New Year, New Changes

2008 started with a bang, bringing major changes to our household. With the new changes came new decisions.

After 23 years with my company, my position was eliminated. My last day was January 31.

I started working when I was 16. I am unemployed for the first time in my life, and now need to decide what I want to do next. The travel industry has been in turmoil for years and clearly does not offer any job security, so I definitely will be looking for something else.

With all the stress that my family and I have endured the last two years, I can’t help but consider the value of choosing a less stressful career. The strain from my job in December and January definitely caused pain in my right kidney, which for me proves that stress does advance the disease. I am assuming that what I felt was the cluster of cysts in that kidney. I can’t seem to get an appointment with the Nephrologist that I was referred to, so I guess I will be going back to my primary care physician for a basic physical and insisting that he check my renal function at the same time. If all is ok, I will wait for the Nephrologist that he recommended, otherwise, I will insist on someone else.