It's been a year already?

This weekend will be U-J's and my first anniversary. What a year it has been! Actually, you have to go back a year and a half to appreciate the fact that we are still together and sane (well, he is anyway.)

A year and a half ago, U-J proposed.

Two days later one of my dogs (my precious standard dachshund Sherman) died. We spent over 2 months and $5000 to keep him alive. It was worth every penny to know that I did everything I could for him. He was a great dog. I have tears in my eyes just writing about him. I still miss him.

The following month I graduated from nursing school, moved in with U-J and started working in the hospital.

A month later I took NCLEX and proudly passed needing only 75 questions and 45 minutes to take it. After I passed, I became Charge Nurse on a 31 bed medical/telemetry floor with almost no orientation.

July, August and September consisted of planning the wedding and struggling to learn to become a nurse.

We were married on the most beautiful October day. Ten days later, we bought a house.

Eleven days after that, my cousin's husband had a massive heart attack and died at the age of 47. We went to his funeral. As we were leaving my aunt's house, I fell down a step and broke my left ankle. Do I know how to make a funeral all about me, or what?

I tried to go back to work, but you can't really do any nursing when you can't put any weight on your foot. So, I jumped through all the hoops to get a medical leave of absence. Ten days before Christmas I get an email, yes and email, saying that I have been fired because the hospital can't hold my position open. Never mind that the floor is already down 3 RNs.

I finally got the cast off in January and began to walk again. I also started searching for a new job. The medical bills started rolling in. Apparently the hospital canceled my insurance a day before the last day I was actually at work (20 days before they fired me.) Luckily, I also had insurance through U-J also, but trying to change everything became a nightmare.

I got a job offer a few days before Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, I also got in a wreck on I-20 on the way home from the interview. Luckily no one was hurt.

I started working on a renal/telemetry floor and HATED it. I also began having anxiety attacks. I think my body was just in a constant state of vigilance wondering what was going to happen next.

Guess what happens next? My house, which I haven't sold yet, got vandalized. A 1o year old, very disturbed little girl did $5000 dollars worth of damage to my house.

By this time, the anxiety has gotten the better of me, and I can't work anymore. So, I quit my job.

I took the next month or so to get myself some help.

In July I found the job I have now. I love it!

So, things have finally calmed down. I figure if we survived the last 18 months, we are going to be okay.