Life is good.

I love the feeling after a great run where you exceeded your own expectations. As you've seen I've been dealing with some pain in my IT band and in my right shin. Couple that with some seriously hot runs and I was beginning to doubt myself and my half marathon ventures. Well, today run took away all of my doubts.

If you are new to my blog, I am having a preventative bi-lateral mastectomy on November 28th. I am not a worrier by nature, but there are some thoughts that creep into the back of my mind from time to time. What better way to push those worries aside by focusing on something else....my half marathon race on Nov. 10. So, there I said it. I am doing the half marathon on Nov. 10. (if I keep saying it over and over it'll come true, right?!)

This summer has been great and I am sad to see it come to a close and go back to work full time. I love being home with my family and I love having so much time to train. Training will be more dificult in one way but so much nicer in another because cooler temps are on their way.

I even got back on my bike a few weeks ago and had a great ride with a long time training buddy, Lindsey, and great friend. It reminded me how much I love to ride and I hope to get back into again. Not sure how many rides I can squeeze in with the running schedule as it is...but I am open to it. I did 18 miles on my first ride and I felt great, like I hadn't ever stopped riding.

Today was a 5 mile longer run and really the first "official" training run for Lindsey and I. I would say it was a success. 5 miles at 49:24. I am always happy with a less than 10 minute pace. Plus, I didn't have any pain and we both felt good the entire time. Oh, and bonus...I got a super cool new water belt (Thanks Linds for picking out one just perfect for me!). Linds and I have have come full circle. Training buddies before kids and now that neither of us are pregnant at the same time (which was a few years of that!) we are back. I truly enjoy that time each week with her to talk and catch up.

I love it!

My mom is doing a lot better and has finished chemo, my training is right where it needs to be, I have a wonderful family, went on 3 awesome vacations, I love my husband now more than ever, have a huge support system from family and friends, and I have two of the cutest kids on the planet. I'd say, life is good.

A little rambling.

I apologize in advance for the rambling as I have a lot going through my head and decided to get it out. I had an MRI today for my head, which is routine for me for a non-issue tumor on my pituitary gland. It has been there for years and we just do an MRI every few years to make sure it hasn't grown and I am sure it hasn't. But, for some reason while I was laying there in the machine all I could think about was my surgery and what is to come. It was a good 45 minutes of time to think (despite the ridiculous clicking noises). The only other time I've had surgery was my breast reduction and I think I was so super excited about that I don't remember being scared. I remember waking up and being in a lot of pain and I can only imagine that pain will be tripled after my mastectomy. So my thoughts wondered there and how much I hate having an IV (they had to put contrast in for the last part). Then, when I turn my phone back on after the procedure I have a text from my Dad saying that my mom is having heart issues and is in the ER. Oh. great. It turns out she is severely dehydrated and malnurished from this last round of chemo. They switched up her drugs due to some other side effects and it seems this new drug is no better it just comes with a new set of issues, one being that she doesn't ever eat or drink anything. Her dehydration is now affecting her kidneys and they are doing some work to make sure her heart is ok, also. On top of all of that earlier this week I got an email from my principal with the horrible news that a teacher at my school has breast cancer. I mean...come on! I am BRCA positive along with two other teachers at my school and now the most health conscience, in shape, healthy person we have on staff has breast cancer? I know it sounds selfish but it is just like a slap in the face. Everywhere. I. turn. it. is. there.

I know I am rambling but I just had a lot on my mind. Thank goodness for a kick butt run practice tonight where I left nothing behind and busted my butt. I didn't have time to worry about my mom, or my surgery or anything. I just was trying to breath and make it through and I did.

Summer Update

Well, as you've noticed I haven't been blogging much lately. To be honest, the thought of my surgery and all of this BRCA stuff hasn't been on my mind much. I've been enjoying my summer and keeping busy. Since my 10 mile week. I've consistently kept my mileage around 10 miles. One week I ran 14 which was great, except then all sorts of pain was showing up in my legs and my knees. I took a week off while we were in the mountains to let them heal a little but I am still having some nagging pain in my IT band when I run more than 4 miles. I also have just had general aches in my knees which I feel is not a good sign. I wonder if it I need to dust off my bike and hit the road to do some cross training. Perhaps that difference between now and pre-Carter is that I was riding and running and not just running. I still have not decided about the half marathon. It seems silly to try to do if I am constantly having knee issues but then, what runner doesn't have some aches and pains? On the other hand I do not want to be limping around at age 50 because of the damage I did to myself now. Ahhh...so annoying to be getting old and having pain when you want to run just stinks! :o( I have been loving my weekly yoga class and vow not to give that up when school starts back again. It is a great combo to running as it stretches all those muscles out.

