Goodbye last year...I won't miss you!

December is finally over. I won't miss it one bit! December was the icing on the cake of a rotten year.
My department at work was shut down purely because of politics. My night shift friends and coworkers, a terrific bunch of people, and I were strung along believing that we would start a new short stay unit. After months of talk, we learned that we had been lied to. There was to be no short stay unit. I don't even think I can describe how we felt. I applied for three positions. I didn't even get an interview. When I finally did interview for two of the positions I was told, in no uncertain terms, that I was NOT wanted! I finally interviewed, and got, another job. It has worked out wonderfully! I work with a great group of people, a real team!
That drama took up the first half of the year. Then, things got worse!
Chris called at around midnight one Friday in August. He sounded like his heart had been ripped from his chest. Melissa broke up with him. She said she "needed more time". Being a nurturing, sympathetic mom, I said "Good God, Chris. She's had seven years. How much time does she need??". Then I came to my senses and was ready to drive to Charlotte right then. Chris discovered that Melissa was cheating on him. About the other guy, she said she was "leading him to Jesus". OK, so in leading someone to Jesus, how many of the 10 Commandments are you allowed to break? It really turned out to be the best thing for Chris. He found out how much people thought of him. He realized that he had been manipulated into ignoring his friends, but they were all happy to have him reconnect with them. He was able to cut his ties with Charlotte and move to Hillsboro. He has met a young lady here who shares many of his interests. I haven't met her yet, but she sounds like a nice kid.
At the same time that Chris was having his heart smashed into a million pieces, Catie balanced things out by announcing that she was pregnant. Our joy was mixed with uncertainty because Catie needed blood drawn nearly every day! I was honored when she invited me to join her and Ben for the first ultrasound. The sonographer worked for several minutes before she was able to find the little heart. It was chugging right along! Catie and I were both crying. By the end of September, though, the devastation came again. The next ultrasound could detect no heartbeat. The baby had died. I would have traded places with Catie in a minute to spare her this grief. She and Ben had to wait from Monday, when the ultrasound was done, until Thursday for the D&C. Catie could not eat, could not sleep. Even with Ambien, she was unable to sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time. She was exhausted. Ben's employer would not permit him to take any time off. He had to work all week, even though he and Catie had lost a child. Catie's doctor was the kindest, most sympathetic doctor I had met in a long time. He explained that he and his wife had been where Catie and Ben were several times before they had a healthy child. He explained that he did not know what had happened. It's hard to understand why God does things the way He does, but these things happen for a purpose. Catie went back to the ED early the morning after her D&C because she was having hard chills and significant bleeding. Unlike Catie's doctor, this guy was a jackass! He kept talking about the "abortion" Catie had. I explained to him that , while "abortion" is an acceptable, clinical term, "miscarriage" or "fetal demise" would be more appropriate under the circumstances. He wanted to get a cathed urine specimen. Catie refused. She still hurt from the cath the day before. I told her that it was within her rights to refuse the cath. A UTI or any other infection could be determined from a blood count. The doc was not thrilled with me! Catie's WBC was 14.7 BINGO! In spite of the lab report and the blood that Catie was passing, she was discharged home. The ER doc said she was having a panic attack and needed to "breathe into a paper bag". When Catie followed up with her doctor on Monday, he was not pleased with the care she received in the ED. Catie is now back to monitoring her temperature every day. God willing, this will be a "productive" year for her and Ben!
At Thanksgiving, Ma was fixing a package to send to her sister, Ann, in Texas. For some reason, the tape she wanted to use was in the car. When she went down the ramp to the driveway, she fell and broke her arm. She's healing, but still in a cast.
The first weekend in December, Ben's grandmother passed away. Catie and Ben spent the weekend in Logan for the funeral. I understand that there were some comments about Catie's miscarriage which were upsetting to her. Some people just don't understand that some topics are too sensitive, too "new" to discuss. A week later, Thom had a cerebral hemorrhage. After a week in ICU, his organs were harvested and he died. His funeral was a mix of joy and sorrow. It's been 2 weeks since he died. I still cry sometimes. Many were saved because of his gift, he is in Heaven, but he's still missed. The day before Thom died, Ma's stove caught on fire! We had to go stove shopping! The salesman at Lowe's was fabulous. He gave her every discount he could and arranged for next day delivery when she explained what was going on in her life at that time. The day after the funeral, Chris' 17 year old cat died. Sadness on top of sadness. The Sunday after Christmas, Ben's mom fell, fractured her shoulder, chipped her humerus, and tore her rotator cuff. She had surgery today and will be out of work for the foreseeable future. The next Saturday, I was pulled! I got a warning for speeding and a ticket for no proof of valid insurance. I was able to fax the current insurance info to the magistrate and the charges should be dropped.
For each negative, there has been a positive. From each loss, something has been gained. Scripture says that while we are persecuted, we are not abandoned. It is comforting to know that God has everything under control, even when we feel like we are losing it! I just pray that 2009 will be a happier year for us all.