Apparently Size Does Matter....

Yesterday I accomplished one of my bigger goals in life. I purchased a double bed.
Now one might say that it is a tad large for my room (it takes up 3/4 of the floor space) but numbers don't lie.
Since May I have been using an app I downloaded on iTunes named Sleep Cycle. You put it under your top sheet when you sleep and it records how, when and what quality you sleep. It gives you graphs, numbers and percentages telling you all about your movements in your sleep.
Below are two sets of numbers. One from a couple of weeks ago and one from last night.
Based on the sleep quality percentage I'll take less floor space and a better night's sleep any day of the week.
;)

Everything Has A Consequence....

Last night my arms and hands were sore. But I chose to knit. I wanted to finish a couple of dish cloths that I was making for my friend for her new house. I worked on them for about four hours straight.

That was a mistake.

Needless to say I woke up with my hands like this....

 

Ya. Everything has a consequence. I learned that the hard way today.

And that auto-immune diseases suck....



8 to 6....

Are basically the hours I work. Incidentally it's also the number of weeks I used to go between Remicade infusions and the number of weeks I now go between Remicade infusions.

I had a good old chat with Dr. P. this afternoon. We discussed my symptoms, when and why I probably have them and decided to nyx the last two weeks off between infusions. Also, I now get bloodwork done with the infusion. So yay for one less poke!

Invisible Illness Week Post 7: Recap and What Have I learned....

Thing I have learned thus far....

-Never be too far from a bathroom.

-People don't understand. And can be mean.

-Healthy people don't realise how good they have it.

-Working is a privilege.

-Friends are good. They help you through. But if they pressure you outside of your healthy zone you don't need them.

-The best way to learn about your illness is through doctor dramas.

-Sleep is good but resting will suffice.

-Needles are not as scary as they used to be.

    -Neither are IVs.
         -But 24 gauge needles hurt less.

 

-Prednisone is both good and bad. But I will endure the side effects to be pain free.

 

-I hate pills with a passion. Big or little. I hate them all.

 

-Barium was invented by someone who never ever ever had to have nuclear imaging.

 

-It's better to eat smaller meals rather than larger ones.

 

-Drink a lot. But no alcohol. Water is best but Ginger Ale settles stomachs.

 

-Pride and modesty go out the door when gastroenterologists get involved.

-Bad days are bad but good days are better.

 

-While gaining momentum in the world Crohn's Disease will never get as much publicity as cancer. Which makes me sad.

 

-I'm not the only one with this disease but I am the only one who deals with it in the way I do.

 

-I realise that over half of people diagnosed with severe Crohn's Disease have to have surgery within 5 years of diagnosis. And that the odds are not in my favour.

 

-If you can't handle it try harder.

 

-I will relapse. It is inevitable. And I am prepared and OK with that.

-Know my limits and accept my new reality. It's permanent.

-Crohn's Disease doesn't have to control your life.



I would now like to take just a minute to thank everyone who has been following along with me this Invisible Illness Week. I know a lot of you have chronic illnesses yourself. I speak for everyone that lives day in and day out with pain and a social stigmatism because they are different. We are saying, we are just like everyone else. We work. We have bills. We love. We have families that would do anything for us. Even more if anything. They take us to appointments and hold our hand in the hospital. We couldn't live without them.

Recently I stumbled upon a song by the band "FUN". It's called "Carry On" and the end of the song is what really strikes a cord with me. The lyrics are....

"....Cause we are
We are shining stars
We are invincible
We are who we are
On our darkest day
When we’re miles away
Sun will come
We will find our way home

If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone
Carry on
May your past be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground
Carry on

Carry on, carry on"

 

 

These are our lyrics. These are our fights. This is our daily struggle.

 

 

So to end off this week I'd like to share a little inspirational video I whipped up this afternoon. I hope it inspires you to keep fighting. See you next year Invisible Illness Week!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzmsHMUCzb4

 

Invisible Illness Week Post 6: Happy 2nd B-Day LCB!

It was two years ago today that I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and thus Little Crohnsie Bit (LCB) was born. It was the best and worst day of my life all rolled up into a huge prednisone emotionally driven plot point in the story of my life. This is the story of his birth....



