Time to take stock of 2005. Are you better or worse off than year ago?

Feel free to elaborate.

What was the worst thing to happen to you?

What was the best thing to happen to you?

had an emergency ovarectomy in March, and got diagnosed with MS in June.

I don't think years GET much worse, really.

fsc

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=4468286&mesg_id=4469688

I do sincerely hope it works out as well for you as it has for me (if such a thing can be said to work out well).

Redstone

I saw when you "came out" about your diagnosis.

It's amazing that so many people have done OK for 20-30 years, and others are practically immobilized within a few. I wish I understood more about what makes this thing tick.

fsc :hug:

I can think of quite a few things that could be worse, even though this seems like it would be.

Good luck to you :hug:

But everyone's MS is different.

The prospect of having to wear Depends before I turn 80, possible blindness, or any of the other crap they warn you about is hard to take for someone who's been healthy as a horse her whole life. Especially now that I'm jobless.

I'm glad your granny has done OK with it. I hope I'm as lucky as she is.

At least we weren't living on the Gulf Coast. I guess you're right. It COULD be worse.

fsc

Don't remember the author's name. It's a book of "testimonials" by people with MS. And it tells the truth; they're not all of them inspiring or reassuring.

But only if you can read it with a positive frame of mind; I got it because I thought it would help Mrs R a bit (Like the guy who quite being a blacksmith after he developed MS and became instead a professional billiards player), but she found it to be disturbing because of reading about the people who aren't doing well.

May you be one of the lucky ones. That's my sincere hope.

(And the fact that it could be worse doesn't make it better than it is. Though I guess it helps you feel better about it. does for me.)

Redstone

But no thanks. I've got SO many books from well meaning mom and friends. I've never read one.

I just live my life with the thought that this is a minor inconvenience, that's all.

I refuse to knuckle under to it. And that includes reading stuff that will just remind me I have it. I'd rather do something I enjoy, like genealogy or scrapbooking. Sometimes I can forget for awhile.

fsc

I've done it for 25 years, and it's worked pretty well.

And the longer you do it, the longer you will be able to forget.

Denial does work. I've never had one treatment or medication, and the pattern of occasional flareup/long remission continues.

Be well. Don't think about it, and it won't get you. I believe that.

Redstone

Which means I'll be leaving this area that I've grown to dislike and returning to my home state. I'll also be leaving my two dead-end jobs and having a new opportunity open up for me. :thumbsup:

Career-wise, fantastic! My hard work is paying off.

Personal-wise, it all started going downhill when a co-worker, who I worked with virtually (never met in person, we always talked on the phone), died after a long illness, and just about every month someone else I knew had died. And there were losses of one kind or another.

Overall, I think it was slightly better.

(Thanks, John Prine.)

Redstone

costs...,

posting.

I have a little more hope now, and a lot more information and resources upon which to base my future decisions about the many new opportunities that may be coming my way soon. But as far as the emotional and psychological experiences I had in 2005--um. At least I'm healthier now. Because all of the trauma forced me to get healthier. Still--at least I'm alive.

Things are better, hubby got a new job with better pay. He almost makes what he did back in 1999 now :eyes:

Emotionally, it was the toughest year of my life and that is before you consider the state of the union and the poser in office. Lord I hope I never have a year like this again. But if I do, I'll just come in here and let you guys help me out. This year I did it alone but if there is a next time I'll lean on you guys. :grouphug:

Eh. No real changes from 2004.

generally much better :)

best thing: falling in love with the sniffa's, going to Paris (in that order)

worst thing: breaking someone's heart x(

The worst thing to happen to me was losing both grandmothers and an aunt. The best was marring the girl of my dreams.

I have more stress and less money than a year ago. I also have more hope for the future. So, like I said -- hard to say.

Financially, it's been disastrous. I lost my job in November. Medically, I finally got a good diagnosis and am on the right medication and am doing fine. Personally, my daughter graduated from HS, took a trip with 4 friends to NYC and started college. It's been a roller-coaster.

