Ready to Leave 2008 Behind!

I've heard people say that optimistic people always believe that good things are still ahead of them. Well, let me say that I am NOT an optimist, though I do believe (and hope) that things will be better in 2009. I would almost dare say (and hope again) that things can't get any worse, in some ways.

This was not a good health year for me. First, shoulder surgery, although I should say that, finally, my shoulder is feeling better than it has in years. I guess it was a good thing to remove the broken piece of bone that was just floating around inside me and causing extreme pain. The fact that my left collar bone is a few centimeters shorter than my right collar bone really doesn't even matter because it is actually strapped down now! (I'm just trying not to think about the fact that they had to drill a big hole in it and use CADAVER tendon to accomplish the task.)

Also, my birthday was spent hooked up to a horrible medical device they use consistently in nursing homes. (I just might post more on this later, when I am able to laugh about it.) I've already informed my children to unplug me and/or shoot me when I get to this point in my life again. I think they need me around for a few more years, or I would have instructed them to shoot me this time.

Oh yes, I almost forgot the thyroid nodule scare last April. I went to the ENT for ongoing sinus and allergy problems and he found a large nodule on my thyroid. He insisted on having an ultrasound where they found many more nodules. I then was sent to the Radiology department for a biopsy, since the largest nodule was big enough that they needed to biopsy it. That was traumatic enough by itself, it's just that "the one possible complication that almost never happens" happened. Somehow they did something and my neck filled up with fluid and I got a huge lump. I want to say it was a hematoma, but I'm not sure if that is the correct term. Anyway, I had a huge lump on my neck for a few days. I'm somewhat lucky because they said it would turn bright purple and it only turned a gruesome shade of yellow and kinda bluish greenish.

And last, my teeth. What a pain! Our dentist retired so I went to his replacement. He informed me that I would need a crown on a bottom tooth that looked like it was getting some chips in it. Why, oh why didn't I wait until it absolutely needed to be done? I told him to go ahead, since it needed to be done and it has been a nightmare ever since. When he was doing the impressions for the crown, he didn't have the right stuff to make the mold. What he had was too runny so he kept re-trying it until he got one that looked good enough. I have never had a crown before, and I hope to never have one again, so I didn't know what a big problem that was. The tooth has hurt from day one since they put on the temporary and the permanent crown has been no better. I'm sure it is because the crown isn't fitted properly. I finally had to have another dentist do a root canal. It was kind of an emergency, so I had it done two weeks after my shoulder surgery. That was interesting! The tooth still aches like crazy sometimes, especially when I sleep on the right side of my face. I also have two teeth on the top that ache a lot. Actually they have hurt for a few years now. I have replaced two existing fillings and had another one put in, hoping to fix the problem. So far no luck.

What is interesting is that when other things hurt, like my shoulder surgery, my teeth miraculously seem to feel better. Someone pointed out that it was probably the pain meds I was on. I didn't think of that. I do know that most things must be getting better because my teeth are starting to hurt again. What really hurts is my bank account because we have no dental insurance and crowns and root canals and fillings are not cheap!

Yes, indeed, I am a Murphy's Law girl. At least when it comes to medical things. Maybe I'll explain more later. I have decided that I am either the healthiest sick person around or the sickest healthy person. I do know that I want to stay away from doctors and hospitals all next year.

Back to the pessimist label, I will wear it proudly. Like someone else said, if you are a pessimist, you are right half the time and the other half things turn out better than you expected, so basically, I guess it is all good.

(Ok, weird random thought: Do you think I would have better luck if I'd actually forward all those chain letter e-mails instead of throwing caution to the wind and deleting them immediately?)