It was a Wednesday. I remember it very clearly. Wednesdays were always and have always continued to be my least favourite day of the week. Bad things just tend to happen then. Anyway, I remember it being slightly overcast but still warm. I was still able to wear a t-shirt despite it being the middle of September. Of course I brought a sweater just in case. I like to be prepared and when one is going into the hospital having been gravely ill for three weeks straight and just gone through a three day colonoscopy prep all culminating in losing as much weight as a small child one tends to get chills and hot flashes at the drop of a hat.
My mother dropped me off at the door and then went to park the car. And while sitting on the bench I remember smelling something sweet. I turned around to see a farmer's market benefiting the hospital behind me. They were selling fresh fruits and veggies. This sticks out in my brain because I recall thinking to myself my lack of desire for food, especially these foods and if I would ever eat again. Yes, I felt that sick. And yes. My suspicions were right. In two short hours my world would change.
My Mama came back to retrieve me and I entered the place I had both come to fear and worship. After making another trip to the washroom and ridding my bowels of the final excrement they had managed to hold onto I made my trek up to the second floor. My memory is recalling a joke my mom said about taking the stairs. I just shot her a look. We took the elevator.
Upon reaching the second floor I remember seeing that it was under construction and there were new check in procedures. This made me nervous. I don't do well with new situations and the fact that this was not what I had researched made me even more anxious. So anxious in fact that I got put to the front of the line, bypassing a two hour wait time because of fear of me fainting or my heart exploding from Tachycardia. Apparently a 20 year old isn't supposed to be 105 pounds without being confined to a gurney so she doesn't get hurt. IVs are also particularly difficult to place when you are so dehydrated I have come to realise.
So to catch you up to speed. In the hospital. Tachycardia (fast and irregular heartbeat). 5 IV attempts. 105 pounds. Told to not get up off of the bed for any reason. Rolling into a colonoscopy theatre to meet my Gastroenterologist....
I don't really remember much more after this. I met my wonderful Dr. P. She asked me a lot of questions, none of which I can bring to the front of my mind. But I remember it being cold.  I also remember my mom putting my hair into a ponytail. I remember this because I love my mom and after 5 IV attempts your arms are pretty beat up and not really usable. And the anesthesiologist putting the oxygen in my nose. And it being laced with some happy gas. Next was the white fluid. It hurt going into my arm. This I remember most of all. I remember an "ow" escaping my mouth and being turned onto my left side. As I was slipping away the last thing I recall was them telling me to lift my head to put the mouthpiece in as I was also getting an endoscopy....

Then came blankness.

....until 45 minutes later. They only gave me enough drug to last twenty. Let me reiterate. I was very sick. And tired. Oh so tired. After slipping in and out of consciousness for another ten minutes the nurse took charge and demanded I get up. Well I showed her. After five minutes and a fainting episode I was comfortably back in my bed sleeping it off. When I finally came around I had some Gatorade. And then Dr. P. came in and gave me the news the would change my life forever.
"You have Moderate to Severe Crohn's Disease it three spots." She said. And even in my Propofol hazed state this image is burned into my brain and always will be. She drew me a diagram. She showed my where I had a patch of moderately inflamed tissue in my descending colon. She showed me another patch in my transverse colon. She showed me where I was so badly inflamed she could not even get the scope into in my Ileum. And then she told me what I will absolutely never ever EVER forget. "If you had waited until October 4th (my original scope date) you probably would not have made it. You would have been in the hospital undergoing surgery to remove 1-3 feet of your small and large intestines."

Thank God for cancellation lists!

She then wrote me a prescription for a very high dose of Prednisone, took me on as a patient and has been by my side ever since.



So two years later, as I sit here listening to The Fray, 35 pounds heavier, in much better spirits and writing my story word by word I realise how truly close to the end I was. It all came down to 19 days. 19 days that could have meant having to spend the rest of my life with an Ileostomy. Or worse.

I have said it again and again, I am sorry for the diagnosis but happy to finally have one.
A word for my discomfort.
A name for my pain.

And although I may complain about LCB and all of his antics he is a part of me.
And I wouldn't change that for the world.

(But would it kill you to let me eat a nice Caesar Salad once in a while?)
;)

Invisible Illness Week Post 5: But You Don't Look Sick. And Other Relatively Stupid Questions....

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! I cannot emphasise how much this bugs me to my core.

When people presume to know what I go through on a daily basis.
-They don't.

When they think maybe I should just do exactly what my doctor says.
-I do.

