Yesterday, just a few hours before my life-altering surgery to get a permanent ostomy, I was anxious but ready. I had been doing the mental and emotional work in therapy, I had physically prepared which involved not eating for more than 24 hours, taking mega-doses of antibiotics that made me extremely nauseous, and taking multiple showers in which I spent excessive amounts of time scrubbing my abdomen with a special anti-microbial wash.

I find myself once again facing a life-altering surgery and the one thing I know for certain is that the only guarantee is change. But we aren't strangers, change and I. I have had a series of unique and bizarre health challenges over the last 12 years and they have essentially altered what I know to be true about myself. Throughout that time, I was able to be open and vulnerable and transparent about a lot of it, but after years of (relatively) good health, I stopped wanting to share when things started to go downhill again.

ALT: Monet Monet X Change GIF