I hope 2006 settles down. All I want is a little stability in my life.

I guess the worst thing that happened to me was the horrible flu I had in February. My husband getting the assistant manager position was probably the best thing.

Ended a marriage I thought was a forever-and-ever-amen union, withstood many deep shocks related to said marriage ending, got a new career, rebuilt some family relationships, survived.

Altogether, doing somewhat better than this time last year.

Professionally, I'm doing quite well.

Personally, I'm becoming a bit more reclusive but more health conscience. I really didn't get much done though. I'm going to change that next year.

My family is making great strides. The boys are almost all grown up and Mrs. XNASA is as lovely as ever.

But then, my Mom died this past year...so that has kind of taken the sheen off of a lot of the joy I experienced.

I'm enthusiastic about 2006.

Jason didn't make this poll. I did last night and went to bed. I just saw this morning that I was logged in as him accidentally. He's a mod, so I guess he could just delete it if it he wanted.

you HAD MOD PRIVILEGES WITHOUT BEING A MOD???

SCANDAL!

:D

I could focus on the bad, but I choose not to. :)

Mostly on account of my grades. My grades this time last year were less than stellar. This year, they are in fact pretty damn close to stellar, haha.

Aside fromt that shit's not much different though.

job is great, but had several deaths in the family including 34 year old son. This great economy has really eaten up a lot of my assets and stocks and mutual funds hardly keep up with the drop in value of the dollar. Just hanging in there and hoping 2006 will be better.

No cost of living raises for the last three years, and with groceries, utilities and fuel prices going through the roof, I'm pretty well fucked.

lost a job, took a job w/ less pay, moved into my parents home w/ my child, found two lines near my eye, more grey hairs.

2005 has sucked.

The worst thing that happened to me in 2005? I dropped out of college with only a semester left until I graduated.

Best thing? Probably dropping out of college (that doesn't make sense, but it will in a couple of years).

But that's nothing compared to what others have suffered from in the last year.

I did the same thing. I had one semester left. I was confused and depressed as hell. My mother gave me absolute grief about it...wanting "payback for the investment", etcetera. It only took a few months of doing other things to come back to music, but this time it was on my terms instead of being based on what everybody said was best for me.

I switched teachers and finally felt like I was learning what I'd set out to. I never did finish the degree, though. All the same, I'm listed in the Alumni registry as receiving a Bachelors in 1982. I've never put that on a resume, though.

For some occupations, that degree is necessary to even be considered for a position, so I'm not knocking the piece of paper. But I found myself appalled by the hypocrisy of being eligible to receive the honor when I felt that my playing had actually deteriorated during my 4 years there.

I don't regret my decision, though it's a little awkward to explain to people sometimes; and there have been occasional colleagues who think less of me for not completing the program. So fuck them. ;-)

Best of luck to you! :hug:

worst- some extended family members being quite ill. But all in all, not a bad year. Best - we got to go to SF finally for a great vacation. Hard to argue with that.

At the end of every year, I always make a list of all the good things that happened to me and all the things I learned. And that tends to put everything in perspective. :)

I've had a pretty mild year, considering. No major health problems, no deaths, no financial crisis. My "rebound relationship" actually lasted and became a bit (well, a lot) more solid, and we'll likely be doing the living-in-sin thing in the spring. I made some new friends, co-founded a Drinking Liberally chapter here, and stayed busy.

One event was probably both the best and the worst thing to happen to me -- I got the dreaded "your attitude sucks, it's affecting your work, fix it or else" lecture from my boss. That got me off my butt and thinking about actually doing something about my boring-but-pays-well job. I took the LSAT and applied to law school (still waiting to hear) -- and I got a good review and a raise at the end of the year, so even that worked out.

that was great

But it's not positive either. I haven't completed anything, nor had any goals. I've been 'floating' through life this past year, I started drinking, and haven't really made an effort to straighten up any messes.

