Day 17: Ebb and flow

What are your highs and lows of this past year?

Oh boy.  This year...no, the past two and a half years, actually...have been a real roller coaster ride.  It started in June 2009 when my dad was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer.  He battled it for a year before succumbing to the disease on June 21, 2010.  Two and a half months later, in September 2010, my mom was diagnosed with a recurrence of the cancer she'd battled in 2003.  She fought long and hard, and in March 2011 was given a clean bill of health.  Yay!  Things were looking up!  Then, on Memorial Day, Jake came home from youth camp with a really red, irritated right eye.  4 days later, we found out that the eye disorder he'd had in his left eye 2 years previous had now developed in his right.  We also found out that the retina and optic nerve in his left eye were still swollen, and had sustained permanent damage.  It turns out he has a condition called pan-uveitis, which is swelling in all the layers of the eye.  They believe he has an autoimmune disorder, but have been unable to narrow it down to any particular one as of yet.  It has taken 7 months, a million appointments with a plethora of doctors, and massive doses of prednisone, but he's finally getting his vision back.  Having a child with a chronic condition, and the always-imminent threat of blindness is terrifying.  That has definitely been a low for me.

But there have also been highs.  The biggest one was obviously the fact that my mom conquered cancer again.  I don't know what I would ever do without her, and I am just not ready to let her go, especially so soon after saying goodbye to my father.  Todd started a new job last May, and in just a year and a half, has gotten a promotion and a substantial raise.  He's finally out of the roofing trade, and we are both so happy and relieved that he's working a job that is not dependent on the weather.  This is the second winter we haven't had to worry about his not being able to work if it's raining or snowing or too cold.  The frustration of worrying about money and dealing with unemployment and mounting bills definitely took a toll on our marriage.  It's been so nice to enjoy the holidays without worrying about how we were going to pay our utilities in the winter months.  The kids are now all in school, and it's been nice to enjoy the weekdays without having to play chauffeur to anybody.

So here we are, on the cusp of a new year.  My mom and I have decided that 2012 is going to be "Our Year of Good Things".  We have some exciting things coming up!  Mom is retired now and we can spend more time together.  I am determined that I WILL be enrolled in college by next fall.  I just need to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.  I'm hopeful that the finances will work out to make it possible for me to go to school.  I have the feeling that 2012 is going to have many more ups than downs.  We're definitely due for an UP year!