It's been about a year since I last wrote on here. Well; all is well, & going on 2 years w/ the boyfriend! ;-) It seems like it's been SO much longer, I just can't believe it. I started working at Magee-Women's Hospital in September '07 doing housekeeping and escorting on the labor and delivery unit.

As for last month-it couldn't of gone by fast enough. I had been having constant headaches w/ MAJOR pressure for about 2 months beforehand, and saw a neurosurgeon on March 31, 2008. As it turned out, I needed major brain surgery and a spinal tap to measure the amount of fluid & pressure in my head. (They were certain that my shunt had failed; which meant I had a blockage and fluid had built up on my brain-hence the headaches w/ pressure.) So on the morning of April 8, 2008, I had my surgery. (REALLY freaky how I had my shunt originally placed on April 12, 1987--ALMOST exactly 21 years later!) They put me to sleep and did the spinal tap; then, went in and removed the blockage and the fluid instantly started draining right again. Immediately after surgery while I was laying in the recovery room, I started to cry b/c I didn't have a headache anymore. Having as many medical problems as I did as a kid, it's pretty amazing when the surgeon comes to see you after surgery and tell you to your face "You were VERY CLOSE to dying before that surgery!". It's funny knowing I thought I felt fine before. I was just getting older which meant I inherited the bad headaches that my family all has. And NOW. I feel SO much better! The scariest part to me (besides the surgeon telling me I almost died) was knowing that a normal amount of pressure and fluid on the brain is 70%, and my percentage on the day of surgery was OVER 300%! That's SO DEADLY!!!!!

Anyway, I'm all better now. Having a nice time being off work for 6 weeks. Going back the week of May 19th. BOO! haha Aside from all that craziness, on April 11, 2008, a very good family friend passed away of a massive heart attack at the age of 56! It hit everyone so hard. I took it so hard not only b/c I KNEW he would be the ONE person to wanna see my scar right away just to make a joke about to make me laugh and for the fact that he was the life of all the family get togethers at my aunts, but b/c the whole time I thought to myself "that COULD'VE been me". Really changes your outlook on life. RIP Rich! ;(