diff --git a/src/conn.cc b/src/conn.cc
index e5043c3..381898e 100644
--- a/src/conn.cc
+++ b/src/conn.cc
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 
 kvz_rtp::connection::connection(bool reader):
     config_(nullptr),
-    reader_(reader),
-    socket_()
+    socket_(),
+    reader_(reader)
 {
     rtp_sequence_  = 45175;
     rtp_ssrc_      = 0x72b644;
@@ -71,29 +71,39 @@ kvz_rtp::socket kvz_rtp::connection::get_socket() const
     return socket_;
 }
 
-void kvz_rtp::connection::incRTPSequence(uint16_t seq)
+void kvz_rtp::connection::inc_rtp_sequence(size_t n)
 {
-    rtp_sequence_ += seq;
+    rtp_sequence_ += n;
 }
 
-void kvz_rtp::connection::incProcessedBytes(uint32_t nbytes)
+void kvz_rtp::connection::inc_processed_bytes(size_t n)
 {
-    processedBytes_ += nbytes;
+    processed_bytes_ += n;
 }
 
-void kvz_rtp::connection::incOverheadBytes(uint32_t nbytes)
+void kvz_rtp::connection::inc_overhead_bytes(size_t n)
 {
-    overheadBytes_ += nbytes;
+    overhead_bytes_ += n;
 }
 
-void kvz_rtp::connection::incTotalBytes(uint32_t nbytes)
+void kvz_rtp::connection::inc_total_bytes(size_t n)
 {
-    totalBytes_ += nbytes;
+    total_bytes_ += n;
 }
 
-void kvz_rtp::connection::incProcessedPackets(uint32_t npackets)
+void kvz_rtp::connection::inc_processed_pkts(size_t n)
 {
-    processedPackets_ += npackets;
+    processed_pkts_ += n;
+}
+
+void kvz_rtp::connection::inc_processed_pkts()
+{
+    processed_pkts_++;
+}
+
+void kvz_rtp::connection::inc_rtp_sequence()
+{
+    rtp_sequence_++;
 }
 
 void kvz_rtp::connection::fill_rtp_header(uint8_t *buffer, uint32_t timestamp)
diff --git a/src/conn.hh b/src/conn.hh
index 73634bd..b5eab3e 100644
--- a/src/conn.hh
+++ b/src/conn.hh
@@ -35,12 +35,17 @@ namespace kvz_rtp {
         void set_payload(rtp_format_t fmt);
         void set_ssrc(uint32_t ssrc);
 
-        /* TODO: this is awful! */
-        void incRTPSequence(uint16_t seq);
-        void incProcessedBytes(uint32_t nbytes);
-        void incOverheadBytes(uint32_t nbytes);
-        void incTotalBytes(uint32_t nbytes);
-        void incProcessedPackets(uint32_t npackets);
+        /* functions for increasing various RTP statistics
+         *
+         * overloaded functions without parameters increase the counter by 1*/
+        void inc_rtp_sequence(size_t n);
+        void inc_processed_bytes(size_t n);
+        void inc_overhead_bytes(size_t n);
+        void inc_total_bytes(size_t n);
+        void inc_processed_pkts(size_t n);
+
+        void inc_processed_pkts();
+        void inc_rtp_sequence();
 
         /* config set and get */
         void set_config(void *config);
@@ -57,18 +62,18 @@ namespace kvz_rtp {
         kvz_rtp::socket socket_;
 
     private:
-        /* TODO: should these be public so we could get rid of setters/getters */
         bool reader_;
 
-        // RTP
+        /* RTP */
         uint16_t rtp_sequence_;
         uint8_t  rtp_payload_;
         uint32_t rtp_ssrc_;
 
-        // Statistics
-        uint32_t processedBytes_;
-        uint32_t overheadBytes_;
-        uint32_t totalBytes_;
-        uint32_t processedPackets_;
+        /* statistics for RTCP reports */
+        size_t processed_bytes_;
+        size_t overhead_bytes_;
+        size_t total_bytes_;
+        size_t processed_pkts_;
+        size_t dropped_pkts_;
     };
 };
diff --git a/src/send.cc b/src/send.cc
index bf2fc2b..89e1bef 100644
--- a/src/send.cc
+++ b/src/send.cc
@@ -21,13 +21,10 @@ rtp_error_t kvz_rtp::sender::write_payload(kvz_rtp::connection *conn, uint8_t *p
     if (!conn)
         return RTP_INVALID_VALUE;
 
-#ifdef __RTP_STATS__
-    conn->incProcessedBytes(payload_len);
-    conn->incTotalBytes(payload_len);
-    conn->incProcessedPackets(1);
-#endif
-
-    conn->incRTPSequence(1);
+    conn->inc_processed_bytes(payload_len);
+    conn->inc_total_bytes(payload_len);
+    conn->inc_processed_pkts();
+    conn->inc_rtp_sequence();
 
     return conn->get_socket().sendto(payload, payload_len, 0, NULL);
 }
@@ -37,10 +34,8 @@ rtp_error_t kvz_rtp::sender::write_generic_header(kvz_rtp::connection *conn, uin
     if (!conn)
         return RTP_INVALID_VALUE;
 
-#ifdef __RTP_STATS__
-    conn->incOverheadBytes(header_len);
-    conn->incTotalBytes(header_len);
-#endif
+    conn->inc_overhead_bytes(header_len);
+    conn->inc_total_bytes(header_len);
 
 #ifdef __linux__
     return conn->get_socket().sendto(header, header_len, MSG_MORE, NULL);
@@ -150,7 +145,8 @@ rtp_error_t kvz_rtp::sender::enqueue_message(
     msg_ptr   += 1;
     hdr_ptr   += 1;
 
-    conn->incRTPSequence(1);
+    conn->inc_rtp_sequence();
+    conn->inc_processed_pkts();
 
     return RTP_OK;
 }
@@ -186,7 +182,8 @@ rtp_error_t kvz_rtp::sender::enqueue_message(
     msg_ptr++;
     hdr_ptr++;
 
-    conn->incRTPSequence(1);
+    conn->inc_rtp_sequence();
+    conn->inc_processed_pkts();
 
     return RTP_OK;
 }
@@ -224,7 +221,8 @@ rtp_error_t kvz_rtp::sender::enqueue_message(
     msg_ptr   += 1;
     hdr_ptr   += 1;
 
-    conn->incRTPSequence(1);
+    conn->inc_rtp_sequence();
+    conn->inc_processed_pkts();
 
     return RTP_OK;
 }