How was your 2023?

[ScottOKW2K]

Work has been a little stressful - more than we need and less people now than at the beginning of the year. It's a first world problem and we'll get over it. Fortunately we're a great group of coworkers.

Outside of that it's been one of the best years of my life. I had some significant changes in years past and am at a point of happiness and contentment. I don't have to look far to see others in more stressful situations than mine. I am thankful every day for my good fortune.

 

[A Squared]

First, @A Squared, welcome to the dis. And I do like your screen name, A Squared, pretty neat.

Sounds like you landed a good job there. Congratulations, best wishes wit it. Hoping all goes well in your life.

For me? My brother passed away about 2 months ago. Marie's (my wife) uncle, for whom she and I have been caregivers for about 5 years now, passed away this time last year. For myself, it seems like my weekly calendar is a litany of doctor visits, rehab visits, therapy visits. But, I guess at my age, it goes a bit with the territory.

All in all, not too bad of a 2023, looking for an improved 2024. Again, welcome A Squared.

Thank you! Glad you like my name
So sorry to hear about your brother. Downside of living longer is deteriorating health and losing others along the way. That's why I can never understand people who say they want to live forever. Not me.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, and WDWPCOT - reading these replies does put things into perspective. I know I'm lucky having my Dad and DH still here and with health improving, but at times it felt like the rest of the world was sailing merrily and I was stuck in the maelstrom.

 

[DisneyHardin]

We had a pretty good year. My Dad had some medical issues in January/February that were worrisome, but he is on the mend and doing really well.

DH and I spent 2 weeks at the beach in July just relaxing, which was wonderful. We went to Disney for 5 days in November and did the opposite of relax, but had a fantastic time.

 

[disykat]

Let's just say I'm optimistic for a better year in 2024, but realistically kind of assuming it will be 2025 or so before things even out. I've been trying to think of a "word of the year." I just now decided optimism will be it.

 

[Allison]

I have had better.

 

[VandVsmama]

Our year was a mixed bag:

• Kids completed 9th and 11th grades and now our 1st born is a senior in high school.
• ODD (the senior) got accepted into all of the 7 colleges she applied to.
• YDD is doing really well in school and is giving mock trial a go this school year.
• My garden in the backyard looks awesome and now the bamboo is tall enough that I can no longer see the 2 story house next door. And no, it's not a running bamboo that is going to invade somebody's foundation. ;-)
• our favorite fat orange tabby cat had to be put down a couple of weeks before Christmas. We miss him terribly. He's one of the best cats we've ever had. ODD taught him how to talk with Fluent Pet buttons. He brought us a lot of laughs.
• My MIL died at the beginning of September after a short but horrible & painful bout with uterine cancer, thanks to her refusing to see a gynecologist for 20 years.
• The weekend that she died, a couple of other relatives blazed into town to say goodbye to her. We let them stay at MIL's house. Big mistake. All they did the entire time was complain about how MIL's bedroom was dusty (she hadn't lived in the house at that point in 6 weeks!) and they even had the gall to complain about how we hadn't stocked the fridge with food for them to eat...even though they are the most drama-filled flakiest people we've ever known and had done a whole "Oh we're coming tonight, oh wait, we're not coming tonight, probably tomorrow" thing for 2 weeks prior to them actually showing up. AND on top of it, they demanded that my DH go out and do grocery shopping for them because "Oh, since COVID, we don't ever step foot into a grocery store anymore." WHAT IN THE WORLD?! It took all of our will power to not yell at them while they were here. I was glad when they finally left to go back to their lair.
• Spent the next 2 solid months going through MIL's entire lifetime of possessions. And she never threw anything out. Kept 40 years' worth of greeting cards that people had sent to her...just to give you an idea of the magnitude. I became friends with the 2 dumpsters behind a local elementary school and took advantage of the bulk trash pick up that happens in our neighborhood every 5 weeks.
• Sold MIL's house to Open Door. Open Door is now still trying to resell it.
• Survived the 1st Thanksgiving and Christmas w/o MIL here. It was different. The first holidays like that are always hard. It'll get easier next year.
• got a new boss at work. He's way better than the previous one.
• ODD got her driver's license this year and we lived to tell the tale, including her totaling one of our cars while out w/my DH for a driving lesson in January of this year. Kid had some PTSD for that for several months afterwards.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I’m sorry to read of some of these hardships. Ugh.

