my new best friend

This post will not be about my new best friend vicodin. Rather it will be about my other new best friend--the one that I've fondly named "Happy Belly" (or HB for short).

You see, when one has been taking superman-strength antibiotics for several weeks at a time, one does encounter a certain amount of gastric discomfort. And add to that the slowdown of pain meds and days on end spent in bed, and...

So I had the thought the other day to get out the heating pad from the linen cupboard (actually, I think I sent GameBoy searching for it given that I don't really leave the bed, but whatever....). The pad, set on med or low heat felt so good to my ouchie belly. After "wearing" it for a few hours I realized that it just felt good to have something warm to snuggle up with--like the coziness of a kitty but without their predilection for putting their butt in your face when you curl up with them in bed. I especially find it comforting during my dressing changes. Three times a day John has to pull the gauze "packing" out of the hole in my leg and stuff new gauze back in. This means that I roll up in a semi-fetal position and moan, cry, and squeal until he's done. It all goes so much smoother with HB to comfort me. HB is like my own personal Care Bear.

When I am up to it, I am so going to crochet a charming little cover for HB. As of right now it's bedecked in a tatty pillowcase. Not the best-looking duds for my new best friend--sort of like Dobby the house-elf's dishrag dress.

If you're reading this and thinking that I've probably had a bit too much of my other best friend (the vicodin one) before posting it, you are probably right. But you really should try HB one of these days. It's amazing how much comfort a little warmth can bring.