April Update

Hey everyone! Despite being very open on Twitch, I feel like I am pretty reserved on Twitter and my self-hosted blog. That habit probably won’t change, but I do want to share some of the things going on in my life right now.

I have an upper endoscopy scheduled on the 19th to, hopefully, diagnose the daily stomach pain I’ve been living with. Since we were doing this test anyway, the doctor will be taking a biopsy of my small intestine to check for celiac disease. Celiac disease can be simplified as an autoimmune response from eating gluten that causes damage to the small intestines. As some of you may know, I am at the very least gluten-intolerant. I have been eating a gluten-free diet for several years now without being tested for celiac disease. This was a big mistake because, unfortunately, the celiac test requires you to be eating gluten regularly prior to the test, also known as a “gluten challenge.”

I must admit, I was initially excited for an excuse to eat all my favorite wheat-filled foods I’ve missed. I really thought that I could handle the pain without it affecting my day to day life. I can easily push pain away on a short term basis, like the rare times I would cheat and eat a few cookies, but living with the constant stomach pain these last two weeks has been really difficult. The pain keeps me awake day and night, leading to some very irregular sleeping patterns. In addition to not getting regular sleep, digesting food wears me out immediately after eating.

Streaming on Twitch has been a good distraction for me, but it has also been quite draining. It’s hard to force a smile and have fun playing when I’d rather be in bed. I’ve decided to take the week and a half off prior to the test, with the exception of perhaps Sundays if I feel up to Girls Night.

In regards to Data, one of my kittens, he is stable and does not seem to be in any immediate danger. He’s had three neurological episodes that I know of, which may or may not be partial seizures, during a period of three days. Feline seizures are rare, and are often caused by an underlying illness. I have taken him to the vet twice for blood work. The standard blood test after the first episode came back normal, and I am still waiting back for the results of the specialized test that checks for the common causes of seizures in cats. He seems very scared during these episodes but is otherwise his happy-go-lucky self the rest of time.

I’ll miss you guys and hope to see you on the 20th!

Kenni

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