One month down, four to go
Happy February!
Today marks Month 2 of 5 of my Chemo journey. I’m excited for February! I spent the last day of Month 1 celebrating. “But Tova, you have Breast Cancer, what might you have to celebrate?” Well, thanks for asking. I am celebrating my victory of course, but I am also celebrating this first step .. One month and two treatments down! 🥳
Celebrating with an approved glass of champagne. Thank God for the little blessings 😜
And maybe I can’t say that the time has flown by. Nonetheless, I am grateful for the experiences of January. I’ve learned (or re-learned) so much about myself during this time. Like ……
I actually like pushing myself in the gym. The fact that I have some temporary physical limitations has made me much more aware of this.
I like to write. I enjoy it. It’s cathartic, but it’s also a creative side that I haven’t tapped into in quite some time.
I like drinking water because I want to but NOT because Dr Shahin tells me too. There is something about a mandate that just takes the pleasure out of things.
I am a silver lining kind of chic. Not many situations improve through pessimism. It’s really not worth the energy it takes to be negative.
I’m a bit of a control freak. There, I’ve said it. (And Theo if you ever bring this up again, I will deny and delete this post!) but I’ve learned that it’s ok to relax and allow others to lead the way.
So there you have it. Apparently you can still learn at 41. Go figure. 🤷🏽♀️
Today I woke up to the sun shining through my patio doors. I opened my eyes and thought to myself … I feel like spinning today. It was already 7:45, and class starts at 8:15. There was chance of getting “my” bike so there was no need to rush. When I walked into the gym, I felt an immediate rush of energy. I didn’t know if I would make it through an hour of spin. I mean .. I could barely keep up with Brit pre-BC. (She’s a bit psycho, but I love her because she pushes me. 😝) I have it all planned out. My bike will be gone, so I will just slide into the back where no one can see me miss steps and be off count. That plan was short lived. I walk into the class, and felt like a celebrity. I received the warmest greeting and everyone had on their #tovastrong bracelets. My heart was so full. Then I thought to myself .. hey, I want a bracelet. 🤨 And because they are so incredibly nice, MK gave me a bracelet too 😊.
Catching up with my spin crew
So Brit calls us to order .. as much as she can. (We’re a bit disorderly 😬) And away we go. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to stay under 170 BPM in this class. Just think for a second. My resting heartbeat is about 60 BPM. I figured that my max is almost 3x my resting rate, so I would be good. Today, It was made very clear that this is not feasible if you are following along with Brit. Easy solution, I just needed to adjust some of the routines to stay within my limit. I used my handy dandy Apple Watch to set an alert, and that was it. Easy peezy! Hidden message: Don’t allow yourself to make excuses about what you CAN’T do. Focus on what you CAN do, and work within those parameters. Something is better than nothing!
After class, I chat with a few of the ladies and then I decide to head out. The sun is shining, my boo is on her way here from New York and we have a full day ahead of us. Just before I reached the door, a woman stopped me on the way out. She had become aware of my situation and she stopped me to thank me. To thank me?! For sharing my story and for handling it with “grace.” She told me that when she thinks she is having a bad day, she thinks about me, and adjusts her mood and actions. Wow!! Now that is incredible. I thought that I was coming to the gym to be filled with energy, and instead I left with a bonus gift .. a bit of confirmation that I am doing ok and also some motivation to keep pushing.
Welp, the day has just begun… let’s see what else unfolds. Catch up later ❤️
“Life is not a destination; it’s a journey. It’s not a series of goals; it’s a series of steps, of events unfolding as you make your way. Life is not all about accomplishment; it’s all about doing, participating, progressing, growing, learning.”
