2021 Year In Review

 I'll be honest, 2021 was a bit of a rough year. In some ways it was worse than 2020, but I digress. As it has become a tradition over the years here is a 2021 year in review:

January:

-Max has a not so minor mental breakdown until about April

-A week before spring semester begins Max's computer completely dies due to faulty school technology destroying the software, and gets a new (and better) laptop to replace it

-Jack begins getting ready for gene therapy that is completed over the summer

-January term ends and winter break comes to a close

-First fic of 2021 https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/01/needy-everan.html 

February:

-Spring semester begins though virtually

- Chemistry is the bane of Max's existance

-Sarah enjoys time in the British countryside

-Short drabble fic https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/02/sleepless-night-farkas.html

-Rare disease day https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/02/rare-disease-day-2021.html

-Therapy is somewhat helpful in managing anxiety

 

March:

-Max spends their 20th birthday is spent in a rather sad fashion https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/03/quarantine-birthday-20-electric-boogaloo.html

- Lego Star Wars is once again delayed

-Enders 21st birthday (yay!)

-Spring semester work is in full swing leaving not much time for other things

 

April:

-Mental breakdown begins to somewhat subside but still there is ongoing anxiety

-Finals season wooooooo

-Reintroductions because it has been awhile since I last did that https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/04/re-introductionsits-been-awhile.html  

-Vaccine number one has some funky side effects leading to ye olde vocal cord problems relapsing because a pandemic wasn't enough already https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/04/relapse-because-pandemic-wasnt-bad.html

 -ENT and the rest of the team adamantly suggest saving getting shot two until a later date 

May:

-Freshman year is done for Max and Jack virtually and Sarah has finished her first year at Oxford

-Goodbye zoom, you won't be missed https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/05/goodbye-zoom-you-wont-be-missed.html

-Max begins to develop some fatigue while enjoying the break between school ending and summer work starting 

-A competent Neurologist finally helps to manage Max and their Myoclonus-Dystonia

June:

-JCC Camp begins and Max is busy corralling a group of 6-8 year olds every day during the week

-The Percussion buddies are reunited and Dnd stories are shared

-Pride Month occurs https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/06/happy-pride-month-from-disabiltiy.html

-A day of mourning on June 13th occurs because chronic illness is life changing and where has time gone https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-7-year-and-day-anniversary-of.html

 -Max's fatigue begins to worsen and they start getting strange bruises  

July:

-Roughly 5600 words of silliness is published https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/07/warriors-werewolves-and-wizard-oh-my.html

-JCC camp begins its second session with Max now working with a group of older children due to their continuing strange symptoms beginning to become severe

-The little kids at camp begin to ask questions https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/07/you-look-sick-adventures-in-summer-camp.html

-Jack undergoes gene therapy treatment with high dose chemotherapy

 

August:

-Due to severe interference of symptoms and multiple appointments Max resigns from the JCC camp in early August, the kids give them a card on their last day

-ENT puts in urgent referral to Hematology/Oncology, bloodwork abnormalities and an enlarged lymph node are found on exam

-Max goes off to school for in person learning for the first time since March 2020

 

September:  

-Local Breton hates the Jarl of Windhelm https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/09/respectful-anna.html

-Max begins to develop chronic fevers after an episode of unusual bleeding

-Greek history is somehow even more chaotic at nine in the morning

-Max makes new friends and is genuinely happy 

October:

-Inktober 2021 is done in a modified fashion

-Max and friends take a trip into Chicago

-Halloween Fic https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/10/costume-party-qin.html

-Over fall break Max visits Lurie Hematology/Oncology for further evaluation, Cysts are found in lungs requiring further work-up, Lurie forgets to scan the enlarged lymph node

 

November:

-Thanksgiving break is hectic and short, Max has 3 month scans at MGH, node is shown to be enlarged with slowly worsening symptoms, etiology is inconclusive and Rheumatology consult is suggusted

-Max and Friends go to the Chicago Symphony

-Skyrim has its 10th anniversary with a special fic https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/11/when-two-wrongs-dont-make-right-valan.html

-Fall semester begins to wind down with finals coming soon

 

December:

-Finals exams and essays/projects are turned in before heading home for winter break

-Hanukkah and Christmas come and go, Max whips up a quick holiday drabble https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/12/twas-night-before-saturnalia-issy.html  

-Break is filled with pokes, prods, and doctors visits with lots and lots of sleep

-New years is spent on discord with friends discussing all manner of chaotic things before finally going to bed at a very late hour

-Fluffy angst fic to round out the year https://disibilitydiaries.blogspot.com/2021/12/winter-in-windhelm-farkas.html

It was a tough year, things continue to be a bit of a mess, but for all the crazy, messy, and downright awful things that occured in 2021, there was a fair amount of good too. Here's to a better year in 2022 with NED biopsy results, the UK case numbers going down, and somewhat if not full return to baseline health for all.

Until next time,

Max