Happy New Year

I've been reminiscing a little bit. The turning of the calendar brings on that kind of thing naturally, especially with all those year-in-review articles all over the place. (Like this one.)


So here's what I've been thinking about.


A year and a day ago, I was in a car accident.


I had gone to see a surgeon in mid-December last year about the swollen lymph node near my hip. He gave me an exam, and couldn't find anything wrong. So we decided I'd try an antibiotic for 10 days to see if the node was swollen because of an infection. Then he looked over the results of the CT scan I'd had in October (which had been ordered to figure out why I was having that strange tightening in my chest.) The CT scan had shown some spots on my liver, most likely a (very benign and common) cluster of blood vessels. I was happy enough with the "probably the common and benign thing" and was happy to leave it at that. The radiologist had recommended a more detailed MRI; the surgeon seconded the recommendation ("If it was my liver, I'd want to know for sure"). So he set up the MRI for me for the morning of December 31 of last year.


I went downtown for the MRI. Not fun. I'm not claustrophobic, but the MRI machine kind of squeezed my shoulders in for almost an hour. The MRI turned out to be negative. I left the radiology center, and three blocks later my car was hit by a young woman who ran a stop light. She was looking over her shoulder, speeding up to pass someone. Our beloved car was totalled. (Beloved because it was old and thus had cheap insurance and property taxes.)


The car didn't look too good. But I got out of it right away. As a precaution, I was strapped to a backboard -- an hour strapped to a board for the MRI, then another 30 minutes strapped to a board for the ride to the hospital. I had some glass removed from my hand. I was otherwise fine.


In the meantime, the antibiotics didn't work, I had the node biopsied, and got the diagnosis news a couple of weeks after the accident.


So that's what I've been thinking about over the last couple of days. Especially yesterday, when we got 4 inches of snow and I had to run a few errands in the slippery muck. Not obsessing --just thinking. You know, Year in Review stuff.


But, really, all things considered, 2008 wasn't such a bad year. After January finally left, I was pretty healthy, physically (and mentally, as I learned to cope with being a cancer patient. The blog helps, by the way, probably more than you can imagine). In 2008, we had some very good times with family (in Florida, in Massachusetts, and in Maryland). I started playing guitar. The kids did well in school. I ran a bunch of 5Ks.


I had plans to run a race this morning -- the Chilly Chili Run, a 5K road race followed by a chili brunch. I decided against it, not because we were up past midnight last night and I was tired, but because I thought that running in 4 inches of snow with 8 degree wind chills would be worse for me than whatever emotional benefits I might get from a run.


But the important thing is, I had plans to do it, and I felt healthy enough to have accomplished it.

I can't really ask for much more than that.

Well, tomorrow is Isabel's and my 16th anniversary. So I guess I could ask for more than that. And receive it.

Have a happy and healthy new year, everyone.