Sunday, December 11, 2005

Inspiration, MIA

I've been waiting for some inspiration to strike so that I could write something worth your time to read it. I'm still waiting but I figure that I should just push through the lack of inspiration as best I can.

So my apologies for two things: 1. The lack of new material for your reading enjoyment; and 2. The new material that is probably boring.

The past month has been busy with lots of ups and downs. Since my promotion at work, I've been putting in a lot more time there to learn the job and also make up for lost time. (I know I'll never actually make up the more-than-a-month that I missed due to my radiation/chemotherapy treatment, but it's the idea of it.) For those of you who don't know, I was recently promoted to Deputy White House Liaison at USDA. It was a pretty big jump for me and thus far I really like the job and anticipate that I'll enjoy it even more after I actually learn how to do the job well.

Over the past month, I've had three check-ups with my three different doctors. All three check-ups went relatively well. My mouth is still rather sore and apparently I've got quite a bit of scar tissue in there. I really have to be careful with what I eat--no spicy, vinegary, or salty foods...all are, or were, favorites. Some disappointing news is that the sensitivity issue in my mouth is potentially a permanent one. Probably not as bad as it is now, but I'll know for sure the extent of my limitations between 6 months and a year after my treatment finished up. Another bummer is the drymouth issues that continue to plague me. That issue is also one that will be more fully known in a year, but for now I'm still taking my salivary medication and keeping a bottle of water nearby at all times.

On a more positive note, my energy level is improving as is my ability to exercise. I'm back to being able to run 30 minutes at a time at a 10-minute-mile pace. It still takes a lot of focus to be able to do even that, but it is a rewarding feeling to even have the option of going to the gym again! The Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run is scheduled for April 2 this year here in DC and my goal is to be able to run that in a decent time. Of course, in addition to rebuilding my energy level, I also need to gain weight, which has not been easy thus far. I think of the 26 pounds that I lost during the treatment, I've gained back 10. All I know is that I'm glad to be trying to gain weight instead of lose weight during this year's Christmas season!

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home