The year in review

A lot has happened in 2012. The biggest event being of course my brain surgery, closely followed by our move to  Regina. One year ago, I definitely would not have predicted either of these things, and they have changed my life so much. It is almost hard to reflect on the past year as it seems like I've been through three lifetimes in that span.  But I will try (and will attempt not to re-use too many photos I have already posted, though some will be repeats).

January gave us snow in Seattle, back when snow and cold weather were rare events in my life.

Jeff in front of our house stepping in my footsteps so as not to disturb the snow too much.

 Then February brought spring-like weather:

Kite-flying at Gasworks Park

In early March, I had a new brain bleed, and was not feeling so well. Despite my symptoms, I was able to keep doing my normal activities.

After finishing the Mercer Island half-marathon

In April, all sorts of things were happening. I was waiting on second opinions about surgery, Jeff was negotiating one job offer and waiting on a second. Then when we were at a friend's wedding in Las Vegas, Jeff got his official offer at University of Regina.

At the wedding

In early May, I was sitting on a job offer in Honolulu, interviewing in Regina, and getting more doctors' opinions about surgery. By late May, Jeff and I had both accepted jobs in Regina, and I had a surgery date. We visited Oregon over Memorial Day weekend, as we weren't sure when we'd have another chance.

At the Oregon coast.

June is when things got crazy. We went hiking on June 10th knowing that this would likely be our last northwest hike before moving to the flat prairie, and needing to do something distracting and relaxing.

On the trail to Lake Serene

Then three days later I had surgery, and I woke up feeling like my life had completely changed. Before surgery I was afraid of the unknowns, but after surgery it felt like there were even more unknowns. I was physically pretty bad off, and I had no idea what problems would remain and what would get better.

After surgery

Through June and July my recovery began, and I worked hard. There were many ups and downs, and my initial recovery was emotional, frustrating, and slow, but it also felt good to be making progress. By the end of July I could walk about 400 feet with my walker.

 My last PT session before going home

Then in August, I was discharged from the hospital and a week later we moved to Regina. At that time I still needed a wheelchair to get around, even in the house, and I needed help to get dressed, get to the bathroom or shower, or even get from the wheelchair to the couch. With all that, it's no wonder I have a hard time remembering our first weeks in Regina.

At Kiwanis Park, a few blocks from our house

In September, I started settling into my job, and tried to get a feel for my new town, but my memories of that time are still a blur. I started venturing out of the house for short trips with the walker, trying to rebuild my endurance. This picture is a bit misleading, because at that time I wasn't actually walking without someone right there ready to catch me. I was able to stand still on my own long enough for Jeff to get a picture.

At Kinsmen Park, a few blocks from our house in the opposite direction

In October, I started feeling a bit more like myself. At work, I was actually starting to do some work, and by mid-month my walking had improved enough that I was mostly leaving the wheelchair at home and just using the walker. I was finally back in physical therapy, and seeing that it was making a difference. My vision suddenly improved, which was a huge relief, and made a lot of things easier.

Celebrating the return of my vision with a brownie sundae at Dairy Queen

November came with continued physical improvements, more engagement at work, and energy left for occasional fun times.

With Jeff's siblings and their partners

In December I have felt more and more like myself. Walking gets easier and easier, and while it may still be a while, I can see that one day I will be walking without assistance again. Jeff and I went to Eugene on December 21 and returned last night. We enjoyed visiting with friends, eating some of our favorite foods, and holiday festivities with my family. I also successfully completed my 5k, and was even much faster than I predicted, finishing in 1 hour 21 minutes. 

Eugene Holiday Hustle 5k at the finish line

And tomorrow starts a whole new year. Of course we can never predict the future, but if I were a betting woman, my money would be on better health and calmer times ahead. Happy New Year and best wishes for 2013!