2009 is here, and I made it. Alive, and kicking.

Christmas was pretty decent to me. I hope my present lasts like I want it to. But it gives me hope.

Also, it gives me inspiration to draw, draw, draw! Holy crap. Pretty much something new every day (though half of it is not appropriate for devart.. lawlz..) Expect to see alot more from me (hopefully) that isn't just portrait related.

Also, instead of a snake... I -finally- wore my poor parents down, and I'm going to get more rats... So excited... I just need to find some now. Wish me luck.

Just the other day I was saying how horrible 2008 has been for me. I mean... I started with the wonderful birthday present of having to replace my transmission. Then I went into the hospital... Then I got my first speeding ticket and 4 out of the 6 points taken off my license (the cop was such a douche...) Then my fucking knee. I said, "God, the only thing I haven't done is wrecked my car."

Tuesday, I hit a fucking deer when it was raining ice.

I'm fine. My car is... well, it's okay I guess. The hood is totally fucked up. I'm scared to open it, because it might not shut again.

At least I was able to start physical therapy FINALLY. I dislocated my knee on 11/22 and I started PT on 12/18. Meh...

The christmas party was a blast though, it was nice to see everyone at once. We ate, lol'd, and generally had a jolly old time. I'm glad Rachel got the 'grand prize.' You go girl. LOL. (In retrospect, I should have taken pictures of the piece of shit... xD)

I hope 2009 treats everyone awesome. I hope it treats me awesome too.

You know, the only thing I haven't done is find a wad of $100's on the ground. That's just what I'd need. </irony>

Well, I went back to work on the 6th of nov. They tossed me right back in on a full schedule.. which is okay since I really freakin' need the money.

It's nice to be back and be busy and all, I missed everyone at work. Of course I didn't miss the angry, yelling people, but the folks I work with my it better.

I got some good news (and some bad too, we're getting there...) I updated my tablet's drivers and the pressure sensitivity works again! I also plugged my scanner in so... I can scan too lol.

The bad news is... I got to get another ambulance ride and spent a little more time in the emergency room on saturday! Thank GOD it had -nothing- to do with my pancreatitis or my gallbladder... I'm back to normal in that respect (finally..) No, I slipped on the last step at a friend's house and my kneecap popped out again.

So, the steps leading off her porch down onto the street in downtown pittsburgh are like really steep and narrow, so the paramedics couldn't get a stretcher up them. They had to try to transfer me from the chair I fell into to this nifty ambulance wheelchair thinger so they could get me down the steps. They put this vaccuum splint on my leg to hold everything in place. Trouble was every time I moved it hurt so wretchedly bad that I was screaming and not letting people touch me at all. LOL. At the top of my lungs too, mind you. Not a happy camper. So they gave me some morphine. And some more morphine. And when that didn't work, they gave me some laughing gas too. That shit is whack. My arms were moving at the speed of light AND it made me sound like a dude. So it took 2 paramedics and 3 firemen to get me down the stairs, and then most of them to get me from the chair onto the stretcher. One fireman was like right next to my head and I was screamin' in his ear, and after they got me on the stretcher I was like, "Omg.. I am so sorry..." (I was so embarrassed that I was screaming so much, but damn you have no idea...) And he laughed and said, "It's alright, I think it's funny. You remind me of my ex-wife and I like it when she's screaming in pain." LOL

It went back in on it's own during the ride to the hospital, so they took a couple x-rays and told me my patellas both sit a little high.. and I'm goin' to see an orthopedic specialist on tuesday. SO JOY I GET TO MISS MORE WORK AND BE MORE POORERER.

EDIT: Went and saw an orthopedic specialist. Found out that I shouldn't need surgery to fix my knees as long as I am able to strengthen the muscles in my legs again. Learned that the groove that my kneecaps sit in are very shallow which is why I am so prone to this shit happening. Also, this is why my legs bend at an unnatural angle.. backwards. xD

Hooray, no more surgery.

After 51 grueling days of hospitalization... I am finally home.

I had my gallbladder out on monday, and am still recovering from the surgery.

But I am eating again, after 52 days without having put anything in my mouth (including WATER) I can finally be normal again.

Now we're just struggling to get the bills together to be submitted to medicaid. My whole trip is costing somewhere between $150-$200,000, and my insurance is covering like, $2000. WOO. *explosion*

But damn is it good to be home, and finally feeling kind of normalish. I'm still quite sore and I'm running out of percocets!! D:

I get to go back to work at the end of the month.

Okay, well, things have gotten a little better. I'm still of course suffering from "omg why is this not over yet?" depression/anxiety, but things are starting to look up a little bit.

I was transferred to a skilled nursing facility on friday and I get the IV nutrition for 14 hours in the evening (8pm - 10am) and then I'm free for the rest of the day. The facility itself is really nice, despite all the old people. There are all these nice patios to sit outside, a big rec room with a big-screen tv -- and everyone goes to bed so early because they are old so my friends have been coming at about 9 and we've commendered the rec room for movie watching. That's been a major moral booster right there. Plus the place is much, MUCH closer so my parents come out every day.

ALSO ------- Being that I am unhooked during the day, and I have been feeling quite well (still not out of the woods, no food or liquids yet...) I can go OUT-out. So I got to go home today for the first time in 23 days. My cats didn't seem to recognize me, but my couch did... I took a really long nap, lol.

So I have a follow-up appointment with the surgeon in about a week and a half, and hopefully they'll give me the okay to start on clear liquids again. Yay fruit-juice.

I have my good days and my bad days. The other day I was nauseous the entire day and vomited in the morning, but otherwise... the pain is at a minimum and I'm totally mobile.

And other good news is that the medical assistance program through the hospital/state may cover my ENTIRE medical bill (everything except the ambulance rides.)

I still need to have my gall-bladder removed because the stones aren't gone yet, and it could cause a reoccurance of the pancreatitus, so like a week after I'm better I'm getting it removed also.

Just wish me a little more luck with getting out of this damn place soon!