A New Year - Another Beginning

I confess, I love beginnings. I love to start a new year, a new month, a new week, a new project. You get the idea. I used to forbid my children to turn over a new month on the calendar because it gave me such a happy feeling to start fresh. Well, last year was totally new and different but not what I had in mind for a new beginning. That gives the start of this year an even greater weight to begin anew.

I saw the oncologist last week and he says I am doing extremely well. I won't be 100% for a couple more months which made me feel better as I was starting to get depressed with my energy still not up to par. Now I will not expect that until spring. Spring! My most favored time of year - new beginnings again - new leaves, new flowers, etc. , again, you get the idea.  In March I go for a new mammogram and see all the doctors again. That will be a really stressful month as I wait to get the results from all the tests a year after the crazy news that I have breast cancer. This year I hope to say - I don't have breast cancer.

I started the year a week later than usual since I had my oldest son and my grandson here from Omaha. But it was totally worth it to be able to visit with them when they weren't visiting friends here in the valley. But, once Christmas was cleared away I began cleaning and purging. I cleaned out the linen closet, the storage trunk in my bedroom, and the quilting mess. Now I have begun on closets and getting the DI bag ready for donations. I hope to get my car all fixed up too since it has some issues with a door lock and a side mirror that need replacing. Then on to each individual room - a scrub down from top to bottom. I wasn't able to do that last year and so I really feel the urge this year. I am not going to do anything outside until sometime in March except scoop the dog poop. I HATE that but I am too cheap to pay someone to do something I can do myself.

I have upped my gym attendance to three times a week and the doctor gave the go ahead to go everyday if I choose to. I choose not to, but I will up it to four times a week and increase the duration at least one or two days a week. I am going to try a zumba class but it comes after my regular strength and tone class so I don't know how long it will take for me to stay for two classes in a row. I am hoping just 3-4 weeks. I had started increasing my gym time last year to help me lose 50 pounds and then the cancer issue started and I decided that was enough. Now that issue is gone and the 50 pound loss is upper most in my mind. I figured if I wrote it in my blog I would feel more committed. I am doing better in cutting calories but I always prefer high calorie foods so I have to be diligent.

I hope to pay off the cancer bills with tax return money so I will be able to save again to get the house ready to sell later this year or next. I would also like to take a road trip to Washington if I can get a sitter for my dad this year. I am going to look into short and long term care centers near by and that will free me up a bit to travel if one of my brothers can't come and stay with him for a few days while I am gone.

I am full of gratitude for my blessings, or luck, or good fortune or whatever one chooses to call it of the last year. As bad as it could have been it seems to have gone by fairly easily. I didn't weep and wail and wallow as I have seen so many others with cancer do. I don't think that helps one fight the disease and if you are doing what you should and can do that is all you can ask of yourself. Is it bad to have cancer? Of course, but it could always be worse. I am so grateful it was me and not one of my children or grandchildren. And there are many things that are so much worse that can happen to one in this life that this is just a blip on the radar. We all have to die and cancer is just one way, not always the best or worst, just one way. Doctors are able to cure so many cancers now with early detection that it is not the definitive death knell it once was.