Got Plans? Reality Will Take That Challenge!

Good morning, folks, and happy New Year!!! I hope yours is off to a great start.

It’s been some time since my last regular post, so I’ll try to keep this at least reasonably brief and focused. Those of you who know me best are already laughing.

We all face each New Year with hopes, dreams, and expectations of how life will take shape. But sometimes fate has a mind of its own and we’re just along for the ride, or so it would seem. In my case, fate got a running start Christmas Eve and, by the end of the weekend, gave me a full taste of what life can be when we haven’t treated our body with the best of intentions.

I knew how 2025 was going to end and what the first days of 2026 would bring. Or so I thought. The morning of Dec 29, my wife was scheduled for some pretty intense abdominal surgery that would have kept her in ICU for at least a few days. We knew it would be a rough ride, and it would be some time before life got back to normal. But sometimes we don’t have a choice.

We spent the weekend doing the things we love most – spending time with friends, breakfast at our favorite little restaurant, a trip to the top of Mt. Lemmon, and just generally spending as much time together as possible. It was the perfect weekend. Then fate stepped in and took a swing at the kneecaps. Or the gallbladder, as luck would have it.

I woke up just before midnight the night before her surgery with the worst abdominal pain I’ve ever had. I went from the bed to my recliner, back and forth at least a half-dozen times, stopping by the bathroom each time to empty the contents of my entire digestive system. I brought up food I don’t even remember eating. Of course, it’s possible it mutated over time. That’s my theory.

My wife was convinced I had an intestinal virus and, at 3:30 in the morning, called the hospital to cancel her surgery. By 7:30, I was on an ER bed expecting news of the impending detonation of my appendix. As it turned out, I had a gall stone blocking the entrance to the bile duct, and my gallbladder was expanding faster than a politician’s wallet.

Six hours later I took an assisted nap in the operating room, and by early evening I was headed home. Say what you want about our healthcare system (I’ll probably agree), medical technology is nothing short of miraculous. I never got to thank the robot that assisted with my surgery.

I felt better the next day … sore, but with four new holes in my belly, that’s to be expected. That night, I couldn’t sleep in bed without an abnormal amount of pain. The third day I was tired and sluggish, with moderate pain and a low-grade fever. Back to the ER, where I rang in the New Year. My liver enzymes were way up, and I was developing a mild case of jaundice.

After two full days in somebody else’s bed (with none of the good stories to go with it), another round of tests, and more holes in my arm than a cheap pair of sneakers, they determined I must have passed an errant gallstone or two. All told, it could have been a lot worse. I’m just happy to be back in my own little corner in my own little chair (all due credit to the original Cinderella).

So, what’s the point of this rambling post? Well, there are a few things I’d like to impart. First, never assume you have any idea what tomorrow will bring, because we never really know. Life has very little regard for our plans and feels no compulsion to support them. About the time we think we’ve got it figured out, something will come along to humble us.

Secondly, pay attention to your body when it starts talking (or screaming, in this case). What ended up being a relatively routine surgery with mild complications after could have been a whole lot worse. Gallstones aren’t necessarily the benign inconvenience we think they should be, and the cemetery is full of people who found that out the hard way.

Finally, life isn’t over until the fat lady sings. Thankfully, I don’t know any fat ladies who sing, and I plan to keep it that way. Until then, I’ll make the most of every day and rededicate myself to the goals and dreams I’ve let slip by year after year. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Not even a celebratory toast (or regular toast) on New Year’s Eve. All we can do is pick up the pieces and move on.

This post was much longer than I’d planned (you knew that from the start), but I hope I’ve inspired you to do three things – take care of yourself, enjoy time with those you love, and never let life’s speed bumps bring you to a complete standstill. Regardless of how it started, my 2026 will be the most awesome year ever! I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

That’s all for now. I’ll be posting more regularly in the coming months, but in a different format I’ll share with you soon. Thanks so much for being with me all these years. I hope your day, and all of 2026, are the best ever!

© 2026 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved