The last day of NaBloPoMo and frankly, I'm thrilled!
I feel like I've had some pretty darn awful posts this month - the downside of committing to posting ever day, even if I feel I have nothing to say, I have to come post. It's also been an up and down month for me - the headaches, the stomach aches, the doctors' appointments. The month has been crazy for sure. I am not sad to see it end.
I have high hopes for December. My second birthday, my son's birthday, Christmas, cookies, presents, time together, Christmas music, parties to go to! I can't wait.
And right around the corner is the new year - which is looking like it might bring some big changes (but again, I have to vague, even though I realize it's annoying to do so!)
So tonight I say, good-bye November. And hello December. Hello to high hopes and a month spent with friends and family and not doctors! Hello to a month of smiles and laughter and lots of fun.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Friday, November 29, 2013
Walking
Since yesterday was a day to enjoy so many wonderful foods in quantities not normally eaten, I thought I'd spend today talking about my walking!
(side note: Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful! We managed to pull it off and it wasn't half bad!)
Anyway, for my birthday all the way back in May my husband bought me a fitbit! I had read about them on-line and had asked for one. He, being awesome, got it for me!
He gave me the fitbit flex. It is a pedometer in a bracelet and it's perfect for me. Some of the pedometers clip to your waistband and/or your bra. At the time I wasn't wearing a bra because of reconstruction and I was afraid that if I put it on my waistband I'd forget about it and wash it! Or I'd take it off and forget to put it back on, because I'm really good at being forgetful!
Anyway, I got and read that my goal should be 10,000 steps a day and I thought, man, I've got this in the bag! 10,000 steps - no problem! Um, no, not at all. Apparently I didn't move around nearly as much as I thought I did!
So I started walking a lot more, though it did help I was training for the avon walk, but after the walk, my steps plummeted! I really had to make sure I was taking time to walk and get steps every single day. There have been times when I had to set my daily goal lower than 10,000 - post surgery or other medical things that have come up.
In late summer, when my low iron levels got really bad, I had to walk a lot less. I was actually getting dizzy spells and that wasn't good for much. But in the fall, I realized even though I was exhausted, I could start upping my steps again. The whole, a body in motion stays in motion tends to apply for me. If I can keep moving, or make sure I'm getting up and walking on a regular basis (even just 10 minutes to pace the house every hourish) I'm less exhausted. Of course, I have to balance this with pushing too hard, and I think I'm able to find this middle ground most days.
Right now, my goal is 12,500 steps every day. A lot of days I actually hit 15,000 steps (which, not to brag, but I'm pretty proud of!). I often pace the house or job in place or go up and down stairs. Sometimes I go to track by house to walk or to the mall.
Sometimes my kids tease me as I jog in place in our living room or walk around the living room in endless circles. Sometimes I knit while I walk (or jog) or read a book. Mostly I watch tv, but I figure it's better for me to be moving while watching it than just sitting.
I've had my fitbit since May 21 (I only know because the website tells me LOL) and I've reached 2,143,538 steps. 2 million steps in 6 months. I have no idea if that's really good, but I'll take it! It's nice to have the pedometer. I walk and move a lot more now than I did before. I especially like it because the doctors all want to know if I'm exercising or not and I'm always like "Yes! And I'll show you proof!" (for the record no doctor has doubted me but a few have asked me some questions about the fitbit and seem pretty excited about it!)
How about you? Do you walk or do other exercise daily? Share and tell me all about it!
(side note: Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful! We managed to pull it off and it wasn't half bad!)
Anyway, for my birthday all the way back in May my husband bought me a fitbit! I had read about them on-line and had asked for one. He, being awesome, got it for me!
Anyway, I got and read that my goal should be 10,000 steps a day and I thought, man, I've got this in the bag! 10,000 steps - no problem! Um, no, not at all. Apparently I didn't move around nearly as much as I thought I did!
