Watch Me Sparkle!

Sometimes you don't appreciate something until you lose it.

Sometimes you don't realize you were missing something until you get it.

And sometimes losing something, then getting back more than what you lost makes you want to reach out, take chances, do more, maximize your life in ways you never could before.

Last week, I walked about two miles in one stretch. It doesn't sound like much, but I couldn't walk two blocks before without needing a break. I did two puppet skits on two nights in a row. I have not been able to do that for three years. My arms could not take being held in the air for even a minute at a time. I've been getting up an hour or so early to work out before going to work. I used to have to drag myself out of bed. This weekend I played and played and played with my grandkids without wearing out. Four months ago, I could not even hold them in my lap because it hurt so bad. I did pull a muscle, but instead of giving in to the pain, I stretched and worked the pull out and was better the next morning.

 

I feel like I am just starting my life. At 51 years old, I feel younger, stronger, healthier, and more focused than I can ever remember. I want to make the most of the health, energy, and spunk that have been gifted to me. I choose to say, "Yes," to things I wouldn't even consider before. If I am going to be tired, it will be because I have filled my life with so much that I have earned it. If I am going to be sore, it will be from using my muscles to accomplish worthwhile tasks. If I am going to wear out, it will be from doing good, not from erosion as I sit and watch life go by. This not-quite-so-flawed gem is ready to sparkle and shine!

Simple Things

I've been so caught up in enjoying life, that I have not taken the time to write about it. Of course, an emergency trip to Prescott to be with my parents when we thought my dad was dying (he didn't and is doing fine now) and Thanksgiving, Christmas, and going back to work full time may have had something to do with keeping me busy too.

These past two months I have been spending a lot of time enjoying the simple, everyday things most people take for granted. First, I was enjoying waking up in the morning actually feeling rested and alert. Not having my muscles ache for no reason. Not having stomach pains every day. Then I started noticing all the energy I had. I feel like the Energizer Bunny with fresh batteries. I've been doing an hour or so of housework in the evenings after work. I used to be so wiped out that all I could do was crash in front of the TV.

I started the New Year with a nasty head cold. Major congestion, alternating total blockage and runny nose. Yet, I even rejoiced in that because I still felt good overall. A bad cold like this (it's not quite gone yet) would have really knocked me out three months ago. This morning I worked out for the first time in a long time. We got a Kinect for our XBox and I started the Your Shape fitness program. Not real crazy about the fact it scanned my body and shows my actual shape on the screen. Afterwards, I still had energy so I finished taking down the Christmas decorations and getting them ready to box up. After that, I plan to clean out my kitchen cupboard.

At work, I have had several people comment on how different I seemed. I am now described as "perky" quite often. My boss says he has his "Can do Kathy" back. One dear lady cried as she told me how happy she was to see me bounce around the office, unhindered by pain. Another person said I was radiant and glowed like an angel. My husband said I was getting more beautiful each day.

I had not realized how much the pain had distorted my appearance. It is amazing how pain can change your face. I thought I had been handling it well and keeping it under wraps. I knew I was slowed down physically and mentally. I knew I was tired and achy. But, no matter how well you manage chronic pain, it still will have an effect on you that you don't even realize is there.

It has been almost three months since I have had any fibromyalgia symptoms. My chronic stomach pain from the diverticulitis is gone. The pains from the adhesions caused by the abdominal mass are gone. I am so grateful to God for relieving me of these. I am grateful to my surgeons for their skilled hands. I am grateful to my co-workers, boss, friends, family, and especially my husband for their support and patience while I was suffering. I am grateful for life and its simple joys.