So, it is Monday. Typically, I prefer to give my weekly progress reports on Monday, but something takes priority today - the Holt 1-Year Wedding Anniversary! Additionally, my two-month anniversary of diagnosis is Thursday, so I will give a progress report that day because I like the logic of doing that much better. It is a nice, round number.
I have to admit, I can hardly believe we have been married for a whole year. This time last year, I was with friends, awaiting the big day. I was calm, and I was ready to just be married. I knew the first year would bring challenges because of medical school and law school, but that aspect of marriage has been so easy. If I may toot our marital horn, we do a great job of respecting each other's time and space when necessary. I knew better than to bug Andrew when he was studying for exams or Boards. I picked up a lot more chores in order to take the burden off of him. Likewise, he has been a saint so far during my studying for the Bar Exam. If anything really defined this first year of marriage, it was definitely the mutual rigor of school.
That being said, although only about (7) weeks of our first year of marriage were "Diabetic" weeks, it has been those (7) weeks that have meant the most to me. Andrew was out of town in Belize when I went to the hospital, and it was very hard for me, but my friends and parents were amazing. When he came home, he immediately dove into the whole routine with me. If I want advice, he is there. If I want a medical perspective on something, he will listen. When I know I have to eat around certain times and avoid certain foods, he accommodates. And most importantly, when I am thin on patience or being a neurotic hypochondriac, he doesn't judge me. He talks me through it. One of the things I have tried to tackle after diagnosis is realizing that this disease doesn't only affect me. It affects Andrew every day because he is married to me. We work through the good times and the frustrating times together. You know, when I would hear marriage vows about "in sickness and in health," I always think of one of us having the flu or being 85-years-old and battling the process of aging. I never would have imagined that this part of the vows would become applicable so soon. It may sound like a no-brainer that your husband would stick by your side when you're diagnosed with something like this, but that is something I try my hardest not to take for granted. He has to listen to me when I think my swollen ankles are a product of a blood clot. He has to listen to me when I think the anxiety symptoms I am experiencing mean I have the flu. He has to listen to me when I think both my swollen lymph nodes on the back of my head are symmetrical tumors. I know, what you're thinking...wow, what a head case. Truthfully, sometimes I really am. My worst fear was realized - I had a disease brewing in my body that tried to get me. Now, it isn't so easy for me to ignore even the smallest aches or pains without worrying about something bigger being wrong. So, Andrew also gets to keep me sane. I'll be honest - most days are relatively normal days, days only mildly interrupted by the daily grind that comes with being a Diabetic.
All that to say, it has been a great year of marriage! We accomplished a lot. He survived and aced his Boards. I graduated from law school. All the while, we kept the balance of fitness (Insanity, running, biking), family time, friend time, and time together. Andrew and I are not the type to celebrate these things. We may go to dinner next weekend, but we aren't doing gifts. I do want to get my paws on that wedding cake, though.
I am thankful for Andrew, and I look forward to many long, healthy years together.
Andrew made lettuce wraps last night. It would take me an entire month of posts to describe all of the meals he has cooked this year. He is definitely a better chef than I!
This is an example of the small things. Andrew knows that my Lululemon clothes do not go in the dryer. That being said, rather than figure out which of my workout clothes are Lululemon, he assumes they all are and hangs them over the door to dry. This is actually something that makes my day!
This is an array of pictures from this year. The top-left is a picture of us one week ago at a going-away party for friends. The top-right was when we were all in the bathroom during a bout of tornado warnings. He always gets all the pillows, radio, and flashlight. Then, he has to convince me that I need to get in the bathroom because I'd rather be watching the tornado. [Yes, I am more frightened of lymph nodes than I am of natural disasters - remember, it's not logical!] The bottom left is a picture from our Honeymoon in Maui. We decided to go snorkeling. It was a big step for me, and I only lasted about ten minutes before I wigged out. The bottom right is a picture I took when I woke up one morning of his dedication to studying. He puts me to shame in a lot of areas, but his discipline might be the best example.
You know what they say?
"Happy Wife. Happy Life."
I couldn't be happier with our first year.
No comments:
Post a Comment