(no subject)
Hullo again LJ!
October's come round once again - less than a week till I turn 34. Last year at this time, I was still in the hospital. The time in between has been full of changes - some big, some small; some good, some bad. I'm just glad I'm still here and that I have my friends around me. :D
I've learned a lot more about my lymphedema diagnosis. It's a chronic and incurable condition, but adhering to the treatments (daily compression bandaging/compression garment wear, daily massage, avoiding very high temperatures, etc. etc.) should keep the symptoms (mainly my left leg from the knee down swelling up like a water balloon) well in control for the rest of my life - even improve them somewhat from where I am now. I'm very glad it was caught in time, because left untreated the swelling can become extremely disabling - worst-case scenario lymphedema is a primary cause of elephantiasis. O.o So, I can live with wearing thick stockings the rest of my life.
Dave's got his bipap and is sleeping much better. He still gets very drowsy at work, but I now think that's got much more to do with the work being boring. :D
I'm looking forward to the rest of the 'party season' - my own birthday, any halloween parties I can find, there's a friend's wedding in November... Pudsgiving, Christmas, etc. Celexa is still keeping me happy and functional.
We're dealing with a heavy load of medical bills now, of course, but I think when that's stabilized a bit, I'm going to start taking classes at the local cooking school, whose name I of course can't remember right now, lol. I've been enjoying myself very much with all the baking I'm doing, and it's time to take the next step. I don't know that I'll ever make a real career out of it, but I'm tired of avoiding making a real commitment to school. It's either this - which may not be super useful but I will enjoy very much - or Spanish-language classes, which I might not enjoy so much, but will be very useful. Or both. Probably both. :D Just not at the same time.
I'm confident and happy driving now, and I hope to get my actual legal license this month. \o/
So... that's the State of the Mari. How's everybody else doing?
October's come round once again - less than a week till I turn 34. Last year at this time, I was still in the hospital. The time in between has been full of changes - some big, some small; some good, some bad. I'm just glad I'm still here and that I have my friends around me. :D
I've learned a lot more about my lymphedema diagnosis. It's a chronic and incurable condition, but adhering to the treatments (daily compression bandaging/compression garment wear, daily massage, avoiding very high temperatures, etc. etc.) should keep the symptoms (mainly my left leg from the knee down swelling up like a water balloon) well in control for the rest of my life - even improve them somewhat from where I am now. I'm very glad it was caught in time, because left untreated the swelling can become extremely disabling - worst-case scenario lymphedema is a primary cause of elephantiasis. O.o So, I can live with wearing thick stockings the rest of my life.
Dave's got his bipap and is sleeping much better. He still gets very drowsy at work, but I now think that's got much more to do with the work being boring. :D
I'm looking forward to the rest of the 'party season' - my own birthday, any halloween parties I can find, there's a friend's wedding in November... Pudsgiving, Christmas, etc. Celexa is still keeping me happy and functional.
We're dealing with a heavy load of medical bills now, of course, but I think when that's stabilized a bit, I'm going to start taking classes at the local cooking school, whose name I of course can't remember right now, lol. I've been enjoying myself very much with all the baking I'm doing, and it's time to take the next step. I don't know that I'll ever make a real career out of it, but I'm tired of avoiding making a real commitment to school. It's either this - which may not be super useful but I will enjoy very much - or Spanish-language classes, which I might not enjoy so much, but will be very useful. Or both. Probably both. :D Just not at the same time.
I'm confident and happy driving now, and I hope to get my actual legal license this month. \o/
So... that's the State of the Mari. How's everybody else doing?