So then they tell you that you are cured if you did what the doc told you to.
-Um, no. Unfortunately that's not how it works.

Then they tell you that you are hypochondriac.
-Again. I kind of have to be. I have an immune system like a cancer patient undergoing Chemo.

Chemo? They say. So then you have cancer? My uncle had Colon cancer. It was horrible.
-No I don't have cancer. And no I said LIKE chemo. I did not say I am taking chemo.

Or they tell you that their long lost cousin's friend's brother's friend's former roommate had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and all he has to do is stay away from certain foods and he's perfectly fine.
-Once again I have Irritable Bowel Disease. Not Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Disease not Syndrome. IBD not IBS. Two totally separate things. Google it.

So you say that your joints hurt? You have Crohn's Disease, not Arthritis. And what's this about sores in your mouth? Wrong end sweetheart.
-CD is a full body disease. You can get inflammation anywhere from your gums to your bum. And this also includes your joints, muscles, skin, eyes, you name it. If it's got blood supply and is able to accept TNF-a it's fair game.

Then they say, Wow! You sure know a lot about doctor stuff. If you got it from the internet you need to be careful what you read because not everything on there is true.
-Yes. I realised this in Grade 6 when doing research and almost believed Wikipedia's article saying that Hitler invented the printing press. Don't worry. I get all of my information from very reputable sources approved by the people I trust with my life.

Well, why are you even looking up stuff. That's why the doctors get paid so much money. Just let them worry about it.
-Believe me. I would love to not have to be constantly looking up symptoms to make sure I don't need to be at the hospital. Or looking up a new medication to make sure that this rapid heart best isn't going to kill me in my sleep tonight. It's something that I do for my own health and in my mind it's worth every minute.

And my absolute favourite....

But you don't look sick. So how bad can it be really?

-First off. Crohn's Disease is a very internal thing. I can look perfectly normal when you look at me. But if you were to look at my latest set of labs you will see that my c-reactive protein is through the roof this month, my platelets are lower than the ground under your feet and my iron is so high that I'm going to have to go and get a pint drained out of me tomorrow (more on that in another post). And I'm in pain. Sometimes excruciating.
The introvertedness of this disease is what makes people think it's not as bad as it really is. But believe me when I say that behind the smile we exude. Or the laughs we force out. We are in Hell.

How can you help?
-Stop berating us with questions and then belittling our answers. If you have a true question most of us Crohnies are more than willing to answer it in a way you can understand. Just give us time. It's a complicated disease. Or just treat us like any other person. We like to "feel normal". If only for a little while until the next bathroom break.

Or just smile.
You have no idea how much it helps.

Invisible Illness Week Post 4: What social/emotional implications can "invisible illness" have on someone?

Have you ever been at a party? You're having fun. Eating. Enjoying the company. And then it happens. For whatever reason you get sick. Is it food poisoning from the dodgy looking deviled eggs you ate? Did you drink too much? Someone breathe in your direction? Doesn't matter. You're sick and you can't go home yet. It's the worst feeling ever. And it happens to me ALL of the time.

If I don't know what's in a dish at a potluck, I don't eat it. If I do and it contains something that will upset my stomach, I don't eat it. If there's nothing I can eat, then I don't. Or I suffer the above consequence.

And then there are those times when you have an event or work or something that you can't miss and you feel like absolute crap. It's like the absolute zero of the sick world. And I'm talking if you felt any worse you'd be laying in the hospital on life support. But you still get up. You still press on. You persevere. And no it's not like going to work with the flu.

Another thought. Will there be a toilet at this destination? This is one I had a hard time with this past summer. I went camping at a campground an hour from my home. And I had never been there before. And there was only one bathroom (other than outhouses-ick!) within walking distance. While this wouldn't even phase some people it was a big step for me to remove myself from my comfort zone. And I am proud.

While its one thing to have a bathroom available it's a whole new thing to be visiting it every 10-20 minutes. Especially in a crowded party-like situation. You cannot truly understand the magnitude of embarrassment when you have to excuse yourself to use the facilities AGAIN. And AGAIN. And AGAIN. Embarrassing isn't a strong enough word.

I think this is one of the worst aspects of this disease. The social and emotional embarrassment CD forces you to live with. It's horrible. It's degrading. It downright sucks. But what choice do I have. What choice do any of us Crohnies have? Listen to our doctors. Take our meds. Keep smiling. That's what we do. We laugh. We hope. We hold our heads high. We fight.

