How has your year been?

The way I look at it and the way I remember it especially in things like long recoveries (my spinal injury is now 3 years old. I still need crutches and the wheelchair but...) is that I have been worse, much worse.

I continue to improve and even the setbacks like 2 months in hospital (1/6th of the year) have had their positives. I have received the help I needed to get back on my feet (in my car literally), my pain meds have been reviewed and increased to help compensate for the need for physio, I've had a lot of physio, something the British health system failed to give me pretty much at all. I have also had all of my medication reviewed and all the conditions I told my new Australian doctor about have been confirmed and in addition the medication I'm on for them confirmed as correct, the best option for me and at the correct dose. It had helped considerably because my doctor now knows exactly how well I know those conditions. Positives all round from one unfortunate illness.
 
ElizabethB said:
2017

The positives far outweigh the negatives.

We are blessed with a wonderful, loving family. My greatest gift and strength. George's health has improved drastically. I have no MAJOR health issues - just the usual stuff that comes with getting older. We have a nice home - dream house? No but comfortable. My car is old but functional. We are not wealthy but certainly not poor. We have lots of (too much) stuff. Especially "Big Boy Toys".

In addition to family we have good friends. Most importantly we have each other.

When ever I feel down, out, put upon - I have learned to stop - take a deep breathe and look around. Really see those who are truly less fortunate. I call it a gratuity check. Be grateful for the people in our lives and what we have. Never envy or resent those who appear to have more. Smile even on the worst day. Please and thank you. Be kind, speak kindly. Do what you can for others less fortunate. Always say I love You to the special people in your life. You never know when those may be the last words they hear from you.

I try to live with my glass half full instead of half empty. Make lemonade out of lemons. Smile until it hurts. Laugh out loud. Find something nice to say to everyone encountered. Compliment strangers - pretty shirt, love your shoes, beautiful baby. Smile.

I do not give money to pan handlers - I keep a stack of $5 gift cards to Burger King, bottles of water and protein bars in my car. I give those out instead of money.

Every day, every week, every month, every year is only as good as I make it. I have a choice - live in misery or live happy and in gratitude.

Death teaches me to appreciate life. Illness or injury teaches me to appreciate health. Loss teaches me to appreciate what I have.
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@ElizabethB

Definitely excellently stated .. Truly exceptional ..

Thank you for posting this ..
 
@SatNavSaysStraightOn

I sincerely hope that you continue to recover. Brother told me that his recovery is expected to take 12 to 18 months with physical therapy starting after two weeks. He has a beautiful soul. His focus is not on his pain or on the rigors of recovery but on how much better he will feel and how much his mobility will be improved at the end of the process.

Keep smiling. It always makes people wonder what secret you have.
 
ElizabethB said:
@SatNavSaysStraightOn

I sincerely hope that you continue to recover. Brother told me that his recovery is expected to take 12 to 18 months with physical therapy starting after two weeks. He has a beautiful soul. His focus is not on his pain or on the rigors of recovery but on how much better he will feel and how much his mobility will be improved at the end of the process.

Keep smiling. It always makes people wonder what secret you have.
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Can make them wonder what you're up to as well!!
 
@classic33: I tried sending you a message about something that might help, but I see that I can't do that for some reason (the error says You may not start a conversation with the following recipients: classic33).

My daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2014, and I'm happy to say that treatment has shrunken the tumor to the point where she's in a "monitor" state: she gets an MRI every 4 months to see how things are going.

We had a bit of a scare the past few weeks where she was having blurred vision: the tumor is wrapped around her optic nerve, so this is something we took very seriously. But, the exam she had yesterday indicated that there's nothing to suggest that it's because of the tumor. Rather, the fact that we have corrective vision throughout both sides of the family (and I've had laser surgery, my son wears glasses, etc) means it's likely that her eyesight is starting to fade, and now she needs glasses. But, we'll be back in a few weeks for another MRI to see if there are any changes.

It's really hard for me to focus on much other than my daughter...I don't want the rest of the family to feel neglected because of concerns with her, but I don't need to do much explaining (except to my son, who doesn't always understand). My whole world turned upside-down in 2014, and so "not terrible" has taken the place of "good" in my definition.

Joining this forum is one other positive I can take out of this year.

And, one thing about my son: I would have sworn his goal in life was to watch YouTube videos and play video games. Despite encouragement and other nudging that I've done, he didn't seem to have any focus. Then, his middle school (8th grade) got a visit from the Junior ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps, a precursor to military service). Suddenly, a light bulb went off. He knew what he wanted to do with his future! I wouldn't have thought of him joining the military, to be honest, but I completely support him. And, one side-effect: he's much more respectful and responsible than he was before starting the Junior ROTC in his first year of high school. I know my wife and I will worry about him wherever he gets deployed (assuming he continues with it), but I couldn't be prouder of him.

All in all, I feel very fortunate.
 
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The Late Night Gourmet said:
My daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2014, and I'm happy to say that treatment has shrunken the tumor to the point where she's in a "monitor" state: she gets an MRI every 4 months to see how things are going.
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So sorry to hear about your daughter. How old is she (if you don't mind me asking)? My four kids are all becoming very old, it seems!

Re sending PMs - members have the option to not receive any.
 
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@The Late Night Gourmet

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. A parent's worst nightmare.

