Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I'm sorry for my absence from the blog. I've been dealing with some heavy stuff and talking books fell by the wayside. I'm hoping to get back to blogging soon - it helps to keep me sane and I miss it desperately.

2012 was a year of turmoil and trauma for me with my father becoming very sick first with shingles and then enduring 3 surgeries to remove gallstones (two failed attempts), only to have his gall bladder removed in the end. He is recovering slowly but surely.

While that was going on I had a cervical cancer scare. It's thankfully not cancer yet, but they will be monitoring me closely.

On the day that I found out I didn't have cancer, my son discovered a lump on his hip. What followed was a nightmare experience where they told us he had terminal vascular cancer - only to learn he had a very very rare benign vascular tumor. He underwent two surgeries and while he'll be monitored yearly by Dana Farber, they don't expect any recurrence.

He left for college 3 weeks after the second surgery, while still recuperating. Unfortunately, the challenge of having Aspergers Syndrome, dealing with that and all the changes that living away from home presented sent him into a tailspin. He decided he no longer needs his medications which control his perseverations and inflexibility. We medically withdrew him from school at the end of October when we realized he was not eating, sleeping, brushing his teeth, showering or attending classes at all. It has been a roller coaster ride since with the only constant being complete chaos.

The reality is that he may never be able to live on his own. It has been .... discouraging and disheartening to say the least.

In addition, a month ago my beastie (dog) couldn't get up one day. He's only seven years old. I made several trips to the vet for bloodwork, meds, xrays, etc only to determine that they think he suffered a catastrophic injury to his back - probably chasing the cat down the stairs. That triggered already developing arthritis to rapidly flare. (Or it could be a tumor, but I'm not putting him through more stressful tests to check that because if it is, there is little they'll be able to do.) He can't get from a lying position to a standing position without help and has to be held in place until his legs and back will support him. He also needs a sling and help to get down the stairs and is currently on 4 different meds to take away the pain. (At the moment he is not in pain.) If he doesn't improve, I will most likely have to make a quality of life decision that I'm not ready to make yet.

This dog has been my companion, comfort and savior over the last seven years.

Needless to say, I can't wait to see 2012 end. (END ALREADY 2012!)

I can only hope 2013 is a better year.

Tomorrow I hope to post a final count of the books that I've read this year. I'm currently reading The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong and enjoying it immensely. I love strong female characters and Maya, the protagonist, is definitely that. It's very well written, with a good story, well developed characters and an interesting world. Stay tuned and don't give up on me. I will be blogging about books again hopefully soon.

Have a happy and safe New Year everyone. Don't drink and drive.

Karen