And one day we will win.

Invisible Illness Week Post 3: A Day in the Life of A Crohnie. Good vs. Bad.

GOOD DAY

7:00am. Wake up. Don't have to go number two? Don't have horrible abdominal pain? How is your back pain? Not too bad. How is your joint pain? Not too bad either. Feel your eyes. Can you open them? Yes? Alright! You can relax. Today is going to be a good day.

7:30am. Get up. What can I wear? I feel good today. I think I'll wear jeans. Dress up a bit.

7:40am. Eat breakfast. What should I have? I feel good today. Maybe venture out of my comfort zone? Nah. I'll have Cheerios. Wouldn't want to throw my day off. Don't forget the Tylenol and Reactine. Oh ya, and OJ. Mmmm OJ.

7:55am. Leave for work. Grab yummy lunch. Grab yummy snacks. Sing in the car.

8:05am. Arrive at work. Greet your kidlets with a smile.

8:35am. Take kids to school. Chat as you go. Tell them to have a super duper day at school.

9:00am. Back to work. Play with babies. Have one on one time.

10:20am. Go outside. Play tag. Play sand toys. Play what time is it Mr. Wolf. Enjoy the youth.

11:45am. Lunch time for the chilluns. Hand out juice. Feed babies food. Clean up juice mess without getting mad.

12:10pm. Nap time. Make beds. Change diapers. Direct big kids. Get everyone to sleep.

12:30pm. Eat my yummy lunch. Enjoy it.

12:45pm. Have fun with the non nappers. Colour. Sing songs. Play games. Go swimming. Sprinkler. An adventure walk. The possibilities are endless. You feel great.

3:10pm. Go and get school kids. Ask about their day and tell them about yours. Help with problems they've had in the day. Feel great.

3:45pm. Get a snack for the kids. Indulge in a bit yourself. Mmmm.

4:00pm. Kids go home. Wave like a maniac as they go.

5:15pm. Go home. Sing with the radio again. Isn't it fun to rock out in the car? It is today. It is a good day.

5:45pm. Eat dinner. But what? The possibilities are endless when you feel this good. Have ice cream for dessert. You've deserve it.

6:45pm. Take a shower. Relax.

7:00pm. Watch TV. Mindless TV. Relax. Regroup for tomorrow.

10:00pm. Bedtime. Reflect on the day. Pray it's as good tomorrow. Hope everyday (or at least most of them) is like today. Rest peacefully.


BAD DAY

7:00am. Wake up. Run to the washroom. Try to get rid of this pain. Do this once, twice, maybe even three times. Regroup. Your stomach is nauseous, your joints are achy and swollen, your eyes are red and inflamed. Today is not going to be a good day.

7:30am. Get dressed in a rush. Throw on some yoga pants. Those will be comfy today.

7:40am. Eat breakfast. Cheerios. Those will be easy on your stomach. Take Tylenol. A lot of Tylenol. And Reactine. Try to fix these eyes.

7:55am. After visiting the loo again rush to work. Who cares what's on the radio. Just get there without throwing up.

8:10am. Say hello. Try to be happy.

8:45am. Take the kids to school. Pretend to listen to their stories. Respond with "good" and "uh huh".

9:00am. Go back to work. Just try to keep the peace.

10:00am. Take them outside. Let them run off their energy. You supervise.

11:45am. Kids eat lunch. You feed babies. Try not to gag on the smell of baby food.

12:15pm. The babies go to bed. You put on a movie for the non nappers. You just don't have the energy to go on an adventure walk today.

12:30pm. Eat your boring lunch. If your stomach can handle it. If not just drink some ginger ale. And take Tylenol. More Tylenol.

3:10pm. Get the kids from school. Try to care about their day. Their childhood problems. Your problems are much worse.

3:45pm. The kids get their snack. None for you today. Your stomach is actually starting to feel better since your rest this afternoon.

4:00pm. Say a quick goodbye to each child and try to clean up the kitchen.

5:15pm. Hallelujah! Its time to go home!

5:45pm. Eat dinner. If you dare. But you definitely won't want dessert. Take more Tylenol.

6:45pm. Take a shower. And relax. Maybe take a bath. Just try to feel better.

7:00pm. Collapse onto the couch. Watch a little TV. Take some T3s.

