Aaaand she's back! I'm happy to say that things are going much better than they were last week, and thought I'd take you through the week to explain how they got that way:) Monday morning, the day after my last post, I went back to the doctor to talk to a specialist about my stomach. While the first doctor wanted me to have an endoscopy, this doctor had a few other ideas to try first. I was more than happy to see if other things helped before sticking a camera inside me! They did some tests to see what the source of the problem is, but while I wait for the results we're treating the symptoms. He gave me some new medicines to try in addition to a few I had already, but the biggest change I would have to make was my diet. To keep the issue from getting worse and possibly help treat it, I've been put on a four-week, low-FODMAP diet. These diets restrict the foods you eat, including most dairy products and food that includes gluten. Now, if you've gotten one bit of knowledge about Norway from this blog, I hope it's how much they like bread and all dairy products. This diet cuts out all the traditional forms of these foods, meaning I have to find replacements and new types of food, especially for breakfast and lunch when I would typically have bread with some type of cheese. While it's a little annoying to have to think so much about wheat I eat, a) it's probably good for me, b) I've discovered a bunch of new recipes and tried lots of fun food, and c) I've become very well acclimated to the allergy section of the grocery store :)
Between the new diet and medicines, I've been feeling a bit better and have quite a bit more energy than I did a week ago. Now it's just to wait (can I say that in English?? I've begun to question sentence structure and grammar a lot more now that I really only use English in English class and some of my sentences seem a little funky/Norwegian-sounding...) for the results of the tests they took to see if the doctors can see what the true cause of the problem is so hopefully we can get rid of it, at least for the rest of the year!! I guess maybe I should get back to this week's activities...
After the slow start to last week, I found it a little tough to get back into the swing of school and regular life, but was able to make it through all five days of school alive:) Tuesday I had a science test, Wednesday an English presentation, and then on Thursday, the second round of the math competition I'm pretty sure I wrote about a little while ago. This round didn't go quite as well as the first, and I think it's pretty safe to say I didn't qualify for any more, oh well! Hopefully I'll have time to continue with math team back in the States next year! Friday was a regular day in terms of school, but I got to kick off the weekend with a birthday party for one of my best friends here!
My friend Beate had turned 17 a little over a week before, so on Friday evening we had a little party to celebrate! There were a few people from Katta, but mostly her friends from the 'middle school' she had gone to the year before. I got to meet a handful of new people who were all so fun and the environment at the party was so great! We ate tacos and played games and, for the second time since I've come to Norway, stopped everything to jam out to Bohemian Rhapsody. Quality Friday night;) Beate opened presents and afterwards we hit open the piñata that had been one of the gifts! One of the strange things about exchange, at least as far as I've experienced, is that you meet new people all the time and sometimes you just get along so well and the vibe is just so right but you know that it's unlikely you'll see each other again. Ephemeral moments that you know you can't replicate. It's hard to describe the feeling of something so magical yet so sad at the same time.
Saturday was a pretty relaxed day with lots of reading, hanging out, and then dinner at a friend of Anne's. It was so nice to have the energy and be feeling well enough to do things and enjoy them:) Today started off slowly as well, but then in the middle of the day we went cross-country skiing!!! It was so so great to be back on skis and out in the snow; for me that's been a hard part of being sick during the winter-- I've been missing out on the snow! But today I got out and it was so much fun. Anne and I and the kids went with our neighbor and his daughter for a shorter trip. The best part of all of this is that we can go right from the house and come to actual trails just a few minute ski away! After some time on the trails and, of course, a hot chocolate break, we headed back and stopped at a popular sledding place to play around on skis and go down the hill. I can't even put into words how happy it made me to be out in the snow and skiing. SO HAPPY! Well, that was the week's excitement and now it's on to another. On Tuesday, I will have officially reached that half-way mark in this year. I can't begin to wrap my head around that, but more on that in next week's post:)
Word of the Post:
skitur = a ski trip (referring to xc), it doesn't have to be a full trip though, just going skiing in general!
Pictures!
 |
| Tell me this isn't a winter wonderland! |
 |
| Oslo wins the sunset game, just saying |
 |
| One of my favorite breakfasts that I can eat is this granola with almond milk or lactose-free yogurt:) |
 |
| Gratulerer med dagen, Beate:))) |
 |
| Love being able to ski right from the house!! |
 |
| And look! Real trails! |
 |
| Aren't I creative when it comes to taking pictures? haha |
 |
| For en gjeng! (What a gang!) |
 |
| Lol I can't drink hot chocolate now so I get water:) |
Comments
Post a Comment