Back from summer vacation!

pitt
pitt Member Posts: 387
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi everyone! I'm sorry I dropped off for awhile but you have all been in my thoughts and prayers these last few months. I admit, I needed a break from it all. I received the all clear on May 14th and just focused on enjoying the summer with my babies. Anyway, I have checked in from time to time and have noticed that things have been very "emotional" lately. Someone posted that we are here to support, inform, and celebrate. So, along the lines of celebration, I would like to fill you all in on what's been going on in my life since I began the dance with NED...

My darling husband changed his job so that he could spend more time with us. He was an executive in a Fortune 40 and was NEVER home. Now he is working for a private company and gets to eat dinner with us every night!

We won ballroom dance lessons at Relay for Life and have been loving it! The tango is our favorite, though the cha cha is a close second!

I started swimming with my MASTERS swim group. My first days back were challenging to say the least. I could only do 600m in the hour class where I used to do 4000m! Oh well. I kept going back and each week saw improvements. After three months of daily exercise, I am almost back to my original speed/distance! I've been doing my weight routine too. (It helps with the bone loss and lymphedema issues!) I'm almost back to my original routine there too.

I've so enjoyed being back in the water that I am working on my certification to be a water safety instructor. That's right! I"m starting my own business to teach toddlers how to survive if they fall into a body of water! Oh, and I'm training for a swim meet in December!

The kids are back in school and loving their teachers.

In other words: we are working hard to get back to a new and even better normal. There is hope for everyone out there. Some days are better than others. Sometimes attitude is a choice. (I remember a friend telling me that when my bald head broke out in a pimply rash, my car broke down, my husband thought he was going to be laid-off, and my mother died... all in the same week!!!) Never give up and always, always fight like a girl!!!

With love,
Pitt
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Comments

  • pitt
    pitt Member Posts: 387
    PS The puppy is new.
    PS The puppy is new. Sometimes new beginnings include a new puppy!
  • Pinkpower
    Pinkpower Member Posts: 437
    pitt said:

    PS The puppy is new.
    PS The puppy is new. Sometimes new beginnings include a new puppy!

    Thanks for the update. Love
    Thanks for the update. Love the chance to also read good things happening to any of our sisters. I wish I had you energy.
    Lupe
  • Dawne.Hope
    Dawne.Hope Member Posts: 823
    pitt said:

    PS The puppy is new.
    PS The puppy is new. Sometimes new beginnings include a new puppy!

    So Happy for You!!!
    oh, Pitt, I am so happy for you! I wondered how you were doing. You've been LIVING and that is marvelous!

    Your husband, your swimming, being with you kids, the puppy ... what joy, what a blessing, what a gift. THERE IS LIFE AFTER CANCER!

    I've had a rough couple of days and hearing your story gives me hope that I'm going to get back there too.

    Beautiful. Thank you for sharing your story.

    There is life and hope after cancer!
    LOVE IT!

    XOXO dh
  • Jean 0609
    Jean 0609 Member Posts: 2,462
    Hi Pitt,
    Nice to meet you. Sounds like you are back to (or very close to) a normal life. Good for you. Can't wait for that to happen. I have my last chemo tomorrow, however, have to have Herceptin for a year. That's okay. I can handle anything after this.
  • pattimc
    pattimc Member Posts: 431
    You sound great!
    Hi Pitt,

    Glad to see you posting again and your life sounds great! So very happy for you!

    Love the cute puppy and love your cute look, too!!

    Patti
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    Glad you got your life back!
    Glad you got your life back! Gee, your hair is so cute I may want to get mine cut. But it wouldn't look the same on me so I better give that some thought.
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    Hi Pitt
    and welcome back! Sounds as if your new life is off to a great start. Glad all is going well dancing with NED. Your swimming routine sounds awesome!
    Char
  • cindycflynn
    cindycflynn Member Posts: 1,132 Member
    So good to see you again!
    And to read your update on life after cancer. You deserved a break after what you went through during treatment, and you look better than ever in your picture. Your puppy is adorable too - what kind of dog is it?

    Thanks for the inspiring news on how your life is getting back to a wonderful new normal. This is great for those of us still looking forward to having that in our own lives.

    Take care,
    Cindy
  • laurissa
    laurissa Member Posts: 773
    Hey pitt
    I've been wondering how you've been. Glad to see you're doing well. I am too, though not quite as athletic as you are. You look great with the new hair, Are you coloring it? Are your lashes and brows back? Mine are very scant and my hair is very fine like a babys. Stay well and post more often. Cute puppy too.
  • meena1
    meena1 Member Posts: 1,003
    laurissa said:

    Hey pitt
    I've been wondering how you've been. Glad to see you're doing well. I am too, though not quite as athletic as you are. You look great with the new hair, Are you coloring it? Are your lashes and brows back? Mine are very scant and my hair is very fine like a babys. Stay well and post more often. Cute puppy too.

    Good to hear from you, and
    Good to hear from you, and the good news is wonderful. I love the pic and the new hairdo. Take care
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    meena1 said:

    Good to hear from you, and
    Good to hear from you, and the good news is wonderful. I love the pic and the new hairdo. Take care

    Hi, Pitt--I'm just meeting you too.
    Wow--I loved your story today. I just finished treatment, so this is a scary time too. Your news sounds so wonderful, full of joy and full of hope for the future. I'm so glad to hear you're doing so well. Thanks for giving all us inspiration and hope for a wonderful future.

