I Already Know Where I've Been: 2011

So 2011 brought some pretty unexpected changes to our house, maybe I should say Very Unexpected.

Most of the year was as usual.

July was when the changes started.  Dru and I were on vacation in Chicago and I ended up in the ER overnight.  Our vacation lasted less than 18 hours - back home I went to see our family doctor and the testing began.  I was pretty sick - I had blood work done regularly.  And the testing seemed to never end.  Upper and Lower GI testing (boy is that fun!!!)...I was at any given doctor at least once if not twice a week for nearly 8 weeks.  One of my specialists was able to finally conclude that my system had slowly built up a toxic level of medication (regular meds I had been taking for 6-8 months) and the result was shutting down my organs.  She adjusted my medication levels and within days I was able to start eating food for the first time since the end of July.  During that 8 weeks, I dropped nearly 20% of my total body weight and went from running several miles a day before getting sick to needing a nap after walking down the street and back.

Now: Things are great!  I'm doing much better.  I have a wonderful new job (Stay-at-home Mom and Substitute Teacher) and I am blessed with the most wonderful husband, children and family.  I have the best friends a girl could ask for - and I have found a relationship with God.  I'm lucky enough to say that relationship started before I got sick this summer - but I'm also lucky enough to know that my path to God was put before me as a choice and one that I made freely.  I was blessed to love him because I needed him even when I didn't know a need was there.

All I can say is 2012 is going to a GREAT year!  For starters, I got the all clear from the doctor to start running again and I am already back to just over 2 miles in just a couple weeks!!! YAY ME!  Sunburst 10K here I come!!!

Enough serious business - let the fun posts begin.  Trust me these boys always come up with something :)!!!!!