New blog post…..yep. i still blog (its been a long time)

6 years ago this week I started having a nagging back pain. I remember because my best friend had just died on the 5th, my aunt was in town visiting, and I was turning 40 in a few days. I thought “Yay! welcome to 40!”

4 1/2 months later,  on September 27th 2011, I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Sometimes I miss my life BC (before cancer). So much has changed…. I was forced into retirement which was very hard for this workaholic  (I actually had 3 jobs at once for a few years.) I could no longer fully take care of myself during chemo and recovering from multiple surgeries, let alone do everything around the house and for my family.

My body was fighting a tough battle and went through many changes including menopause – yay! the only perk to chemo. Although the hot flashes are quite annoying – will they ever stop ladies?

I lost a lot of muscle and strength and my lung function is now fairly diminished but I still push myself to work out and get stronger. I’ve always enjoyed exercising. Running outside was a great outlet for me all through high school and my adult life. I love lifting weights and pushing myself.

I can no longer run but I still really enjoy pushing myself physically. In February I started taking classes at I Love Kickboxing Henderson. The owner Nancy and the instructors are awesome and they encourage me and motivate me to be better. The 15-minute warm-up is no joke! It’s probably the hardest part of the 60-minute class. I can’t run, so I walk. I get out of breath just doing squats, so I take breaks. And burpees? yeah those don’t happen. The bag rounds are three minutes and definitely work my lungs hard but I LOVE it! And both the girls go with me a few times a week so that makes it even more fun.

I’m sharing this to let you know that you may not be able to do what you used to but you can find something else you enjoy. We all have something we’re struggling with. It’s how you choose to react to it and LIVE your life.

I have a birthday this week and I’m always reminded: Growing old as a privilege that not everyone gets to enjoy.