When I start to really think about my surgery (Date set for Nov 28th for a prophylactic mastectomy with expander implants-in case your new) I start to get nervous. But, then I am distracted by something and I can let it go. I know as time draws closer it'll be tougher but right now I am just loving summer and all that is allows me to do. So, for now I'll just focus on that!

Well, Hello 10 mile week!

Yes, you read correctly. I f i n a l l y had my 10 mile week. I wanted it so bad that even after being at the pool all day and tired I drove to the gym this evening to do my 4 miles on the track. I wasn't going to make any excused for myself. Running that far on an indoor track is no easy feat, although considering the temps outside it was the lesser or two evils. I set my mind to it and it I did it. It. felt. great. I was just hoping for being around 40 minutes for my time and I even beat that! I did it in 38:50 which isn't too shabby for a longer-ish run for me. I also squeezed in a yoga class this week, which was amazing and attempted to my allergy shots (only to find my serum had expired..yep its been that long. . .) So, I am making progress.

I love when you set your mind to something, go out and do it with success. It gives you such a great feeling. I am dead serious when I say I was smiling for most of my run. Though running around 24 times (man it is hard to keep count for that long!) is not the most fun ever it was totally worth it. Until this heat wave breaks, it was 101 today, then the indoor track is at least an option for me even when I want to run a little further. If you are mentally strong you can do just about anything.

First round of surveillance=check!

I had my first appointment with my OBGYN on Thursday to start my surveillance of my ovaries. It was a piece of cake. I wasn't surprised to hear that everything is perfectly fine and normal though I was happy to hear it! The tech did an internal ultra sound to check out how my ovaries looked and then the Dr. reviewed the pictures and gave me the all clear. We discussed resuming birth control after my mastectomy in the fall. Birth control is not a good idea when you have breast tissue as estrogen feeds cancer but it is a way to reduce your ovarian cancer risk. So, once I have no more breast tissue, I can resume that to give myself that extra benefit. Some people do what is called a CA-125 blood test which can measure (not too accurately) the changes on your hormones that have to do with issues with your ovaries. My Dr. said because it isn't very accurate and often gives false positives, she wasn't sure it was necessary for me at this point. We will re-visit when I am 35 and just hope by then there is a more accurate test available. I explained to her that removing my ovaries would not be of consideration for me until I am at least 40. She was ok with that. So, overall it was a great appointment that caused me almost no worries. I think I can handle doing that every 6 months.

Summer plans.

Ok, so I've been out of work for a few days and I feel like I need to make some plans for my summer. Or else it'll be gone in a blink of an eye!
1. I need to do my allergy shots more often. My allergies are out of control and I don't like it! I have no excuse as I administer them myself. Just lazy.
2. Need to schedule my OB appointment with ultra sound to check out my ovaries. Fun, right?
3. Drink more water! At school I drink so much water but this week I haven't been and I am not sure why but I've had a lot of bad headaches. Perhaps the combo of not enough water, 100 degree heat and allergies.
4. Run more. During the last week of school my workout schedule got out of whack and I am just getting back on schedule. Run more = 3-4 times a week. I did just get new shoes so I have no excuse!
5. Get in at least one yoga class a week. I am great about lifting and strength training but I need to do yoga too and I like it. Its just fitting it all in. One of my yoga teachers is a BC survivor that I just saw at the gym today, teaching already! She just had her bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction and she is back and strong as ever (and looks great too!).
6. Back to healthy eating. Oatmeal for breakfast, fruit and yogurt for lunch, and a reasonably healthy dinner with my family. I cannot eat 3 meals of what I want anymore.
7. Have fun with my adorable children and soak up every moment as a summer stay at home mom! 

Ok, that sounds like a good start!!

Schools out for summer. . .

Well....almost. I still have a few days to work next week and then I can truly celebrate! It has been...well....an interesting year. The past few months haven't been my finest moments as a school counselor, mom, or wife and I can only hope at one point I'll be able to put this all behind me. I know it is not going to be happening soon as my surgery is in a few months but at some point in my life, I hope to have some closure and be able to not have this hanging over my head.

My very close friend STILL doesn't know her results. Her phone rang the other day in the teachers lounge and she showed me the number (it was her OB's office) and my heart almost stopped and I could feel the tears coming. I feel so worried for her and what this news will bring her. The results were not in, which was super annoying as it has been 2.5 weeks since she was tested. I had hoped that she would find out during the school year so I could be there for her if the news should be bad. Lets just hope that the news is good and that we can go celebrate when we find out. Fingers crossed.

My summer plans include a lot of time with my cute children and wonderful husband, time at the gym, running, maybe a little biking?, relaxing, pool, mountains, beach, and just enjoying life. If I worry too much about what is to come...going back to work, surgery, etc., then I won't be able to truly enjoy the time I have with my wonderful family. So, here is to enjoying every minute I can with the 3 most important people in my life!