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Intimidating – that’s all I can say looking at the blank screen in front of me. I took a hiatus from life. I didn’t plan it, it just happened. I’ve started and stopped at least a dozen posts since last February. I came out swinging and motivated last January following Affiliate Summit, which is the largest performance marketing conference in the world. Then, something happened or a series of things happened – some expected, some not – combined they just sucked the wind from my sail. So what the hell happened?
I Took A Hiatus-What Happened?
I can talk all day about politics and exercise, so I won’t get into that too much. Basically, I was depressed over the way people treated each other after the election. Bigotry and racism that has always been bubbling below the surface reared its ugly head and some friends were no longer speaking to each other. Enough said about that.
I was also trying to focus on myself, and sitting in front of the computer for hours was not helping. I started exercising more intensely, which for me meant getting over another anxiety hurdle.(See Exercise Induced Asthma Attack or Just Out of Shape ). I ate better and was trying to get involved in some new social circles, which I may write about another time. I was feeling really good, lost almost 10 pounds and my summer shorts fit.
Then it all crashed.
Cholesteatoma – Say What!
After 1.5 years of misdiagnosis, my 7 year old son was finally diagnosed with Cholesteatoma in his right ear. It’s rare, but something our local ENT should have caught. Cholesteatoma is a benign tumor in the ear. It’s not cancer, but it can be very destructive and fatal if not removed. We were referred to another ENT in the same office who said he could do the procedure. But, when I asked him how many cholesteatoma surgeries he performs a year – his reply was maybe 20! That was NOT going to work for me. I spent a lot of time on the phone trying to get referrals to UCSF and Stanford. Our local doc was not helpful since he believed he was perfectly capable of doing the surgery himself. I guess that’s what I get for living in a small town.
What is Cholesteatoma?
After several weeks and word of mouth, we found an amazing doctor in Palo Alto, California who agreed to see my son. The surgery was scheduled for August 2017 with Dr. Joseph Roberson at the California Ear Institute. This man is the guru. The surgery took longer than expected and the cholesteatoma was more extensive than anyone thought. I’ll just say that my son was very lucky.
Goodbye 2017 – Hello 2018
Needless to say, I’m happy to say goodbye to 2017. I’m ready to kick stress and depression to the curb. I am ready to kill off the extra layer of fat that I gained, and I’m ready to start writing and get creative again. I’m also ready to form new friendships. I will say this, when shit hits the fan you learn real quick who has your back. You learn which friendships are real and who can go f%@k themselves. So here’s to a productive 2018. Cheers!
