Saturday 22 September 2012
My hero
One more thing!! I am SUPER excited to be able to walk in the LIght the Night Walk being held in Calgary next Saturday to raise money and awareness about blood cancers. I had to take last year off because I was just coming out of the hospital from my second pituitary surgery. My dad is a two time survivor of non-hodgkins lymphoma so I do this walk to celebrate him and his strength. He is a true inspiration to me. I often thought, if dad can go through that extensive treatment twice and kick cancer's ass I can sure as hell beat Cushings! Its a walk in the park compared to what he and many others have been through. Not that I am undermining what people with Cushings go through, particularly because everyone's experience is so different - I just say this because it was absolute agony to watch my dad suffer. The day he asked my mom and I to shave his head for him absolutely broke my heart. I'm tearing up just thinking about it! I would take another brain surgery any day over him doing chemo again. Anyway, here is the link to my fundraising page:
http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1632831&langPref=en-CA
Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Back to Work I Go!!!
Well it is over halfway through September and I am LOVING being back at work still!! I got the all clear to return from my endcrinologist and returned to work officially on August 29. It was a crazy set up moving into a new classroom and setting up but the long hours and working over the long weekend was totally worth it. I feel so at home in my classroom, it has such a calm and relaxed feel which makes work that much more enjoyable I think. I didn't think it would all get done but I'm in and I'm organized and things are going smoothly. I have a fantastic group of kids this year, so cute. I really missed working with kids everyday. Feeling so happy to be back just reinforces that teaching is what I was meant to do. Yay! I also have an incredible team of coworkers this year, we have been working so well together, things just seem to be flowing so naturally I couldn't be happier. I did forget what it was like to have so many things on the to do list though! And getting up early is still a challenge...boo so not a morning person haha but once I get going its all good haha. I haven't been any more tired than the rest of the teachers at school either which just supports the thought that I'm cured :) I honestly feel better now than I did before I went off work in June 2011.
I am a member of a Cushings support group on Facebook and someone posted in there asking if anyone had recovered enough to return to work full time and did they have to retrain at another profession. I was the only one who responded that yes they had and things were fantastic. It was really scary to read that some people's memories and cognition had been so affected by Cushings that they couldn't function properly in their field any more. Others just didn't have the physical stamina to continue. I hope that my story of success gives sufferers of Cushings hope that it is possible to get better! It makes me so thankful that my recovery has been so positive and I just really really REALLY hope that it does not recur. I would be devastated. BUT I will not think that way, I will just be thankful that things are going so well and hope they continue!! I love feeling this sense of normal again!!
I went for some bloodwork yesterday morning to see how my cortisol levels are doing. I have been completely off ALL my medication for 3 weeks now so we have to see if my body is ok without them. Here's hoping I don't have to take that cortef anymore! I had my blood pressure checked last week as well and it was optimal. It is SUCH a relief to see numbers like that :)
My weightloss journey is going well also! I am offically down 21.6lbs on weightwatchers since I joined it online June 11 and down 25.6lbs according to myfitnesspal since Janine and I started tracking our weight May 28. I have probably lost at least 30 from my heaviest at my last surgery in March though. I feel SO much better because of it as well. My clothes are starting to feel looser...some need to be thrown away YAY, and I think its contributing to me having more energy as well. It honestly isn't even that hard to keep track of what I eat all the time either, though I do admit I miss the days when I could just eat anything haha. I can do so many things that I couldn't before - longer walks, I helped move furniture, went to a pole dancing class for a friend's bachelorette, haha - can walk up stairs! Recovery is such a good feeling. I think things will only continue to get better as well.
I'm considering going to a naturopath though, that being said! I'm feeling good but I bet I could feel better and have always been curious about natural medicince. Also I think now that my hormones are starting to change now the tumour on my gland is gone its affecting my skin. Breaking out SO bad on my chin it is a bit embarrassing but I don't want to mess with my hormones too much by taking a birth control pill or anything. Something to consider anyway. I'll take the embarrassing acne over Cushings any day though. I still feel better about going out in public now than I did before thats for sure!! Ugh, those feelings of self consciousness were debilitating no matter how hard I tried not to let them be. Every time I went out I thought people were staring at me and judging me. I would often have mini breakdowns before going out anywhere and would avoid social situations at times. I know it was silly and my friends didn't care what I looked like but it was hard. All that is behind me now though. My body still isn't what I wish it to be but we're making progress and that in itself makes me feel good enough to go out in public not as concerned about what people might be thinking.
Anyway that is my update for now! Stay tuned...I'm very bad at keeping up with this (esp now I'm back to work!) but I will post eventually :)
I am a member of a Cushings support group on Facebook and someone posted in there asking if anyone had recovered enough to return to work full time and did they have to retrain at another profession. I was the only one who responded that yes they had and things were fantastic. It was really scary to read that some people's memories and cognition had been so affected by Cushings that they couldn't function properly in their field any more. Others just didn't have the physical stamina to continue. I hope that my story of success gives sufferers of Cushings hope that it is possible to get better! It makes me so thankful that my recovery has been so positive and I just really really REALLY hope that it does not recur. I would be devastated. BUT I will not think that way, I will just be thankful that things are going so well and hope they continue!! I love feeling this sense of normal again!!
I went for some bloodwork yesterday morning to see how my cortisol levels are doing. I have been completely off ALL my medication for 3 weeks now so we have to see if my body is ok without them. Here's hoping I don't have to take that cortef anymore! I had my blood pressure checked last week as well and it was optimal. It is SUCH a relief to see numbers like that :)
My weightloss journey is going well also! I am offically down 21.6lbs on weightwatchers since I joined it online June 11 and down 25.6lbs according to myfitnesspal since Janine and I started tracking our weight May 28. I have probably lost at least 30 from my heaviest at my last surgery in March though. I feel SO much better because of it as well. My clothes are starting to feel looser...some need to be thrown away YAY, and I think its contributing to me having more energy as well. It honestly isn't even that hard to keep track of what I eat all the time either, though I do admit I miss the days when I could just eat anything haha. I can do so many things that I couldn't before - longer walks, I helped move furniture, went to a pole dancing class for a friend's bachelorette, haha - can walk up stairs! Recovery is such a good feeling. I think things will only continue to get better as well.
I'm considering going to a naturopath though, that being said! I'm feeling good but I bet I could feel better and have always been curious about natural medicince. Also I think now that my hormones are starting to change now the tumour on my gland is gone its affecting my skin. Breaking out SO bad on my chin it is a bit embarrassing but I don't want to mess with my hormones too much by taking a birth control pill or anything. Something to consider anyway. I'll take the embarrassing acne over Cushings any day though. I still feel better about going out in public now than I did before thats for sure!! Ugh, those feelings of self consciousness were debilitating no matter how hard I tried not to let them be. Every time I went out I thought people were staring at me and judging me. I would often have mini breakdowns before going out anywhere and would avoid social situations at times. I know it was silly and my friends didn't care what I looked like but it was hard. All that is behind me now though. My body still isn't what I wish it to be but we're making progress and that in itself makes me feel good enough to go out in public not as concerned about what people might be thinking.
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