2013 - My Year in Review

After almost dying in 2012, I was hoping 2013 would be much better. Was it? Let’s see…

In January, I started going out a bit for my CitySurfing Orlando blog. I saw a performance art attraction on I-Drive called DRIP, where I got soaking wet and covered in paint. I also got to see the Ringling Bros circus when it was in town.

May 2013 after Iron Man marathon

In February and March, I saw a swing-jazz concert, a one-man theatrical production of The Odyssey, and the opera Madame Butterfly. I also got invited to check out Chuy’s Mexican restaurant when it opened in Kissimmee.

In April, I started seeing my nephrologist to get a handle on how bad my kidneys still were, and have tests done. I also had tests done to check my heart and lungs for fluid, which I had in 2012. No fluid was found, thankfully.

My May highlight was seeing the Iron Man movie marathon at the Disney theaters. The rest of the month I wasn’t feeling the best, so I didn’t go out much. I discovered towards the end of the month that my run-down feeling was caused by the fact that I had anemia on top of everything else. My regular doc tried to treat it with prescription-strength iron, but I had to stop taking it because it interfered with my thyroid medication.

The summer was a mixture of good and bad. My best friend, Rhonda, lost her toe to an infection, so we were both sick.

September 2013 with James Bay

However, at the end of August I got the really good news that my kidneys had improved from 36% function to 72% function, so I no longer needed to see my nephrologist until next summer! It also means I’m no longer in danger of needing dialysis.

September was a busy month for me – at least compared to the last few months. I saw Disney on Ice, and ate at a Red Lobster for the first time (I have a seafood allergy so I’ve never eaten there).

I also went to two concerts at House of Blues: Pepper and RDGLDGRN, and ZZ Ward with Wild Feathers and James Bay. These were my first rock concerts in over 2 years, and it made me realize how much I miss it. Though it was hard standing for three hours with all of my ailments.

I also turned 46 in September, and celebrated by going with some friends to breakfast at Boma at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. One of those friends shared my birthday, and we both were given little Mickey Mouse shaped cakes with a candle to celebrate. After we ate, we went outside and watched some of the animals – giraffes and such.

October 2013 after WWE

In October, I started seeing my cardiologist to do a full check-up on my heart. I also attended a WWE wrestling event at the Amway Center. I haven’t seen a WWE show in person since the late 90s, but it was pretty much the same experience.

Mid-November I was told by my cardiologist that my tests showed a blockage in my heart, but only when it was stressed. My resting heart was ok. I was supposed to have a heart catheter done Thanksgiving week, but we found out the hospital it was scheduled at doesn’t take my insurance. Since we were entering the holiday season, my cardiologist decided to try to reschedule in January. Until I have the surgery, I can’t get my heart rate up, so no strenuous exercise, limited walking, watch what I eat, etc.

I did try walking around Magic Kingdom a few weeks ago, for my friend Jen’s birthday, but my heart wasn’t really happy with that. I ended up sitting down a lot. I even had to take a couple of Nitro tabs, but I survived the day. I just needed to take it slow. It’s hard because I want to be better, and my body just won’t let do my normal things like walking. At least I can do some things, I guess.

Christmas Day 2013

I wrapped up the year with taking part in a sandwich meet-up with some other local bloggers. We met up at Pom Pom’s Tea House, which has really good food and tea. I also spent Christmas Day with Rhonda at DisneyQuest playing video games. We were going to do movies, too, but all showings were sold out for what we wanted to see.

Looking forward to this year, I plan to continue to work on getting healthy, and losing weight. My overall goal is to be fit by 50, which gives me a few years to get there. I’m also hoping to get out more, but I also need to save to get a car.

I want to thank each and every one of you who have stopped by this blog, whether it was one time or you’re a regular reader. Your support through this year of recovery has been so helpful!

Here’s to an even better 2014 for all of us!

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About zengrrl

I'm Michelle Snow, the writer and creator of Zengrrl. I write about travel, entertainment, women's issues, health, body positivity, and more, both for this blog and freelance. I have also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. If you aren't already following me, the links are below, as well as on the top right of this page. Thanks!