short visit helps! If you're a body worker, come through🙏🏽 •Meals & meal prep: Easy-on-the-belly foods, and support with meal prep(see special notes) •Errands: pickup meds, supplies, groceries, offer rides to appointments, etc. •Help around the house: Chores and house/garden tasks •Direct support (Venmo/PayPal/Gift Card option below): I'll be out of work for at least a month, so funds go towards: necessities(i.e, meds, bills, emergent needs), comfort items, specialty foods, body-work & IV infusions to aid in my recovery🌹 *I haven't yet requested or scheduled meals, but will post them on the calendar in early August once I know more. I'll keep the wishlist updated below and post announcements on this page for emerging needs as they arise. 🌿Thank you for being part of my care circle!🌿
I'm on a low-gluten, low-dairy diet, but I do love them both in moderation; small amounts wont kill me 😅 The gist: foods/liquids that are gentle on my system, low-fat and easy to digest; i.e., broths, soups, lean proteins like chicken/turkey/fish/tofu, eggs(boiled/scrambled), rice, gluten-free noodles, legumes(I ❤️ most beans n' peas), cooked soft veggies, applesauce, bananas, and toasted bread/tortillas(unbleached & unprocessed). Low-fiber diet for the first 5-7 days post-op. Nothing greasy, fried, or heavy on butter/cream while I heal. Liquids: Propel(no high-sugar electrolyte drinks like Gatorade/Body Armor), Ginger Ale-type bevs, gut-lovin' herbal teas, and mango lassie-esque smoothies. Sweets: Sherbet, Sorbet, Chocolate-covered fruits(plz no citrus) Herbal Remedies: anything to soothe gut inflammation (non-alcoholic plz)🙏 I'll post specifics/preferences on each meal request as I go, but I'm also open to "choose your own adventure" meals, as long as they fit within the above restrictions (message/call for specific dietary questions). Support requests(specifically drop-ins)start August 18th (the day after surgery) and are open-ended, but the typical recovery time for this surgery is 2-4 weeks (ending around the first week of September). If I need support longer than the first 2 to 3 weeks, I'll post an update! The request for donations/direct aid will remain open until October 1st. No sick visitors please, if you feel ill *at all*, stay home🙏🏽 Everyone else, please consider a rapid COVID test and wear a mask if you don't already mask regularly in public spaces. Thank you!❤️