So I started walking a lot more, though it did help I was training for the avon walk, but after the walk, my steps plummeted! I really had to make sure I was taking time to walk and get steps every single day. There have been times when I had to set my daily goal lower than 10,000 - post surgery or other medical things that have come up.
In late summer, when my low iron levels got really bad, I had to walk a lot less. I was actually getting dizzy spells and that wasn't good for much. But in the fall, I realized even though I was exhausted, I could start upping my steps again. The whole, a body in motion stays in motion tends to apply for me. If I can keep moving, or make sure I'm getting up and walking on a regular basis (even just 10 minutes to pace the house every hourish) I'm less exhausted. Of course, I have to balance this with pushing too hard, and I think I'm able to find this middle ground most days.
Sometimes my kids tease me as I jog in place in our living room or walk around the living room in endless circles. Sometimes I knit while I walk (or jog) or read a book. Mostly I watch tv, but I figure it's better for me to be moving while watching it than just sitting.
I've had my fitbit since May 21 (I only know because the website tells me LOL) and I've reached 2,143,538 steps. 2 million steps in 6 months. I have no idea if that's really good, but I'll take it! It's nice to have the pedometer. I walk and move a lot more now than I did before. I especially like it because the doctors all want to know if I'm exercising or not and I'm always like "Yes! And I'll show you proof!" (for the record no doctor has doubted me but a few have asked me some questions about the fitbit and seem pretty excited about it!)
How about you? Do you walk or do other exercise daily? Share and tell me all about it!
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thankful
I've got a lot to be thankful for this year. In honor of thanksgiving today (at least here in the states!), here are some things I'm thankful for
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
- my awesome family - my husband and kids
- the rest of my extended family - my parents, sisters, aunts, uncles - including my in-laws, who aren't so much in-laws to me as they are family
- my friends - I have the best bunch of friends. Some live far, some live near, some of you live in the computer (lol!) but you are all awesome
- a house to live in, and not just a house, a nice house, filled to the brim with everything we need and a lot of stuff we don't need
- two cars to drive. I know some families with just one and I know it's hard on them
- a full fridge, pantry, and freezer. We are not starving, we are not close to starving, we have lots of food.
- medicines I need. I've never had to not get a medication because I couldn't afford it. I've been able to get all the medicines I need
- my doctors. I've got an awesome team taking care of me and I am truly grateful for that
- my blog where I can be 100% completely me and share whatever is on my mind
- television (silly, I know) I watch too much, but some days it gets me through the rough moments.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Wednesday
It's been a crazy Wednesday.
My headache is back and not being very kind.
I had a doctor's appointment. The doctor was just over an hour late. He looked at me for 30 seconds. Said I was good and now I'll wait for the pre-op call (nothing major, just super minor). I wonder if next time I can show up, flash him, and leave. Because that would be nice.
It was decided today that my husband, my sister and myself will make Thanksgiving day dinner. Last minute changes because my grandma is sick and my mom needs to take care of her.
I've never cooked a t-day dinner before. I've never cooked a turkey before. My husband has, so thankfully he'll be there to help. It should be a thanksgiving to remember!
We'll head to my mom's and hang out all day, hopefully not being too stressed, or having too big of a headache, and we'll laugh a lot and have fun!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
My headache is back and not being very kind.
I had a doctor's appointment. The doctor was just over an hour late. He looked at me for 30 seconds. Said I was good and now I'll wait for the pre-op call (nothing major, just super minor). I wonder if next time I can show up, flash him, and leave. Because that would be nice.
It was decided today that my husband, my sister and myself will make Thanksgiving day dinner. Last minute changes because my grandma is sick and my mom needs to take care of her.
I've never cooked a t-day dinner before. I've never cooked a turkey before. My husband has, so thankfully he'll be there to help. It should be a thanksgiving to remember!
We'll head to my mom's and hang out all day, hopefully not being too stressed, or having too big of a headache, and we'll laugh a lot and have fun!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Being Thankful
It's November. That time of the year when we all pause to reflect on what we are thankful for.
