Checking in ... miss you all
Hi everyone,
Thought I'd take advantage of this Mother's Day weekend to check in with you. It has been about two years since my last real posting. Though so much has changed with us all, and so many challenges, I love seeing that support and warmth is a constant. And thank you to all, Janie and Michelle and Rene and Laura, for gently reaching out from time to time to ask me back to our team. You're terrific.
Since a real catch-up post would take so long, let me just hit the highlights for now, and send my best good wishes and hopes for what is in your own lives. Otherwise I'll get cold feet. Also, for those of you who are facebook friends, please let's keep this part to Cathe ... the hardest parts have to be conveyed in person.
The biggest change for me has been a major medical hit this year. We are doing Couple's Cancer. Succinctly, my husband was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer (March) as well stage four prostate cancer (February). I am handling stage 1 breast cancer, just about to start radiation. That's meant major personal changes, including the pending move of DH east - we are leasing out our places, only one horse can come, and it's hectic. More on those parts later, but please know that I'm optimistic about the future, despite how painful all of this is right now. There are still some incredibly funny moments I'll share if you wish. The local doctors have more or less adopted me as a colleague who simply has cancer ... My prognosis is excellent.
On the work front, things are going really well though the transition and uprooting has required me to learn skills I would never have aspired to, and work with people who are frighteningly amazingly brilliant. That's about all I can say here; it is going well, my direct management line is incredibly supportive, and we're looking at what my own next internal steps should be. The move was the right one though the cost is high. It's not always easy to know precisely what you value on every level.
On the workout front, yes, though I've cut back far too much, I am fighting to retain fitness. I popped up about ten pounds over a year and a half, and lost them again since Christmas, between the stress, walking, and doing heavy weights (too much endurance work ups the appetite, as we all know!). I've had to use everything I've learned about quick workouts to preserve muscle and cardio fitness, but am still using my squat rack at 130 pounds (not the 160 at the height, but still good). Cancer surgery last month/ recovery gave me plenty of motivation to work back up. Docs here think I'm in excellent shape (!) well, getting there, getting there, getting there again.
More later, friends, and I hope you'll be willing to take me back albeit on a periodic basis as one of the team. Most evenings and weekends are spent calling home or handling the transition east, but that's finally finally finally getting under control.
Best wishes,
Deb
