Back to the gym

Hey everyone- I hope you all had a great work week! It has actually turned out to be a fairly busy week. I guess though, most of the time I hung out with Ella and didn't do too much but today has been busy, therefore the rest of the week feels like it has been busy. I have been meaning to write several times but it is hard to write with Ella around so I haven't had much of a chance. I have had a lot going through my head that I have wanted to share with you all.

First of all, I appreciate Jaz's email last week about seeing me at the grocery store. I would have loved for you to come up and say something to me. I don't think it would be wierd. I would love to meet you all who follow my blog who I have never had the opportunity to meet! Especially to get to put a face with a name!

When I found out that Heath Ledger died of a combination of drugs, this truly brought tears to my eyes. I don't have some infatuation with Heath Ledger, the concern was that just a week before, when I was having all my problems with chemo or during chemo. I had been taking a lot of the same medication they found in his system. I was taking more and more because some didn't seem to be working, so I would take one thing, then I would take something else and so on. It scared me to think that this is exactly what killed him. He couldn't sleep and was having some issues so he would take on medication and then another to try to get his symptoms to go away. How scary!!! I would never intentionally take these medications to hurt myself, but how easy it could be to do it accidently is what scared me. I could have done that to myself and not even realized I was taking so much. Ugh. I don't want to even think about it anymore, but it brought tears to my eyes!

On a happier note. I started working out again and it feels great! I actually went to the gym with my sister and Angie last night, did mostly cardio on the bike and did some weights. I had done some weights the night before with Doug who is a good motivator too. I am also working on stretching since I am soooo stiff. The doctor actually had on my pre operative form, that I needed to exercise atleast 30 days most days of the week prior to surgery to gain some strength. It feels so good to be exercising again and I really don't feel that out of shape. I am sure I am out of shape if I tried to run like I was doing before I was diagnosed but starting back up feels so incredible. For all of you out there who are making excuses not to work out and work on getting your body healthy, if I can do it, you can do it!!! You will feel so good if you do!

Let's see, what else. I am missing my punks, I will send pictures this weekend, I promise. She is just so cute and funny to be with. Her language skills are incredible, it just amazes me every day. She continues to go potty off and on. Getting rid of the binky was a success, she has hardly even asked about it pretty much since we got rid of it. She did so well with it, I can't believe it was that easy. We were dreading it immensely but she tolerated it so well!

I hope you all have a great weekend. We are going to decorate some Valentine cookies tonight at Nana and Grandpa's house with her cousins, that will be fun. Then we have a birthday party tomorrow night at Chucky Cheese and I think we are going to go to a Yoga class tomorrow for some more exercise. It should be a fun filled weekend. It just feels so good to feel good! I am enjoying it immensely! I am glad I have a few more weeks to feel like this before my surgery. I just wish this was the end of everything and I would feel like this the rest of my life. Unfortunately after this month I will have surgery which will probably knock me back down and then I will have to restart chemo again probably indefinitely. But I am not going to think about that right now!!!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Talk to you all soon. shawndra