As I write this, December has just four hours left, and then we’ll be on to a brand new year. 2012 looks like it will start off well – that means no doctor appointments scheduled in January. Don’t get me wrong, I have great doctors. I’m just tired of needing to see them.
From a medical standpoint, 2011 was discouraging. Despite the fact that I blog about living with an autoimmune disease, I really don’t want “patient” to be my full-time job. I don’t even want it to be a part-time job. Given that I have to deal with an incurable disease, I’d love to be well-controlled so that I could pop in for a quick check-up with my rheumatologist every six months and forget about it the rest of the time. What a contrast when compared to 2011’s reality!
Adding up my office visits over this past year, I had many more than two simple rheumy appointments:
- 6 Rheumatologist
- 9 Family Physician
- 3 Podiatrist
- 1 ENT (I did not go for testing, and cancelled the follow-up appointment)
- 4 GI
- 3 Surgeon
Add in:
- 1 outpatient x-ray
- 1 outpatient CT
- 1 outpatient ultrasound
- 3 outpatient trips to the OR
- 10 physical therapy session
- 5 days inpatient (numerous tests and doctor consultations while in the hospital)
That’s twenty-six office visits to see physicians and sixteen other appointments, for a total of forty-two medical appointment in 2011 – plus five days in the hospital. No wonder I felt like I was always seeing someone for medical care.
It’s exhausting. I sincerely hope that 2012 is better, because I am D.O.N.E!
***
Believe it or not, I have a life apart from obtaining medical care. On a happy note, our first calves of the season arrived on Christmas day. Twins!
Unfortunately, the mother did not feed them. For two days we took a bottle to the pasture to feed, but when it turned rainy and the calves were looking in sad shape, my son showed up in my kitchen with a calf in his arms and asked me to get some towels to warm and dry the calf. While I rubbed the first one down, he went after the second calf.
One of the calves was strong enough to take a bottle, but we had to feed the other one with a stomach tube.
Unfortunately, the weaker calf didn’t make it, but the other is doing quite well. She loved to get to her feet in the middle of the night and tap-dance so we’d know she was recovering nicely.
In my book, if a calf is healthy enough to take a bottle and clomp about at-will, it’s healthy enough to move outdoors. Lest you worry that we tossed her back out in the pasture, never fear. She’s warm and dry, out of the wind and rain.
It’s nice to have my kitchen back. It’s nice to know that the calf is okay.
And I’m hopeful that 2012 will have many such happy outcomes.
Wishing you a Happy New Year
∞ itis 
WarmSocks, Here’s to a happy, healthier new year ahead. Reading your post brought back some great memories of some of the best times of my life. Spending those kind of moments with my sons in wintry weather with newborn lambs, piglets and assorted other farm animals were the best of times.
Kids, and animals both grow up much too fast, and those kind of moments don’t happen often so enjoy them when they do! I just think farm life is the greatest teacher of a lot of life’s lessons. Both of my sons say they wouldn’t trade growing up the way they did for anything.
Thanks for sharing about the calves. I love seeing this part of your life. Very interesting! I especially like seeing the photos.
Happy New Year WarmSocks. I hope this is the perfect year for you and your family. Thanks for sharing your journey with us in 2011. I look forward to reading more this year.
Like you, I have alot of doctor appointments in 2011 and I welcome less for the New Year. Thank you for sharing the pics of the calves. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones – much happiness and good health to all of you.
I hope 2012 treats you kinder! Sometimes when we have an extraordinary bad year, the next one has so many blessings it’s hard to count them all…it’s the little things that help us keep our sense of direction and focus. May you begin the new year with high hopes of better days. The story of the twins is heartwarming. Even though only one made it through, it is a good sign…we all chose life and hope. Thanks for giving us a lesson in love and Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you and your family, Socks! I wish you much laughter, joy, comfort, wisdom and kindness–and no more medical appointments than are absolutely needed for your continued health and happiness. 🙂
PS: Darling kitchen-calf. Aren’t all animals cute when they’re so young? And bravo to your son for bringing into the warm and dry house for care.
Happy New Year! Such a great story about the calves. Sorry the sicker one didn’t make it. It was sort of funny to see the calf in your house. I understand your feelings about doctor visits, I am afraid to count the number of doctor visits I had in 2011. I sure hope 2012 is a better health year for you!
Happy new year!! I feel ya on the patient thing- I joke with my PT & OTs that I should have my own business card at their office that says “Mandy D. professional patient”.
LOVE lOVE the calf pictures!!! Soo great, sorry about the loss of one.
Here’s to 2012!!
Happy New Year Socks. I hope this year finds you and your family healthy and happy. Love the calf story.