Hi Jess. I can relate to having occasional mood dips, so I'm offering my “bigger picture” story. I had a rare thing called a “giant diverticular pouch,” which is apparently its name, not hyperbole! Basically, it was described to me as a cricket ball-sized pouch full of poo and pus, which opened into my colon. As a result, I was getting sepsis increasingly frequently. I had my operation to remove the pouch, and because of my dodgy heart and the amount of muck, I ended up with a stoma, which took 10 hours of surgery to create and 2 months in intensive care to recover from. That's when the bad news ended. From previously being doubled over with pain and wondering whether I'd dodge dying with the next bout of sepsis, I am good friends with Sadie, my stoma; my pain is limited to an occasional headache, and I can plan holidays and outings. I was very concerned that I would develop antibiotic resistance before my operation; I was on the strongest and highest doses of antibiotics, oral and IV, before Sadie came to join me, and I haven't had any since then. I'm reading again, cooking, sewing, and doing all the banal stuff that I never expected to do again. Life is good, and I learn new stuff about life and the world every day, and see beauty and stars and sunsets and my son. I'm obsessed with the beauty of clouds, and I've had so much time since the operation to see amazing clouds! I hope I haven't bored you to sobs, but life is great, and things will be great for you. One thing that I suggest to everyone is vitamin B6 tablets, 100 mg a day. Our absorption of vitamins is probably imperfect due to a shortened colon, and B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that has a very similar molecular structure to antidepressants. Because it's water-soluble, you'll pee out whatever your body doesn't need. Sorry, I'm a pharmacist, and I can bore for Britain! Take care and feel better. You're not alone. Sending love.
