Well, mark one for small victories. Yesterday I walked to work and it didn’t wipe me out. Ha! Recovery is a very good thing. And yes, I felt incredibly proud – evidenced by the stupid smile plastered on my face, and whenever I passed someone (construction workers, lady with groceries, man on bike) there was a deep urge to shout out: “Look at this! I’m walking to work!”
But I didn’t really do that. Everyone was walking, except man on bike, so really . . . Or, maybe everyone should have been celebrating their ability to walk? Yes! I can walk! Yes! I can breathe! Yes! I can see! Yes! I can bike! Yes! I can shout! And so on.
Not only can I walk, see, bike, shout, breath, but I can also read, smell, laugh, love, study, think, eat (and eat and eat), draw, write, sing, rest, sleep, run, skip, dance AND more.
Life should be one big party all the time.
I suppose we forget our blessings the way we forget our pains. Mothers tell me that while child birth is traumatic they forget about the pain, like the mind purposefully shelves it so that the body can continue making babies. Perhaps it’s the same for good things too, because if I never stopped marvelling at how amazing it is to walk, I may never stop walking – and thus be really late for work.
Who knows, it’s just a theory. Yesterday was nice because it was new, and a marker in my post-chemo progress. Walking is a simple pleasure. But yesterday, it was a great event.
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Tags: breast cancer blog, breast cancer health, chemotherapy recovery, walking
Yay! Doesn’t it feel good! I like it when I wake up and have a day like the one you describe above. It feels good when I walk to work and have a smile on my face for no reason other than I feel good.
I bet you that the people you met yesterday saw your smile and it made them feel good too… happens to me a lot when I’m smiling to myself while walking; strangers either smile back, or sometimes they’ll stop me to ask me why I’m smiling… I like both the returned smiles and when they stop me… it means they noticed and my smile became contagious for them.
I really like your little, green person with the yellow energy around her… she looks happy.
Wishing you many, many days when you wake up, look outside your window and say to yourself, “Wow, it’s great to be alive”. Hum, come to think of it, I’m having one of those happy days today
Must be an awesome feeling to feel like your “old” self again. Congrats!
So glad for you! I’m 3 yrs out, and if I don’t walk or do yoga, I don’t feel good. I think that’s life’s reminder to get out there
Keep it up.
Lisa
http://www.pinkkitchen.info
Thanks Lisa. Looking at your page, that smoky red bean hummus looks great! I may have to give it a try.
So glad you liked my blog. Drop by any time. And you’ll love the hummus!
Lisa
http://www.pinkkitchen.info
Way to go Catherine!!
Really happy to hear about this important step in your recovery! Hope every day brings you closer and closer to complete and healthy recovery..
Your story really touched me, especially that no one expects a woman our age to be diagnosed with breast cancer. I would love to write about you on One Wig Stand – a small interview if you’d be interested – to inspire others going through the same thing here.
I’d love to discuss further and feel free to contact me.
Take care and look forward to hearing back from you!
Loryne