And So, Again

I've been two years gone and have returned to find that I can no longer use my prior blog. Apparently Google took over right after my last post and now I don't know how to get back to my old one. I need to do this again because I want to help other teachers at my school set up blogs for their classrooms. I also want to go back to using this as a journal. A lot has happened in the last two years and I want to start recording my changes.

I moved into a new home in August of 2006. This is the first one I've ever bought! Although I like the house, there were some immediate difficulties that seriously affected me. Within 3 weeks of moving in, my Cocker Spaniel, Skipper, dislocated his elbow in the back yard. He was wonderful about it. Although he was shivering with shock and pain, he allowed me to pick him up and bring him into the house. Even though it was a Sunday, our new veterinarian saw him immediately and took him in for treatment. Skipper was fortunate that I had unknowingly chosen one of the best emergency vets in Fort Worth. Although Skipper spent 2 different sessions in the animal hospital, he made a full recovery. It was a very stressful time for both of us. The vet expenses were not bad, but on top of moving to a new home, my finances really began to spin out of control.

In November, my doctor told me that I was diabetic. I had suspected so, but never admitted it. Now it was necessary to learn how to manage this new aspect of my life.

On December 12, 2006, I totaled my 1991 Toyota Corolla. The accident was totally my fault. I looked away from the road and rear-ended a van stopped at a light. Along with destroying my car, I finished ruining my knees. My FMS syndrome, which had been slowly going away, came back in full force. I needed a quad cane to walk with and I couldn't walk far due to the pain. The orthopedic surgeon recommended knee transplants but I chose to get Synvisc injections instead. They worked well while they lasted, but they usually wore out within 5 months and the doctor could only give them every 8 months. I finally opted for double knee replacements in July '07. It was a painful process recovering, but almost a year later, I am really glad I did it.

Now my goal is to get my life back in my control. I have 3 main areas of focus, School, Home, and Self and Family, to work on. It's not going to be just a day at a time, it's often going to be by the hour or even minute. I've been too stressed, too distracted, and too disorganized for too long. I am making some serious changes in my life.