You don't know what you've got til it's gone

Wow.  I haven't posted to this blog in years....3 years actually.   In fact, I didn't even know if I could remember how to get in here.  I started this blog eons ago because I loved exercise and I wanted to share my love of fitness with others.  Life happens and things get busy and pretty soon I just quit blogging.  So why pick up now?

 "You don't know what you've got til it's gone"  In light of recent events,  this quote has really hit home.  October.  The month washed in pink.  Susan G. Komen.  Little pink ribbons and banners.  And the month I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  All the obligatory emotions followed....disbelief, fear, anger and utter sadness.  I had a double mastectomy followed by reconstruction at the end of October.  Thankfully, my lymph nodes were clear and my final path report was good.  No chemo required.

During this time I was wrapped in the support and love of my family and friends and can never begin to express my gratitude to every person that prayed, visited or sent me a sweet message. A little over a month after my mastectomy, I was back in surgery for an infection.  The tissue expander and mesh lining on my right side was infected and had to be removed.  (I won't bore you with all the details of breast reconstruction, but I will say this:  NOT FUN).  One of the hardest parts of this whole experience has been my inability to exercise.  Sounds crazy.  Even to my own ears.  Exercise has been such a huge part of my life.  I need the endorphins!  I need the camaraderie of my workout buddies.  I need to be able to feel like myself.

Now, a little over 2 months since this all started, I am finally released to exercise.  YIPEEEEEE!  I have to start out slow,  but slow is about where I am right now.  I know for a while it's going to feel like starting over, I know for a while there will be things I cannot do, I know for a while I may be discouraged but I will remind myself that it won't be forever.

I still have another surgery to go in my reconstruction journey and hopefully not any more bumps in the road, but in the meantime I am getting my life back - one step....run.....lift at a time.