Day One of Hell

What do you do when you can't eat for a month?

Blueberry-walnut-cinnamon waffles!

Chewy chocolate chip cookies!

 Play with food, of course!  When I was in the ICU at Columbia Children's hospital, in the Child Life playroom, all the kids who couldn't eat only wanted to play in the toy  kitchen!  You are always obsessed with what you cannot have...

 This is what I added to my big canvas of paint and paper scraps - I don't like anything too simple!

Catch Me In The Rain

And this will be my diet for the next month...

Clear low sugar drinks

Soup Broth

Tea

Water

Jello

Gum

 Wait, it gets better folks.  I'm only allowed ONE LITER of clear fluid a day.  I can guzzle that in an hour!  It's 4:00pm and so far I've had one piece of gum and 8 ice cubes...

"You Believe"

 Art is my distraction right now.  I can bury myself in my studio and not think about food or fistulas or anything.

I really lose myself in my art sometimes.  It's a great feeling.

A girl clutching onto two balloons with birds in them for hope

I found this tiny glass bottle with white cotton in it and got this idea of a girl sucking the clouds into this bottle.

I haven't finished it, but I think it will be precious.

And...back to the kitchen.  These cookies were jam-packed with coconut, white chocolate chunks, golden raisins, walnuts, and rolled oats!

Banana walnut cinnamon pancakes made with chocolate milk!

 And back to my studio!  This is what I started with:  a scene and a toned canvas...

Well, it's a start.  I'll be going back to it soon enough - I've got to keep myself busy for these four weeks!

Where all dreams come true!!!

On a positive note, I think my dad feels for me because during my 24th birthday week we are going to DISNEY WORLD!!!!!  I won't be able to eat, but who cares when you can ride Splash Mountain 50,000 times?  I'm really excited. It's a family tradition - we've gone 18 times to date, but not since 2005, when I got sick.  Hopefully this will be a sign of good things to come...

 But for now, this guy's my buddy 14 hours a day...