It's been one month since I had thyroid surgery!

My biopsy came back clear. 👍

I've been putting Mederma with sunscreen on during the day and Mederma intensive night cream before bed---- scar is almost gone!

If you ever get in a knife fight over Mexican food with the creator of a flash animation/game website---- get you some Mederma.

I had another dumb surgery this week! This time, it was to remove a large mass on my thyroid. The surgeon also had to remove a piece of a bone in my neck. He said it's not cancer but he's doing a biopsy anyway.

For those of you who have known me a long time, you may be thinking, "Dang girl. Didn't you already have issues with your ovaries and adrenal glands and all that other crap?"

And yes. Yes I have.

I have a new endocrinologist, hematologist, and oncologist who are doing some pretty extensive genetic work on me. It looks like I have some sort of endocrine system issue, where I am prone to having trouble with any organ that makes hormones. (All genetic)

Awesome! But at least they're trying to sort me out. I've gone literally decades down here suffering with crappy Louisiana doctors who won't do any sort of testing aside from basic bloodwork.

Anyway. I also learned from this surgery that pain meds do not work on me. I'm talking 4 doses of Dilaudid, morphine, and percoset--- nothing

Sent me home on oxycodone (spell?)

Nothing

Just upset my stomach and made me high without stopping the pain so today I just took Tylenol.

WHY IS MY BODY LIKE THIS WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY

ok here's a picture I took when I got home from the hospital. I don't remember taking it. But check out that cut on my neck.

I'm gonna tell people I got it from a knife fight with Tom.

Sorry I've been so scarce. I moved to Canada with @poxpower and we're training and selling battle falcons.

Hmu if you want a falcon. 👍

I'm ready. 👍

Summer is here and I've been doing my best to spend it not in Louisiana. 

I started out by hitting up Galveston Beach in Texas. It was crowded as heck and some girl got attacked by a shark and I ended up at a donut/laundry mat/phone repair place that I'm pretty sure was a drug front but at least the donuts were good and the girl that got bit by a shark was fine.

We then decided to head west and drive to California but to do lots of route 66 stuff on the way there and back.

We hit up the Cadillac Ranch and the Crater, along with some kinda Navajo market and red rock place. It was super windy.

Then we went to Disneyland. The weather was gorgeous. I think I liked it more than Disney World because it was everything close together. No transportation needed go get to the other parks. I loved the Marvel Campus. The Star Wars section is always a favorite and the characters wander more there. I met Boba Fett and Mando.

We went to Universal Hollywood, which was absolute trash. Half the rides were down and not just momentarily, for DAYS. This included Jurassic World, the main ride I was there for. At least I saw a raptor and got Butter Beer but seriously. Crappy, crappy park. Because half the rides were down, that affected the other rides. Mario Kart was a TWO HOUR wait and that ride is NOT eligible for their fast pass system. The Simpsons area was cool at least. I'm a closet Simpsons fan. Got some Duff.

Hit up the San Diego Zoo which was amazing. If you like zoos, you need to go. It's so big that you need an app to get around and they have a free bus system to take you to different areas but their habitats, landscaping, and decor are top notch so the animals are happy and it's immersive to explore. They have a large variety of animals. Pretty much any animal you can imagine.

Went to the La Brea Tar Pits, which has been on my bucket list forever, and the Griffith Observatory, which had beautiful views and a cool planetarium and space exhibits.

We went to Lego Land which was a lot of fun and then hit up a beach near Laguna Beach. The water was COLD! It was still beautiful but I didn't do much swimming. Back home the water is warmer.

On the way home, we went to as many locations as we could find from Fallout New Vegas, including Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings. We also found Helios One, the Lucky 38, Primm, Jean, Nipton, and the Hoover Dam. I wore a NCR t shirt to all of these locations. 👍

We also hit up the Grand Canyon, which always takes my breath away.

Because it's beautiful but also because the elevation sickness.

My entire state is pretty much below sea level. I think my house is like 33 feet above sea level.

I couldn't breathe the entire time I was in the mountains.

Food? Food. That chocolate cake had fondant to make it look like t-rex skin.

Anyway! I'm heading home for awhile because I don't have any money left. Gonna regroup, do some work, get my finances in order, and then next month drive up to Tennessee to see my new baby great nephew and then hit up Ohio and West Virginia.

Yall behave. Don't ask me for money. I'm broke. ✌️

I don't know the origin of this image but it makes me want to choose violence.

