Posted by
Catmman on Monday, January 03, 2011 3:46:43 PM
But for the Grace of God, 2010 would have been an awful year for me and my family. Let's backtrack through the year, shall we?
December 26: On a return trip from my in-laws house for Christmas, both my daughters were involved in a single vehicle accident resulting in the totally of the vehicle. A deer was standing in apex of a bend in the road around a blind curve. My daughter breaked and lost control of the car. The vehicle spun off the road into a culvert. The concrete edge of the culvert impacted the drivers side of my daughters car, collapsing the driver side door and peeling the floor underneath the vehicle towards the keel of the car. The front and side airbags deployed. Both of them were belted in the car. The passenger side of the car was pretty much un-damaged, but the drivers side and undercarriage were crushed, the front bumper was smashed and the front windshield was smashed. Both my daughters had only minor injuries. My oldest daughter (who was driving) had the steering wheel pushed into the top of her legs, but bruising and some minor contusions were the extent of their injuries. Even the pet kitten, Monty, was not seriously injured in the wreck. My daughter was driving her brand new Nissan Versa, she hadn't even made a payment on it yet. My daughter was driving a new vehicle because...
November 15: She was involved in another auto accident. A multiple vehicle accident this time. She was pushed into the back of another car when some moron trying to enter I-10 stopped on an entrance ramp with four cars behind her. She was pushed into the car in front of her at about 20 mph resulting in air bag deployment. Due to the airbag deployment, the car was written off as totaled. She was unhurt in this particular accident, thank the Maker.
July 30 - October 1: My wife had to undergo weekly chemotherapy treatment. This time for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. A small mass was discovered on her bi-annual check-up during an MRI. Biopsy was performed confirming the lymphoma. This is her fourth bought with cancer since 1996. But this time as in all the previous episodes, the cancer was found early, the treatment was aggressive and the cancer (mass) disappeared with no other indications of cancer elsewhere. This time was a bit rougher on her physically since it was a very aggressive treatment regimen. She lost her hair this time. But she is now healthy and happy and was able to start that spikey hair style she always wanted to try.
February 13 - July 21: My colon ruptured due to a bought of diverticulitis - my third in less than 18 months. I went into septic shock and had to undergo emergency surgery. When I awoke, I had a colostomy bag installed and was sans a few feet of diseased colon. Physical recovery was slow but steady over the next few months. On May 13 I had surgery to remove the colostomy and re-connect my plumbing. Everything went well, though I did develop a post op infection at the site of the ostomy closure. Spent a few more days in the hospital as a result. Also developed a large wound (commonly referred to as a bed sore) on my bottom which took several months to heal. I got healed up just in time to help my wife through her chemo. She had taken care of me, now it was my turn.
2010 was a horrible year, but it was also a wonderful year. Through all of our trials, we made it through as a family and all of us came out the other side stronger.
Though Lord, a less eventful 2011 would be nice...
Here's to all of you and hoping you have a wonderful 2011 and reminding you that regardless of the obstacles placed in your path, life is worth living - even the crappy parts of it!