- Cars. All of our "savings" from being frugal went back directly into cars. When this wasn't broken, that was making a funny noise. We wanted to sell our Mini Cooper (obviously an unnecessary but fun splurge) so we bought a 2000 Camry with months of saved cash. Dents and all, we didn't care, we were going to save. Then it exploded. Diagnosis: death. When the Mini beeped hello as I started it up afterward, I swear it sounded happy, like it knew we would keep it after all. Aww. We're kind of happy we got stuck with it.
- Grandpa's heart attack. When I got the call, I unfortunately can't say I was surprised. I was terribly upset, heartbroken, scared...but hardly shocked, not after Grandpa's decades of smoking and daily fast food. Family was there to do CPR and call an ambulance right away. After he made it through surgery, the doctor told him he had survived a widow maker. He was out of it for a month afterward, in an induced sleep a lot of the time because he would thrash when he woke. When he finally was recognizing us and talking, he was on the highest high from pain medication. He thought he saw a sailboat go past his door, wanted a putty knife to fix the floor tiles in the room and told me I was surrounded by the most beautiful sparkling golden "fairy diddles". All of this, while silly, was upsetting because we knew it meant he wasn't all there yet. Eventually he came home though, with lots of therapy along the way. We're very thankful for his second chance, and I'm very very thankful that he hasn't smoked a cigarette since!
- Boob scare #2. My family history is not good, and it doesn't discriminate young age. The first time was in the spring after we got engaged. The lump was found, some doctors freaked out, I got referred to a specialist, they took a needle biopsy (I've never seen so much blood come out of me) and it was cleared as a benign cyst. The news was incredibly relieving, then hearing the total costs almost made me pass out. Last year's scare got more complicated. The concern was higher, and doctors were disagreeing...never fun to be in the middle of when you just want answers. Two months of blood tests, hormone tests, an ultrasound and my first mammogram felt like a year. My friends and family were incredible, and all of the families I've worked for banded together to find connections within the Cleveland Clinic, eventually leading me to a wonderful woman's group and some financial help. The Cleveland Clinic is altogether amazing. When I was cleared again we celebrated for a week. Turns out I'm just a lumpy person, but because of my family I've been ordered to not mess with my boobs. They've become more important to my husband and I than we ever could have foreseen. Before they were just...boobs. Now they're fragile and high maintenance.
- Losing his father. We never imagined at our age we'd have to plan a funeral. We didn't expect to see it either...the moment that he died. It was an image burned into our brains, the doctors yelling and taking turns jumping on the bed to give him chest compressions. My husband's legs shook underneath him and I was prepared to catch his weight. It was the most crushing pain, that entire day. We were just so glad he had known we were there with him. The day before, everyone ever important in his life had come to visit in the hospital he had just been admitted to. I'm so thankful for that. He must have known things were bad, because he was able to tell my husband, his brothers and sister what made him proud and what he wanted for them in life. We had him cremated per his wishes, held a nice memorial and decided to take him back to Aruba someday (his annual winter hot spot). Each big day after has been a struggle for my husband. It doesn't get easier...we just get better at handling it. The photos and video we've discovered since have made for priceless moments. We just miss him so much, our family is our world and I hope we don't have another year like 2011 for a very, very, very long time.
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| Jon & his dad in 2010 |
