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it's a wrap
Another year ALREADY?
Although in many ways it feels like I have lived two or three years this year. But since most of it was boring or stressful, it doesn't feel like much was accomplished, so it feels like it should be no further into the year than mid September.
Glad to say goodbye to it, really. I didn't have the worst year ever, though. I mean, I had my worst health year ever, but the year my Dad died (11 years ago today) was a pretty shitty year. That was probably the worst. Hell, even a few years ago when I had a different health crisis and had to move out of my apartment, that was a pretty shitty year. A couple of years before when I had pneumonia and the goiter diagnosis and the eventual surgery, etc., not a great year. This one? Was scary a couple of times, and sad a couple of times, and definitely painful a lot, but wasn't the worst. I'm happy it's over, nevertheless.
2014 IN NUMBERS
In 2014 I had:
1 endoscopy
5 CAT scans
20+ chest x-rays
10 PT visits for my back and leg
2 gallons (hyperbolically estimated) worth of blood tests
30u of insulin per day because of high blood sugar
1 episode of bronchitis that lasted about 6 weeks
1 major surgery involving partial sternotomy filmed by Frontline crew*
2 thoracentises (fluid drained from the lungs via a big-ass needle)
2 EKGs
1 echocardiogram
1 pulmonary function test
1 regular stress test
1 invasive stress test which involves a catheter being inserted into the neck down into the heart
XX doctors' visits with not sure how many doctors
2 wisdom teeth extracted
1 root canal
1 eye test where the eye doctor said there are a couple of "small bleeds" in my eye
4 prescriptions for antibiotics
$165,911.70 charged to my insurance so far in medical bills
18 pounds gained
In 2014 I read/watched/wrote/took/attended/planted/had/socialized with/got/attained:
39 books
134+ movies
XXX hours of television
26 blog entries
630 photographs
2 shows (Luka Bloom and The Book of Mormon)
1 family reunion with 31 relatives
4 flower-boxes on my porch for the first time
1 4-day mini-vacation on the Cape
3+ occasions of playing pinball
2 trips to western Mass to hang with Suzanne
1 fancy dinner with 2 college roommates who live on the west coast
15+ new CDs (yay new music!)
1 pedicure (first time!)
2 surprise birthday parties (one at family reunion, one at P's house!)
6 pairs of earrings at aforementioned birthday party
1 robot (MINT!)
2 weeks off for Christmas vacation
And finally, I managed to make it to 50
The two sections pretty much balance each other out, I think. The crappy and the good. The health stuff vs. the fun stuff. Since hopefully the health stuff is resolving as much as it can**, maybe this new shiny year will have a lot less on the sucky side so the good side can totally overbalance it. Because I feel like I'm really due for a win!
* Website says Feb 10th, kiddies! Mark your calendars! See Laurie be unconscious in the background while someone narrates something interesting about old people and dying!
** So I had my follow up visit with my thoracic surgeon and the good news is the bottom two thirds or so of my sternum has totally healed up! All good. The bad news is the top part, where the staple broke, has a gap. Which could possibly close up. But probably won't. Which means I could have additional surgery to fix. But I can totally wait. Basically if it bothers me I can have the surgery and if it doesn't, I don't have to. Supposedly I have no limitations and everything is ok. I told him it still shifts around a lot and is occasionally uncomfortable. He said to let it be for a while and see how it goes. I am fine with that...except I just had a cold, and as I described it to someone, when I cough it feels like someone is trying to punch their way out of my chest with all their might. And when I sneeze, they've added a blade. So there's that.
Although in many ways it feels like I have lived two or three years this year. But since most of it was boring or stressful, it doesn't feel like much was accomplished, so it feels like it should be no further into the year than mid September.
Glad to say goodbye to it, really. I didn't have the worst year ever, though. I mean, I had my worst health year ever, but the year my Dad died (11 years ago today) was a pretty shitty year. That was probably the worst. Hell, even a few years ago when I had a different health crisis and had to move out of my apartment, that was a pretty shitty year. A couple of years before when I had pneumonia and the goiter diagnosis and the eventual surgery, etc., not a great year. This one? Was scary a couple of times, and sad a couple of times, and definitely painful a lot, but wasn't the worst. I'm happy it's over, nevertheless.
2014 IN NUMBERS
In 2014 I had:
In 2014 I read/watched/wrote/took/attended/planted/had/socialized with/got/attained:
The two sections pretty much balance each other out, I think. The crappy and the good. The health stuff vs. the fun stuff. Since hopefully the health stuff is resolving as much as it can**, maybe this new shiny year will have a lot less on the sucky side so the good side can totally overbalance it. Because I feel like I'm really due for a win!
* Website says Feb 10th, kiddies! Mark your calendars! See Laurie be unconscious in the background while someone narrates something interesting about old people and dying!
** So I had my follow up visit with my thoracic surgeon and the good news is the bottom two thirds or so of my sternum has totally healed up! All good. The bad news is the top part, where the staple broke, has a gap. Which could possibly close up. But probably won't. Which means I could have additional surgery to fix. But I can totally wait. Basically if it bothers me I can have the surgery and if it doesn't, I don't have to. Supposedly I have no limitations and everything is ok. I told him it still shifts around a lot and is occasionally uncomfortable. He said to let it be for a while and see how it goes. I am fine with that...except I just had a cold, and as I described it to someone, when I cough it feels like someone is trying to punch their way out of my chest with all their might. And when I sneeze, they've added a blade. So there's that.
no subject
Wow, that was quite a year. I had an above average health-things year, but it was still basically nothing compared to you (wisdom teeth, gum surgery, colonoscopy). It seems like the surgery to put the rest of your sternum back together should be much less invasive than your last surgery. I hope so if you end up going with it.
no subject