    Hugs, Renee

    P.S. I love, love, love your doggy! They can be the best medicine!
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    missrenee said:

    Hi, Pitt--I'm just meeting you too.
    Wow--I loved your story today. I just finished treatment, so this is a scary time too. Your news sounds so wonderful, full of joy and full of hope for the future. I'm so glad to hear you're doing so well. Thanks for giving all us inspiration and hope for a wonderful future.

    Hugs, Renee

    P.S. I love, love, love your doggy! They can be the best medicine!

    So good to hear from you and
    So good to hear from you and that life is going swimmingly. LOL
    Stef
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    fauxma said:

    So good to hear from you and
    So good to hear from you and that life is going swimmingly. LOL
    Stef

    Hi Pitt
    I am glad that you are doing well and your life is back to normal. I am swimming too, but do not have plans for competitions. Your puppy is very cute.
    I wish you come and post more often.
    New flower
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175 Member
    Nice to meet you Pitt!
    Your

    Nice to meet you Pitt!
    Your story is very positive and very uplifting and gives us all hope about the NEW NORMAL and how it can be even better than the old normal!

    PS Very cute puppy!
  • BlownAway60
    BlownAway60 Member Posts: 851
    pitt said:

    PS The puppy is new.
    PS The puppy is new. Sometimes new beginnings include a new puppy!

    You look marvelous. Thanks
    You look marvelous. Thanks for giving us the update.

    Hugs

    Donna
  • pitt
    pitt Member Posts: 387

    So good to see you again!
    And to read your update on life after cancer. You deserved a break after what you went through during treatment, and you look better than ever in your picture. Your puppy is adorable too - what kind of dog is it?

    Thanks for the inspiring news on how your life is getting back to a wonderful new normal. This is great for those of us still looking forward to having that in our own lives.

    Take care,
    Cindy

    Hi Cindy! I LOVE your
    Hi Cindy! I LOVE your dolphin picture. We took the kids swimming with dolphins last year at this time before my chemo. It is such a great experience. Your smile says it all!!! To answer your question, Artie is a newfoundland/retriever mix. We rescued him from a place up in Ocala. I love him. He has to be coaxed into exercising and he loves everybody!

    Someone else posted that I have a lot of energy. I will be honest, some days are better than others. I took Tuesday off and just rested. But I do find that if I exercise, I feel better that day. Every little bit helps. I do love those endorphins racing through my brain where, apparently, I already have an automatic prozac drip.

    Anyway, it's great to see all of you again and to get back in touch.

    All the best!
    Pitt
  • pitt
    pitt Member Posts: 387
    laurissa said:

    Hey pitt
    I've been wondering how you've been. Glad to see you're doing well. I am too, though not quite as athletic as you are. You look great with the new hair, Are you coloring it? Are your lashes and brows back? Mine are very scant and my hair is very fine like a babys. Stay well and post more often. Cute puppy too.

    Hi Laurissa! I started
    Hi Laurissa! I started coloring (highlights) back in June (6 mos post chemo). I just couldn't deal with the mouse/gray combo. Not fun! I'm trying to "own" the short do...always had long blonde hair before. I'm getting there. My lashes fell out twice but seem to be doing ok now. My eyebrows are back as well. I had to pencil in for quite some time because they were thinner but all is well now. I saw from an earlier post that you are back at work. How did that go? Are you handling it ok? All the best, Pitt
  • pitt
    pitt Member Posts: 387
    jo jo said:

    Nice to meet you Pitt!
    Your

    Nice to meet you Pitt!
    Your story is very positive and very uplifting and gives us all hope about the NEW NORMAL and how it can be even better than the old normal!

    PS Very cute puppy!

    Thanks JoJo! I went on your
    Thanks JoJo! I went on your expressions page and have to say I have found a kindred spirit. Although I did notice a post about a stripper's pole???!?!? I'm afraid I didn't get the sexy dance around the pole gene. I'm more of the Irish Riverdance variety...perhaps a polka here and there. Good luck with that! Hugs, Pitt :-)))))
  • pitt
    pitt Member Posts: 387

    Hi Pitt
    I am glad that you are doing well and your life is back to normal. I am swimming too, but do not have plans for competitions. Your puppy is very cute.
    I wish you come and post more often.
    New flower

    New Flower - I LOVE
    New Flower - I LOVE SWIMMING!!! I'm so glad that you like it too. Did you swim before or is this a new thing? There is simply no other form of exercise that is better for your body than swimming! In fact, I'm off for a lesson on butterfly now. Take care, Pitt
  • pitt
    pitt Member Posts: 387
    missrenee said:

    Hi, Pitt--I'm just meeting you too.
    Wow--I loved your story today. I just finished treatment, so this is a scary time too. Your news sounds so wonderful, full of joy and full of hope for the future. I'm so glad to hear you're doing so well. Thanks for giving all us inspiration and hope for a wonderful future.

    Hugs, Renee

    P.S. I love, love, love your doggy! They can be the best medicine!

    Renee, Hang in there. I can remember days when I just wanted to stay in bed and cry. My grandmom called me (she has a weird telepathy thing going on) and reminded me to "Keep my chin up!" You can get through this and when you start focusing on yourself and the things that make you truly happy, doors will open up that you never knew existed. Life goes on and keeps getting better...like that fine wine some people tell us to stay away from! :-) Hugs, Pitt