I aint got anything else going on until then, so here's some Fallout show memes. 👇

We drove to central Arkansas to witness totality during the eclipse today.

It was an experience I cannot describe.

I've seen plenty of eclipses from 80% or 90% and it's not even close.

We were with about 100 other people, spread out in a small field at a state park.

It got completely dark in a matter of minutes and pretty much looked like night. Temperature dropped. All the crickets started chirping.

I instantly felt incredibly uneasy. My heart rate jumped to about 120. I felt numb and dizzy.

I thought maybe I was having a panic attack, which is dumb because I know what an eclipse is, I have a damn Master's degree, but when it was over, lots of people around us were also saying they felt dizzy, heart racing etc. The park ranger there told me it's actually very common during totality. For some people, the instant shift to darkness does something in your brain, amygdala gland or something, and it basically triggers your fight or flight. I was thinking that. Like maybe a circadian rhythm thing---- anyway I wasn't prepared for that.

I felt shaky and weird for like an hour.

We made friends with a family from Colorado and got burgers from a route 66 diner place.

Tl;dr

Should you go experience a total eclipse in totality?

Yep

Holy crap! 2023 is over! I feel like it flew by.

❄️I don't have a long, braggy post about what I accomplished this year. I worked hard and I didn't die. They were certain I had ovarian cancer, but at this time it looks like I don't. 👍 and I did have skin cancer, but after 3 surgeries, that appears to be gone. 🤞

🎄 I mailed out like 30ish Christmas cards this year. If you never got yours, lemme know in the comments just so I can double check addresses next year.

🎅 I had a decent Christmas break. It started with the stupid flu, but then I went on 2 cool trips, one to Santa's Wonderland in Texas, the other to Nashville to see my niece who has moved up there, and is having a baby!!!! Then we went to Gatlinburg, which was beautiful and it snowed, but it was crowded af and frankly it was hard to enjoy with the bumper to bumper traffic and hoards of people everywhere.

But I love the mountains so much.

Louisiana is just flat swamp.

Boring. Flat. Mud.

Blegh.

Santa's Wonderland 👇

Gatlinburg/Cades Cove 👇

I dressed up like a Christmas tree twice. 👇

This was pirate black light mini golf. Doesn't that one pirate look like Patrick Stewart???👇

Anyway. I'm not making a resolution this year. I have some health related goals and I'm planning a trip to California but ultimately if I just don't die, that'd be great.

You guys have any resolutions?

Also, be sure to check out Tom's 2023 recap post here and please consider becoming a supporter if you haven't already.

Ok, ima go take down Christmas decorations.

Christmas is coming whether we're ready or not! Would you like a Christmas card? I'll send you one!

🎄🎅🎁❄🦌🍪🥛🎄🎅🎁❄🦌🍪🥛

- PM me your address, even if you have already before please, and the name you'd like me to use. It can be your alias or just a first name. The postal service usually doesn't care.

- All cards will be safe for work, so it's ok if your parents see the card etc. It will be signed "SevenSeize from newgrounds" As long as your family knows you're on newgrounds, you're good. I don't use profanity etc.

- I love everyone here, but we're just friends. Don't get any ideas!

- The cards will be mailed with no return address. Please don't try to send me anything in return. I've had people try to send me money etc. I'm doing this because I love Christmas and I love the newgrounds community. You owe me nothing!

- I've been doing this for like a decade now. I won't dox you and I've yet to murder anyone. I've sent candy and cookies to @Malachy and @FUNKbrs and a few others here for like 17 years now. You won't end up dead.

- If my PM inbox gets full, comment on this post and tell me, I don't take care of my inbox.

- Last day to send me your address is Dec. 5th. I'll be mailing cards out that next weekend.

- Your card may contain glitter......

Now I know what you're thinking. "WE HAVENT EVEN HAD THANKSGIVING YET SEVEN IT IS NOT TIME FOR CHRISTMAS" and I feel you. My house is decorated for Thanksgiving. I have a 6 ft inflatable turkey in my yard right now.

I've worn Thanksgiving clothes to work every single day this entire month.

So I aint no premature Christmas person.

The Christmas tree goes up after Thanksgiving.

But it takes me awhile to make the cards and get them in the mail.

And like if you're overseas, it'll be a month late anyway or your mailman will steal it like @DamnedByFate's does half the time.