Month: October 2007

Delayed Reaction?

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

It’s interesting. I went through the week leading up to my 1-year anniversary, a little apprehensive, certainly reflecting on the past year and the same time last year, and looking forward to getting on with life.

However, in the days and week following THE day, I’ve had very odd feelings. I’m unable to fully explain them…I wish I could. As I type this, I’m numbering page files for the final catalog files to send to the printer tomorrow. I never got to do that last year…I was in the neuro ward. I’m running across emails that I sent out just a day or two before the annie ruptured last year…and I’m thinking about how I sat at my computer, overly stressed, overly tired and completely unaware of what was going to happen the next morning. I’m trying to remember if I was experiencing any headaches or neck aches or eyes aches, but I can’t. And that just seemed to come with the territory while working on the catalog anyway, so I probably
wouldn’t have thought much of it at the time.

I almost started crying….while checking page numbers! LOL How add is that. I didn’t cry on the anniversary. I didn’t cry when speaking to my sister about her experiences last year, nor when Dave speaks of what happened last year. I certainly start to feel emotional, but isn’t it odd that a solitary, technical, unemotional task like numbering files almost got me! LOL Very strange.

I’m just glad I survived this year’s catalog. It was just my main goal to see if I could do it again, but then all hell broke lose at work with people critical to the process leaving, then the same old stressful crap that’s always associated with the catalog was there, only magnified because I’m just not able to work as quickly or as efficiently. BUT…I did it. That’s a HUGE accomplishment, so kudos to me!

1-Year Annie-Versary

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

My one-year annie-versary was met with a beautifully, sunny and warm fall day. However, unlike last year’s day spent in ICU, this day was filled with self-indulgence and rewards- and why not?

  1. I took the day off work. I wanted to celebrate this day with living…not working.
  2. I treated myself to a one-hour aromatherapy massage, a french manicure and a warm stone facial at The Senator Inn & Spa.
  3. Dave and I enjoyed a nice mid-day cruise on the boat after my spa visit and I called my mom…something I was unable to do for almost 7 days last year. He set out a Care Bear and a very sweet card for me. (Check out this entry on the history of the Care Bear.)
  4. Dave presented me with a small pumpkin and a card which contained a gift certificate for my favorite greenhouse Longfellows Greenhouse at the hotel. He had packed the pumpkin in his suit case! LOL
  5. Dave and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at The Senator Inn & Spa’s restaurant Cloud 9 and started it off with a champagne toast before dinner. We ended with a carry-out tiramisu to enjoy later in our room.
  6. We enjoyed the pool and hot tub at the inn and worked off our dinner…well, Dave did! LOL
  7. We stayed overnight in a spa suite with a nice gas fireplace and very cushy beds.
  8. The next day Dave and I had a terrific breakfast then enjoyed a visit to the greenhouse to pick up some pumpkins, hay and corn stalks for some seasonal fall decorating. I don’t normally decorate for fall, but this year I am because I’m here to enjoy it, so why not?
  9. A fall drive through the hills to enjoy the foliage was next and another sunny, warm day greeted us.
  10. We enjoyed a long cruise on the boat where at anchor, we both fell asleep. Thankfully, it wasn’t windy, so no fear of the anchor coming loose while dozing! LOL

The night before, the day of and the day after my annie-versary, were filled with lengthy discussions and memories of how it was a year ago and things that happened to not only Dave and myself, but to other family members and coworkers. I found out some things I hadn’t known before about the day I was admitted to the hospital and when I went into surgery and during recovery. Mostly because I was on so much medication I don’t a lot of it.

Although Friday was a day filled with rewards for myself, it was reward enough to be here and to be enjoying such a lovely time with my “Maine Man”…who has been smoke-free for a year as well.

I certainly had some strange emotions flowing through me this past week. I can’t even put some of them into words. I just know in remembering how things were last year I’m very lucky and very blessed.

It’s Coming

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

A huge, huge hurdle was crossed yesterday. I completed the 2008 Johnny’s catalog layout. It’s not done, by any means, but at least I know that everything will fit. The vegetable section alone is 92 pages!!

Just getting through this bigger catalog, was a struggle and one I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do since I suffered the aneurysm rupture a year ago this Friday.  The last two weeks were really rough. A lot of brain work and lots of time spent staring at the computer screen. It was difficult and I left many days with horrible headaches that stayed with me until I fell asleep and often times into the next morning.

With the annie-versary looming on Friday, this hurdle called for major celebration. So, to no only celebrate my living a year following the rupture, I’m also celebrating the layout completion of the catalog. And, I’m going to do it up right!

I have scheduled a massage, facial and manicure at The Senator Inn & Spa here in Augusta, then we’re staying in a spa suite over night and having dinner there as well. Dave has not smoked in a year and that’s another mark that needs celebrating. Just being together for a nice little getaway, close to home will be great.

There are a lot of emotions and feeling flowing through my mind as I’m getting closer to the anniversary. So, hopefully treating myself in a totally different way will be just the ticket.