I need to set some goals. I was considering drawing again, maybe getting rid of a lot of baggage.

Still work as hard though (self-employed).

But then, there have been so many here (and absent friends) that have given so much to me in an effort to make the tough times tolerable. They have given me laughter and support, encouragement and hope, their cyber hugs and telephone chats and notes of support and care packages and love have made this a truly extraordinary year -- for I know that despite all of my difficulties I have been blessed by their love.




Things could be a lot worse.

Never.Give.Up. :patriot: :grouphug:

:hug:

:hug:

I'm lucky to have known about DU before the storm cause it sure has helped me, my life line, my connection to so many loving folks and my soap box when ranting was necessary to save my fragile resolve.

Happy New Year to You! :toast: :hug:

What was the worst thing to happen to you?
broke someones heart :(

What was the best thing to happen to you?
Found closure on a tough situation, gaining my self esteem back, and last but not least, falling in love & getting engaged :)

Well, right now I'm in the "go backward" part of that. Hopefully 2006 will be the "move forward" portion. :D

better for us financially--no debt, bought 2 cars (after ten years of milking our 1982 Citation along), new computer, and other goodies...went on a vacation that type ofthing...

worse off - both parents died within 3 weeks of each other I didn't even have the interest to decorate for Christmas.

I got to early retire from a job that was becoming onerous to me.....

Took a long vacation with my husband, and we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary..

Got the new dig camera and am challenging myself to learn how to really be creative with it...

Started to do some writing, and am not too unhappy with how that's going.

Learned a lot about myself as well.

So, even though my income is MUCH LESS, I don't care about that....

I'm also politically involved locally and this is good for me.

I'm very hopeful for a terrific 2006 ...personally and politically!

However, as it's coming to a close, all of the bad stuff is over (Broke up with a girlfriend, grandfather died, had a major health scare, Bush was in office, job is awful, etc.), and things seem rather wonderful now. When all was said and done, I'm way happier without the girlfriend, turns out my health problem was relatively minor, things aren't looking so hot for the Bush-man, and I'm dating a pretty wonderful woman now.


I think 2006 might be a good one. I have high hopes, anyway.

mostly because of debt I incurred this year. It was hard making ends meet.

to see 2005 was worse for so many.

Here's to a much better 2006! :toast:

like I was last year. Definitely an improvement.

I had some really hard times both professionally and maritally, but the outlook for both is improving. My health is much improved. My son is happier and doing well in school. I've made some new friends.

and right at the moment I have bronchitis and a severe strep infection, but otherwise things are just great! I'm really looking forward to the new year.

I'm starting a new job Tuesday, rejoining some past coworkers at a new company that's growing by leaps and bounds. I'm leaving a job I held for 3-1/2 years and lots of really good friends, but I just could not work for my boss any more--he was killing me both mentally and physicially. My new job is giving me a better work situation and more money, and I'm really excited for this opportunity which actually just fell into my lap after two years of job hunting.

Leaving my old job will give me some much-needed money for savings, since I'm cashing in a year's worth of earned leave, so I'm happy about that. I will also have access to some other funds later on, so I think my money situation will become more stable soon.

I've been able to pay up on my bills and plan to pay them off as soon as I can, so hopefully by April or May I should be in good shape and able to start socking money away (I keep telling myself this over and over, as I have a bad habit of trying to spend everything I have).

Right now I think my most difficult problem is going to be figuring out how to go from being paid once a month to every two weeks. I've been living paycheck to paycheck for so long, I can't imagine living any other way.

As for the best and worst things that happened this year, I would say the best would be getting a new job with my old friends, and the worst would be the conflicts I had with my old boss--they were pretty bad.

So for once I can say I think I'm in pretty good shape at the end of the year. Seems like a long time since I've been able to feel optimistic about the new year.

Anyway, I hope we all have a great 2006 and that all our wishes, both personal and political, come true!