gratitude

it finally happened - i made it to 40! confused? i'm not 40 years old yet, but i'm celebrating my hematocrit number....40! (this number represents the volume of blood you have in your system.) it's been 18 long months of trying to improve my blood counts, taking meds, vitamins, visits to countless doctors, surgery, hospitalization. all of this in 18 months in an effort to try to get my blood healthy again. back in may 2007 when my symptoms first presented, my hematocrit number was 27, well below the norm of 36. my red blood cells were tiny (again well below normal) and couldn't bring enough oxygen to my body. now, my hematologist gave me the good news that 1) my hematocrit is 40, 2) the size of my rbc's is normal, 3) no more anemia and 4) no more iron pills! she also said that i don't have to see her anymore, which saddens me because i felt a sense of pride knowing that my doctor was voted one of seattle's best.

i have never been happier to be 40 - i had a smile on my face that you couldn't wipe off. heck, i almost cried! in all those months of being told that one thing after another is happening to me, it's finally nice to see some marked improvement.

thank you to everyone who offered words of support and encouragement this past year and a half. i'm eternally grateful.

happy turkey day!

a dream is a wish your heart makes...or is it?

i'm not someone who has restful sleep and so naturally dreams aren't a regular occurrence for me. i've had two very different dreams in the span of 10 days. the first dream was of my late mother, and involved reliving a painful period in my life. but this time, it was almost as if our positions in life were reversed. and while i can't find any dream interpretations that satisfy me, i'm going to take it for what it is - a dream of my mom.

the second dream was beyond words, one of those things that cause you to wake up, shake your head and say "whoa". i looked up the interpretation and it said "it is symbolic of your creative energy and reaffirms that you are headed in the right direction in life." well good thing for that, because i'm still not sure if i'm willing to take this one for what it is.

i think i just have too much on the brain sometimes that everything gets confused when my lights turn off.

baby steps

it's been a while since i've written, much apologies for that. but the busy time is over and we're slowly prepping for the holiday season. in my last blog entry, i alluded to a big decision that i'd made. it may not seem like much to you (or a surprise, for that matter), but for me, it helps clear out the traffic in my brain and will help give me more focus.

i've had many interests over the course of my life, but photography, web design & graphic design were the three things that always stayed with me. it was only when i reached a major creativity block with my design that i decided that photography really is the one true path for me (again, not a big surprise for those of you who know me). it has been my love since i was a child and i can always count on the fact that when i pick up the camera, i know i can make magic happen. not always true for me when it came to web or graphic design.

so with that being said, i'm going to be taking this challenge head-on and hope to do it in baby steps, with patience guiding my hand and my head. as always, thank you to my little muse, who never fails to provide me with the inspiration i seek.