December Third will always be a special day for me.

Ten years ago today, I was hit by a truck while walking down the side of the interstate. If you have not heard the story, here it is, complete with pictures.

One year ago today, I had lapband surgery.

Regarding the accident, in some ways it seems like forever ago and in other ways it seems like yesterday. What makes it seem so recent for me are the memories. I can still vividly recall the smell of gasoline on my clothes, the face of the paramedic looking down at me, the sound of Susan screaming my name wondering if I were dead or alive, the feelings of going into shock and feeling very alone during that very long ambulance ride … those memories are very strong and when I think of them (as I just did) I get a bit of an adrenaline rush and my stomach knots up.

As clear as that night still is in my mind, it might as well have been a lifetime ago. It happened before Mason was born, which seems to have happened so long ago. It was before I owned a cell phone or worked down in the basement. We owned different cars and lived in a different house. In a day-to-day frame of mind, it was indeed a long time ago.

I do not think about that day, not as much as I probably should. Surviving it was a life-changing (and extending) event, one that I should consciously reflect on more often.

As for the lapband … things haven’t gone as well as I had hoped, and most of the failure can be placed directly on me, not the surgery. I have not followed the prescribed diet and I continue to overeat. The restriction is not what I thought it would be and I am overall disappointed, not as much in the surgery as I am in myself. It is the time of year that I look back, see what went right and what went wrong, and try to make positive changes for the next year (in the form of New Year’s Resolutions). Following the lapband diet more closely will definitely make my list.

Anyway. Happy Second Chance Day to me!