RE: your son - I wish more young people would enlist for at least one hitch. I joined the USN 3 months shy of my 30th birthday. I was the "Old Lady" in my unit. Older than many of my supervisors. I was not by any means shy, reserved or lacking in confidence. I found strengths within my self that I did not know I had. I served 6 years active duty and 16 years in the USN Reserves. I joined the Navy for all the wrong reasons. It ended up being the BEST thing I have ever done. Had I been 10 years younger I would have made a career of Active Duty. My peers by rank were children. My peers by age were Officers and Senior Enlisted. I was in "no man's land."

Of course I am prejudiced toward the Navy. They have an IT rating for enlisted. Excellent training and something your son may be interested in. As a parent you may want to gently nudge him in that direction. The Army and Marines are "front line". Another nightmare for parents. If your son decides to pursue the military after graduation keep in mind that recruiters are the military equivalent of used car salesmen. If they promise training in a particular field - get it in writing or walk away!

A few other tips - son needs to know how to use a washer and dryer. How to read care tags on clothing so he does not toss his dress uniform into the washer. He also needs to know how to iron and fold his clothes. :hyper: They will teach him how to make a bed.

The best to you and your family. I hope that "not terrible" will soon be replaced by "good".
 
My year has been a lot better than 2016, and things seem to have calmed down quite a lot. The results of the tests in my cancer follow up appointment were clear for the second year running, although I'll still have another three to eight years on medication. My eyes have been OK for a second year running too although they will never be completely right. According to my optician it'll be a long time till I have to stop driving (thank goodness, I'd be lost if I couldn't drive!); it's mainly close vision like reading that is affected. My other eye problems have eased thanks to eye drops every couple of hours. And I am no longer borderline diabetic (I lost one of my sisters to diabetes last year, and my niece has it too, although she has improved so much as to be considered borderline a few days ago, all thanks to dieting). Other health issues don't seem to have got any worse either, which may be due to a complete change in diet and much better eating, especially since I've been on here :D. Since I was cleared to start taking the mutt out again, I have been making lots more friends and my left leg has appreciated the exercise. The walking stick has only come out of the cupboard a few times this year. And of course cooking has escalated into a hobby, thanks to all of you lot :laugh: I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my osteoporosis will not get worse, and keep taking the tablets.
 
@Elawin

As a fairly new member I was not aware of your health issues. If you do not mind saying what type of cancer are you fighting? It is amazing what diet and exercise can do for Type II diabetes I was diagnosed as borderline diabetic 2 years ago. I was 1/4 point away from Diabetic. Minor changes in my diet and a wee bit of exercise took care of the issue.

Best wishes and good health to you and your family. Keep :) Your positive attitude has more impact on your health and your recovery than you can imagine.
 
I had breast and lymph node cancer, @ElizabethB It was pure luck that it was discovered as I had no symptoms whatsoever and it did not show up on the regular mammogram I had. I was recalled because of a possible fault on the plate, and the consultant decided to investigate further when I mentioned the mutt had been acting strangely towards me! I was seen and recalled two days later, with a surgical appointment the next day. Op was 3 weeks later, followed by radiotherapy. I was supposed to have chemo too, but the surgeon decided it was unnecessary after the first few days of radiotherapy. That was all 2 1/2 years ago. Other than that, I have arthritis in my hands, knees and heels and had torn ligaments in my left leg, now repaired but it still plays me up. Eye problems, osteoporosis, and allergies and intolerances complete the scene! I may not be entering your recipe challenge unless I can find a previously unshared recipe that I have not tweaked to exclude celery :laugh:
 
@Elawin

Your body may be failing you but your mind is sharp. You are creative and inventive. You bring joy to others. Stephen Hawking never gave up. A brilliant mind in a devastated body. Statistically he never should have survived much less gone on to be one of the most brilliant physicist in the world. You have a purpose - continue bringing joy to people with your wonderful, inventive recipes. Keep smiling. Keep hope in your heart.
 
morning glory said:
So sorry to here about your daughter. How old is she (if you don't mind me asking)?
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Thanks. She's 16 now; my son is 14.

ElizabethB said:
He also needs to know how to iron and fold his clothes.
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How's this for a change from a kid who wanted to make a career of playing video games: he told me last week that if I wanted, he could shine my shoes for me! They have inspection every day, so this is something that he takes seriously.

ElizabethB said:
If your son decides to pursue the military after graduation keep in mind that recruiters are the military equivalent of used car salesmen. If they promise training in a particular field - get it in writing or walk away!
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Yeah...that's what I keep hearing. The commander of his JROTC group sounds like he's one of the good ones: he said that recruiters will tell the recruit anything to get them to sign on.

My son was leaning toward Air Force because we have an Air National Guard base a mile from our house, and because his grandpa was in the air force. But, because they aren't getting enough recruits, they're shutting the program down. Next year, we're going to be driving him to a new high school to take Army ROTC courses: it's something he wants to do so badly that he's willing to change schools. The school is going to be losing a lot of kids because of this (and the money that the fed gives them for each kid), but it's not their decision.
 
ElizabethB said:
Of course I am prejudiced toward the Navy. They have an IT rating for enlisted. Excellent training and something your son may be interested in. As a parent you may want to gently nudge him in that direction.
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You have a good point point. I grew up in a naval town (Portsmouth) and I reckon the Navy has a better track record for looking after its recruits.
 
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