Welcome 2010

2009 officially sucked. But now it's 2010, and I'm going to have a great year. I had a great time with my co-parents Andrew and Heather last night. It's nice to be able to spend grown-up time with them; they're such great people. No nightmares last night! I woke up really early, reconfigured eight pillows into the 45 degree angle the doctor recommended, and it actually WORKED. I got another 5 hours of restful sleep. My hips hurt, though. All the pressure is on them if I sleep with my head and legs elevated. I think if I can figure out the foam wedges/pads (or if we break down and buy a new adjustable foam bed) that will be less of a problem.

I've decided I'm going to try to gain a bunch of muscle and loose a lot of fat prior to my surgery. I know that will make a HUGE difference in how quickly I recover, so I'm going to do it. I've been doing pilates and lost about 5lbs over break. I just need to keep at it and not get lazy once I go back to work. Now that I know why I feel so crappy and that "rest" won't cure me, I'm ready to push through the pain and keep going. I'm glad the doc gave me a disabled person parking placard. Having to walk far to my car, while good for me, is SCARY when I'm alone. I got really confused the other day and it freaked me out. I'm playing lots of little puzzle games to help me with my memory. I don't know if it's helping or not, but it's what all the "living with Chiari" websites and guides tell me to do. I have an appointment with my neurologist in a few more days so she can talk to me about it.

I found out yesterday afternoon that one of my coworkers, Bobby Salcedo, was kidnapped and murdered while visiting his wife's family in Mexico. I'm so horrified by this. He was a genuinely good guy, and did so much GOOD in a community that desperately needed him. My heart goes out to his wife, who watched, helpless, as the gunmen took him away. It's all so very tragic. I really liked him as a person too. He had a great sense of humor, and was so smart. I always enjoyed the chance to talk to him. He was the Assistant Principal of Activities at South when I decided I was going to start shaving the back of my head again. It was only my second year, and I wasn't sure if that was in conflict with some sort of policy. I asked him about it, and he told me to go for it. We did so many great, new things for the kids those two years. I was so sad when most of what we started ended after he left for Mountain View. He was a wonderful leader in Drew's district. Actually, he was part of the reason I moved Drew there in the first place! The city of El Monte is definitely far worse off than they were 2 days ago. Tragic.