One cray cray year

I failed to recognize a recent anniversary on here, which was 1 year from the "we think it's a tumor" (direct quote) call from my doctor (Saturday, March 31st).  Then shit got cray, real cray cray.  (That's crazy, for the uninitiated.  I'm pretty sure.)

And what have I learned this year?  What HAVEN'T I learned, is more like it...

• I have a tall heart that's hard to fit on the screen (per the lady who gave me an EKG)
• I have small ear canals (per a technician who put in earplugs before one of my million MRIs)
• I have a skinny neck (per my sleep neurologist)
• I have a skinny throat/airway (also per my sleep neurologist)
• I have a symmetrical head (per the technician who wired me up for my sleep study)
• I am a VERY difficult IV or blood drawing patient... but I don't need an expert to tell me that
• Women who get migraine with aura should NOT, I repeat, NOT be on estrogen-based birth control; increased risk of stroke!  Eek!!  Even if your lady doctor has said it's okay for years...
• Women who get migraine with aura should also take a daily low dose aspirin, to prevent said strokes
• Snoozing your alarm makes you a worse sleeper (alleged by Dr. D, my sleep doc... but I'm not totally convinced yet)
• Sleep schedules are important for poor sleepers (again, alleged by Dr. D)
• They make hospital beds that they put extenders on, to make the mattress long enough for those of us that are vertically superior
• You can have as much food as you want when you're admitted to the hospital, and it's kind of tasty
• They store secret pudding in the fridge in the ICU; ask for it
• Good insurance is AMAZINGGGGGGGGGG
• Brain surgery is EXPENSIVE
• Tumors are nuts
• Brain tumors specifically are nuts
• Cancer is nuts (mine luckily isn't cancerous at this time, but I'm still gravely aware of how nuts it is)
• Brains need time to recover from pesky surgeries
• Senses of direction are overrated, anyway
• Friends and family are amazing
• I feel like I won the lottery, but instead of people coming out of the woodwork to ask for cash, they've come out of the woodwork to express support and to help where I never expected it
• Life is cray cray
• Things can change in a second, for the good or the bad
• Enjoy what you have
• Focus on being happy and healthy
• Spend time with your friends and family
• Thank those people that help you, verbally and/or via thank you cards (I love mail)
• Pixie haircuts are hot
• Scary medical things, like brain surgery off the top of my head, not only affect you but your loved ones too... don't forget about their struggles and challenges during these times and that they need love and support too
• XXX Vitamin Water is no longer drinkable to me (after using it to take all of my meds after surgery for days)
• One particular ringtone on the iPhone is no longer usable either, after hearing it every 3 hours for days, alerting me to take my meds... gives me nightmares now *shudder*
• Have I mentioned that life is crazy, happiness and health are all that matters, and friends and family are so wonderful?!?

I do love lists... I could go on for days.  Or hours, as I have to stay up till midnight tonight with my current sleep schedule.  Yech.

Tell someone important to you today that you love them and are so appreciative for their support.  And then try to find some pudding...