We had a decent year, but we did have four sudden deaths - one in our own family, two from in-laws families, and one in the family of close friend - ages 30, 42, 59 and 62, so all relatively young.

 

[lovin'fl]

Worst year ever.

Basically been 1 thing after another since July when I turned 50. I am hoping it is not going to be an entire crappy 50th year for me, to next July. I can't take another thing. So, let's hope it was just a bad 2023 and it's done. Knock wood!

I typed out a whole story of all the bad stuff but thought better to delete and just say it was the worst year.

 

[Rogue1677x]

2023 was a true test of patience. Quite possibly the worst part was that the gastric bypass I had in 2022 ended up causing a complication where I can't stop losing weight. I look like a skeleton, it hurts to sit and lay down and I nearly lost my temper when the surgeon told me I looked great. I was actually pleading for a feeding tube because I was having trouble getting more than 500 calories a day in, but the surgeon told me to snack on cookies or cake to boost my calorie intake.

 

[DisneyMimiUSMC]

2023 has been interesting. Lots of good and some very very bad. On the upside we purchased two DVC contracts and that's brought so much joy into our lives. I hope 2024 is filled with less family drama and a lot more Disney magic.

 

[DisneyMimiUSMC]

It was one of the worst years of my life. Shocking, disappointing and all around unbelievable.

I am so sorry. I have had similar years. I hope things improve for you!

 

[Dan Murphy]

's to all who had such a tough time in 2023. 2023 is past now, hoping for a much better 2024 for all.

 

[luvthatduke]

Thank you to all who shared their stories,
all of them really brought perspective to my own 2023.
It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible.
I am praying for all of you here that have struggled and
will likely continue to struggle with some residual effects into 2024.

 

[leebee]

2023 was a true test of patience. Quite possibly the worst part was that the gastric bypass I had in 2022 ended up causing a complication where I can't stop losing weight. I look like a skeleton, it hurts to sit and lay down and I nearly lost my temper when the surgeon told me I looked great. I was actually pleading for a feeding tube because I was having trouble getting more than 500 calories a day in, but the surgeon told me to snack on cookies or cake to boost my calorie intake.

I hate hearing this! I had sleeve surgery 7 years ago, so I'm familiar with the challenges and changes of bariatric surgery. "Eat fattening stuff" is not a solution that a reputable surgeon should give. Can you schedule a consult with a different surgeon, or a nutrition from a different surgical practice?

 

[Rogue1677x]

I hate hearing this! I had sleeve surgery 7 years ago, so I'm familiar with the challenges and changes of bariatric surgery. "Eat fattening stuff" is not a solution that a reputable surgeon should give. Can you schedule a consult with a different surgeon, or a nutrition from a different surgical practice?

Unfortunately my insurance won't cover it. The nutritionists are really scrambling to come up with things to stop the weight loss. I can't eat healthy fat foods (avocados, peanut butter, etc.) because it triggers pain similar to gallbladder pain (had that out in 2006). Not getting enough nutrients causes more migraines and more seizures.

I'm finally able to eat tiny bits of chicken, so I can get that bit of protein in...but something I did to get healthier ended up creating more trouble.

 

[jlmarr]

More good than bad, which is the best we can hope for. I sent off a personal year in review to family, and that might be useful here (names replaced):

My personal Year in Review highlights: short Disney Cruise with the Mrs so we get to Castaway Gold status, trip to see the Vegas Sphere with bro, Anaheim Angels game front row seats with (grandson), (grandson) becomes a baseball All-Star (I kept score on GameChanger), Heritage BBQ in SJC for my 70th birthday, first root canal .

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

It's 2024 and Cw4D still draws breath. 2023 was a good year.