9:00pm. If you've made it this far congratulations. You've earned the right to go to bed. Early. Maybe you've even skipped the TV part of the evening and just gone right to bed at 7pm. If not. Go now. You're probably tired. Lay in bed and try to sleep. It will be hard. Pray tomorrow is a better day. Hope days like this are few and far between.



Here's to more good days then bad.
:)

Invisible Illness Week Post 2: What Are the "Invisible Symptoms" of CD?

So I'm sure if you read my blog regularly you know all about my symptoms. The thing is that a lot of these symptoms I mention are physical manifestations of my CD. I don't mention the invisible ones too often.

We all know about the diarrhea, weight loss, vomiting and the general look of someone who looks like they've been run over by a Mac Truck.

Ya. Ya. Ya. I know right.
Well now I would like to take you past the look of an outsider and into the body of a CD warrior....

Abdominal Pain: Some of this can be physical. But when it is you have no idea what we are going through on the inside. The best way I can explain it is if you take your right hand and make a fist. Then take that fist and dig it into your right side above your pelvic bone but underneath your bottom rib. Then lean to the right. Does it hurt? Probably a lot right? Get used to it. It will the rest of your life. And sometimes on both sides. Good luck!

Fevers and Chills: While this can be noticeable for others what is on the inside is always worse. One minute you feel like someone lit your insides on fire. With a BBQ lighter. And a gallon of butane. And then just as fast as the fire started the trucks show up and douse it. With ice water. And that foam stuff that sticks to everything. And no matter how many hot water bottles you boil, blankets you get or Snuggies you pile on yourself you feel like you will never be a comfortable 98.6 ever again. Get used to it. And stock up on tank tops and fleece.

Loss of Apetite and Nausea: Ever been so hungry all you wanted was to eat a cracker? I have. Ever eaten that cracker and before you even swallowed the whole thing it was coming back up? I've done this. Does this make you want to eat? Probably not. Still want that tomato soup for dinner? Didn't think so.

Bone and Joint Pain: Remember everything I said about the fever/chill thing? All applies here. But in your bones and joints. Which is even worse. Because no amount of blankets can fix your joints. Throw in some nice crunchy beach sand and you have yourselves a concoction for misery and pain. And not to mention you are in a constant battle with your immune system and already fighting arthritis. Getting to much? Hold on there's more.

Hemorroids: Speaks for themselves....

Fistulas and Anal Irritation: They are not pretty but they are a fact of life for us Crohnies. A fistula is a passage that your body makes that your connects your intestine to other organs or even the outside of your skin. And while I've never had one myself I have friends who have and let me tell you it is painful. And the surgeries to correct them are even worse.

Throat and Mouth Ulcers: Remember when you were a kid and you got Strep Throat? You would feel like absolute crap? Then mom would drive you to the good old family Doc. and he would prescribe you some antibiotic with a fancy name. An within two days you would be so miraculously healed it would be like it never happened? Doesn't sound too bad right? Now take it back two steps to where you feel like crap. But this time you can't go to the doctor. He already knows anyway. No antibiotic can cure this. You just have to live on freezies and fudgecicles until it passes. You may want to pick some up when you go and buy those tank tops and blankets I mentioned earlier to keep on hand. Remember, it can happen anytime and for as long as it wants. So be prepared.

Eye Inflammation: Pink eye? Nope. Allergies acting up again? Natta. Oh you didn't sleep well? Try again. It's just another horrible symptom of CD. It's pretty hard to look someone in the eye when they are so puffy and inflamed you can barely open them. And just stop using those allergy eye drops. They're not fooling anyone, including yourself. Steroid drops are where it's at.



That's just a few of MANY invisible symptoms of CD. So next time you see someone with CD and think to yourself, "Oh they look a little off today" just imagine the hell they are fighting inside of their bodies. If you can see it, it's at least 10x worse on the outside.
I guarantee you.

Invisible Illness Week Post 1: What IS Crohn's Disease?

This is how the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada describes Crohn's Disease....

"Crohn’s disease (CD) is named after the doctor who first described it in 1932. (Since he did not have the disease itself, it is sometimes more accurately called Crohn disease).
The inflammation from CD can strike anywhere in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, from mouth to anus, but is usually located in the lower part of the small bowel and the upper end of the colon. Patches of inflammation are interspersed between healthy portions of the gut, and can penetrate the intestinal layers from inner to outer lining.
CD can also affect the mesentery, which is the network of tissue that holds the small bowel to the abdomen and contains the main intestinal blood vessels and lymph glands.