Don't get me wrong, I have much to be thankful for. There is so much in my life to be thankful for at this moment.
However, there is this underlying thought that I should be thankful for every. single. thing. merely because I am alive. I had cancer and now, suddenly, everything in my life is supposed to be cherished, never taken for granted, and so amazing.
We see it on tv, in movies, in books. You get cancer. You get treatment. You go through an amazing epiphany. Life goes on happily ever after and everything in it you are SO incredibly grateful for. After all, cancer is a gift.
Even on facebook ... we are guilted into this thinking. Some people want a new house, a new car, a new phone, to lose weight, but people with cancer just want to win.
Somehow getting cancer is supposed to make us eternally grateful for everything! And make us not want anything! We must be at peace! With a smile on our face, because after all, we are supposed to stay positive too!
I get it. People want to help. There is so much other people can't do. You can't do chemo for someone. You can't do their radiation treatment, or their surgeries, or take their pills, or fight their side effects. So, chin up, stay positive! You are so strong! I get that it's often meant as encouragement, and yet, at times it falls short, even with the best of intentions.
You know what? Cancer sucks. Some days are hard. For me, even now, two years later.
I am incredibly grateful to still be here. To have caught my cancer when we did. For treatment that worked. For cancer that hasn't recurred. To have my hair back. To get every day with my family.
But. But. I am also still pissed at what we went through. I am angry at how the treatment that saved me also has left my body beat up and weak. I am so upset about the things I couldn't do with my kids because I was too sick too. I am annoyed that I still have so many damn doctor's appointments.
I am both happy and sad all at once. This is life. It's good, it's bad, some days it's exciting, other days it's mundane. This is how life works - with or without cancer. Things happen that can bring us down, make us sad, hurt us, haunt us, linger. All mixed in with happy memories, wonderful things, lovely times, such uplifting things, kindness showed to us, new friendships made.
As my friend Becki said "People with cancer aren't transformed saints. They're people...with cancer. And all people are different."
To which I say sums it up perfectly!
Don't get me wrong, I have much to be thankful for. There is so much in my life to be thankful for at this moment.
However, there is this underlying thought that I should be thankful for every. single. thing. merely because I am alive. I had cancer and now, suddenly, everything in my life is supposed to be cherished, never taken for granted, and so amazing.
We see it on tv, in movies, in books. You get cancer. You get treatment. You go through an amazing epiphany. Life goes on happily ever after and everything in it you are SO incredibly grateful for. After all, cancer is a gift.
Even on facebook ... we are guilted into this thinking. Some people want a new house, a new car, a new phone, to lose weight, but people with cancer just want to win.
Somehow getting cancer is supposed to make us eternally grateful for everything! And make us not want anything! We must be at peace! With a smile on our face, because after all, we are supposed to stay positive too!
I get it. People want to help. There is so much other people can't do. You can't do chemo for someone. You can't do their radiation treatment, or their surgeries, or take their pills, or fight their side effects. So, chin up, stay positive! You are so strong! I get that it's often meant as encouragement, and yet, at times it falls short, even with the best of intentions.
You know what? Cancer sucks. Some days are hard. For me, even now, two years later.
I am incredibly grateful to still be here. To have caught my cancer when we did. For treatment that worked. For cancer that hasn't recurred. To have my hair back. To get every day with my family.
But. But. I am also still pissed at what we went through. I am angry at how the treatment that saved me also has left my body beat up and weak. I am so upset about the things I couldn't do with my kids because I was too sick too. I am annoyed that I still have so many damn doctor's appointments.
I am both happy and sad all at once. This is life. It's good, it's bad, some days it's exciting, other days it's mundane. This is how life works - with or without cancer. Things happen that can bring us down, make us sad, hurt us, haunt us, linger. All mixed in with happy memories, wonderful things, lovely times, such uplifting things, kindness showed to us, new friendships made.
As my friend Becki said "People with cancer aren't transformed saints. They're people...with cancer. And all people are different."
To which I say sums it up perfectly!
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