A New Year & Renewed Hope

Today is the first day of a new year, and I must say, I'm glad to see 2006 over and done with. Not many years in my life have involved as many health related problems as last year did. My DH and I both had surgery, and our older DD spent months recuperating from Peripheral Neuropathy, caused by nutritional problems from previous Gastric Bypass surgery. I stayed with her each of the many times she went to the hospital, and I also stayed with her at her house, helping her with a gastric feeding tube, which did not work properly, and was eventually removed. On top of that, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's and Peripheral Neuropathy. And then, the day after Thanksgiving, my 101 year old Daddy fell from what must have been a light stroke. He can no longer take care of himself, so DH and I have been taking turns staying with him ever since, with the help of Hospice and a hired part time sitter.

So I have high hopes for this New Year of 2007. I figure it's time we had a quiet year. We survived last year, through God's grace, with our sanity more or less intact, but with our faith definitely stronger. What's that expression that Neiche(sp?) gets quoted on all the time? "That which does not kill us, strengthens us." I think that's correct, and I certainly believe it.

I'm still pleased with the combination of Miralax and glycerine suppositories, as my digestion PD symptoms have improved tremendously. Tomorrow is my last day to be on Requip, and then on Wednesday I'm going to start taking Zelepar. This is really the first time I've tried a Parkinson's medicine when my digestive system was settled down before I started taking the new meds. At least the Zelepar will have a decent chance of working, without tearing my stomach up!

So I start the New Year full of hope and expectation that it will be a good year.