What are the Symptoms?

Since CD can be located anywhere in the GI tract, symptoms can vary. On the whole however, they often include abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and not surprisingly, weight loss and lack of energy.
Crohn’s disease is a chronic (lifelong) illness. People who have CD will experience periods of acute flare-ups, when their symptoms are active and other times when their symptoms go into remission. The average risk of a flare-up in any one year is approximately 30%.
In 25% of those with CD, perianal disease may also develop. “Peri” means “around” – therefore perianal disease is located “around the anus”.
Specifically this means that a person could develop:
painful, swollen skin tags (that appear to be haemhorrhoids but are not)
abscesses (bags of pus created inside the body as a result of infection)
fistulas (infections that have tunneled from the abscess to a hollow organ such as the rectum or vagina).

There is no cure for Crohn’s disease - yet."
(http://www.ccfc.ca/site/c.ajIRK4NLLhJ0E/b.6349429/)

Sure....

But as a CD warrior I can tell you that while the CCFC means well, they are clueless when it comes to the true symptoms, both physical and emotional.

This is how I describe it....

Crohn's Disease is like a girlfriend after a bad breakup and you are the boyfriend left wondering what you did wrong. Your immune system attacks you for no reason. I suppose there is a reason but scientists have yet to discover it. Periodically your intestines turn into the inside of a cantaloupe and this causes a lot of pain. You also get canker sores on the inside of your mouth and throat, much like if you get Strep Throat every eight weeks but can't have anything for it. Then there's all of the bathroom trips. Ever had food poisoning? The kind with the really bad, and yes I'm going full disclosure on this one, diarrhea? This happens to me all of the time. Before I was diagnosed it could be upwards of fourteen times a day. That's a lot of potty time! And it's not just the "D", it's the nausea and vomiting that comes in the neat little package that is my gastrointestinal tract. What they also don't tell you is that it's not just your "G tract" it's everywhere! It's like the girlfriend from hell! Not only is she stalking you, she slashes your tires and comes after you with a machete (AKA your immune system attacks your muscles, bones and joints as well). Sometimes it feels like there is sand in your joints and getting out of bed seems like running the New York marathon. This whole disease is like a constant marathon. It's exhausting. And I know I've missed a lot but there is still so much more, I've barely scratched the surface.
I think this is a good jumping off point....

Invisible Illness Week....

September 10th-16th is Invisible Illness Week.
As a Crohn's Disease warrior (never sufferer) I completely understand and support this awareness campaign. My symptoms are very much internal and you can't always tell how I am feeling from my attitude. I try very hard to not burden others with my pain. I know a lot of people who could never handle my daily struggles. One time when I was in the middle of a flare I ran into someone at a store and later on that day my mom was talking to that person on the phone and that person could not believe that I was really that ill when they saw me. I try to hide it very well.
This week is very important to me and in honour of it I am going to try to do a different health/something you may not know about Crohn's Disease post every night.
Keep fighting the invisible fight!
:)

Doin' the Math....

Working at daycare - big kids going back to school + mat. leave moms going back to work - four junior kindergartens all leaving sporadically + a cold = one tired Kylee after only working four days.
So no witty posts tonight.
Just a gratuitous picture of me at the beach.
Oh how I miss it....

Why I Now Buy 3 Ply Kleenex....

I, like most have used 2 ply Kleenex all of my life. This is the way it has always been and I never thought to question it.

Until recently.

I JUST discovered 3 ply Kleenex and all it has to offer. And let me tell you, it's a 180 degree turn around from what I now classify as "Kleenex that is the equivalent of the toilet paper at the mall" (2 ply) Kleenex. It just works so much better!

When I used to used the thin stuff (really, it was literally two weeks ago) I'd have to use two or even three of them TOGETHER to blow my honk of a nose. Keeping in mind that I have allergies and a suppressed immune system. The mornings around my house are very loud. Truly it all sounds like we have SARS.

Not anymore. One, maybe two and I'm done. And I love it. I don't feel like I'm wasting half the box just to not get my boogers on my hands.

Despite there being less in a box they last me twice as long. And this makes me happy. So thank you 3 ply for making my life that little bit easier, especially at my time of need AKA the wretched cold that now possesses my body!
;)