Phew, it’s been a while, huh? Sorry if it seemed like I disappeared on y’all.

Let me start by saying… eight and a half weeks?! I cannot believe it has been two months since I last stepped foot in that infusion room. 61 days since I was last hooked up to that bag of toxins meant to save me while it hurt me simultaneously. I feel like so much has happened, so many changes have occurred since then. In the interest of brevity, I’m going to give you just the important highlights.

• 5/21 END OF CHEMO
  Treatment may have ended but the side effects have not. The brain fog and fatigue are persistent and could potentially last for a year. I’m also having some joint pain. But, all in all, I feel more like myself. And the kids say I’m not so cranky anymore HA!
• 6/1 NATIONAL CANCER SURVIVORS DAY & A SURPRISE
  Shortly before chemo ended, Caleb and I discussed possibly throwing a party to celebrate the end of treatment. It seemed like a good idea at first, especially because it’s a year of celebrations. But, once the time came, it seemed a little silly and self-important. A small family celebration seemed more than adequate for me. Guess who didn’t listen? Sunday, June 1st, was National Cancer Survivors Day. It was also the day I walked into a huge surprise party orchestrated by my sneaky husband. His family, my family, friends and coworkers all joined together to celebrate my transition from cancer patient to cancer survivor. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust that man again (just kidding!) but I can’t thank him enough for celebrating me when I’m too afraid to do it myself. And thank you to each and every person that took time out of their Sundays to celebrate with me. I never realized just how big my village was until you all came together.
• 6/6 ANOTHER CELEBRATION
  A handful of friends and I went out for dinner and margaritas to toast my freedom from chemo. Dancing followed. Fun ensued. But so did injury. While I was wobbling, my knee gave out. Now I wobble when I don’t want to. It turns out I ended up tearing my ACL completely while gettin’ low and now I need knee surgery. Was it worth it? Yeah, kinda was. Even my oncologist and orthopedic surgeon agree. On August 8th, I will be having surgery to repair the torn ligament. Then six months of physical therapy.
• FOLLOW-UP IN TX
  My next follow-up and scan are scheduled for August 22nd but that will have to be pushed out due to the knee surgery. So I’ll be headed back some time in September. I also have my revision surgery scheduled for October. It’s going to be a busy few months.

For now, I’m trying to regain what I lost during treatment. I’ve been swimming with the kids, working on my relationship with food, and just taking care of my body. It’s been through hell but it kicked cancer’s ass. I’m seeing a nutritionist and checking in with my primary doctor to make sure my body is on the recovery track. Getting the support I need to keep myself on that track is important. Physical therapy and exercise are important but it’s hard with my knee in a brace so I’m doing what I can. You always hear how hard chemotherapy is, what they don’t tell you is how hard the “after” is too.

Other than that, I’m doing my best to live in the now. Caleb, the kids and I have been swimming, playing games, reading books, and just living our best lives. We’ve been focusing on the fun: going camping, to concerts, the amusement park, bikes rides, playgrounds, mini golf… Anything to make those memories and celebrate each day I get with them.

Enjoying the little things gets easier the more I do my best to make note of them. The sunshine on my face, the wind in my hair, good songs playing on the radio. Life is good, y’all. I hope yours is too. Soak up a little sunshine and don’t forget to smile.