Along for the Ride

September 11, 1930 - January 2, 2012 Yesterday we received news that my maternal grandmother, Mama Jean, passed away in Arkansas. She had been hospitalized for a variety of health issues centered around congestive heart failure prior to Christmas, but things had appeared to improve, and we were relieved to know that she had been removed from ICU and taken to a regular room, not needing to be on a ventilator anymore. Unfortunately, she took a turn for the worse yesterday morning, and her poor heart just gave out on her. My aunt and step-grandfather were with her, so we were relieved to know that she was not alone. Of course, it was a difficult day for our family. After all the struggles we've faced this past year - my dad's health, my health, my grandfather's cancer, my grandmother's hospitalizations - this blow hit us pretty hard. While we knew she was ill, it was still a bit unexpected. One thing about death is that it reminds us to pause and think about...

I suppose I should begin this entry with some clever look back to 2011, or perhaps some insight into all that I've learned about myself in the last year. Or maybe some new resolutions. But that all feels so trite. So, here it is... Jan. 1, 2012... and I do feel that inherent sense of optimism that comes with the new year. But I also feel fear, dread, peace, and hope. It's an interesting blend of emotions. The last few weeks have brought some big changes in my medical journey. I've switched doctors and am taking all of my care to UT Southwestern now. Mike and I are slowly but surely digging our way out of the medical bill mountain, and my journey continues. Last week, I had my long-awaited meeting with the nutritionist at UTSW. It was WONDERFUL. There were a couple of things that became very clear: 1) The first nutritionist I saw almost a year ago was soooo off-base. She had told me to only eat 15 mg. of protein a day, which is darn near impossible. Turns ou...