Random Thoughts on the First Anniversary of My Partial Thyroidectomy

I haven't blogged much the last year.  I had a very slow recovery from a very bad reaction to the anesthesia for my surgery.  Most of what I wrote about, but didn't publish, had to do with my cancer surgery and recovery.  Who would want to read a lot of whining?!

I reread some of my unpublished posts from the last year.  They're really not that bad, and there is a community that might be interested - those going through similar situations. I might publish them next week. 

Random thoughts:

• My family has been wonderful - encouraging me, driving me around (I drove on the highway for the first time a month ago), taking walks with me when I was too dizzy to take them by myself, doing chores, cooking dinners - and lots more.
• Although I have gotten slowly better so this doesn't count as a chronic disease, I've gotten lots of encouragement, suggestions, and support from online chronic disease groups and thyroidectomy groups.  
• Exercise.  Even if it was only a few laps up and down our court with someone accompanying me, exercise has been so helpful.  It's been a long climb to get back to where I am now.  I danced and sang through a whole summer musical - and I only had a few bad days!
• In the fall, I had a difficult time focusing on having a conversation with one person (more on that in tomorrow's post).  Except for my family, I was isolated for months - not because I didn't want to talk to people, but because I couldn't!  In February, choir got me back into community, and the summer musical was absolutely wonderful!  I worked and chatted with people every evening for hours - something I couldn't have done a few months ago.  It made me so happy!
• My faith has changed a lot in some ways, and not at all in others.  More on that in another post.
• Since we homeschool, my 17 yo son was the one at home, helping me, most days.  I would start making dinner, then get a bout of dizziness and nausea and he'd finish.  I would start laundry and, etc.  His last year has focused on me so much, and he's been so wonderful, helpful, and encouraging.  His senior year is going to be two years long so as not to shortchange his homeschooling.