Aside from running to the bathroom every 5 minutes, today turned out to be a pretty great day.  The good news about that is that when I got up to go for the first time at 5 am, I literally skipped to the bathroom singing “I’m free to do what I want …” because I was so excited not to have to drag a machine in with me. After 20 or 30 trips I’m not skipping or singing anymore but still pretty happy to be free of the chemo pole.

MaryAnn, Danielle and Karen made the trek down here for a visit this morning. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them – and wishing it was under better circumstances – but I was so appreciative nonetheless. We toured my new floor and MaryAnn was kind enough to make my bed, doing a hospital-perfect job.

Philip stopped by at lunchtime and brought me a gigantic Super Man balloon. We also had a very enlightening conversation about using quantitative methods to measure important qualitative aspects in your life – a.k.a. beans in a jar. Long story, but very interesting. Gigi crashed our party in the best way with a bag full of goodies including … drum roll please … a superwoman replica doll and comic book. See the picture below. I was so excited!!!

The rest of the afternoon I, once again, was inspired by my triathalon-running-spiritual-healing-all-around-amazing nurse Roseanne. Elizabeth from the Ulman Cancer fund for Young Adults (also a very inspiring individual) stopped in as well to introduce me to Brock, the Fund’s Executive Director. My head has been spinning all afternoon with ways I can work with these guys when I am on the other side of this to help young adult patients in my same position. Not everyone approaches this in the same gung-ho manner that I am right now, which is completely understandable, but I feel like it’s an opportunity to share the strength that I have with others and help get them through. I’m not going to lie, there’s a part of me that is a little nervous that my no-doubt attitude could backfire on me but that’s a chance I’m willing to take instead of sitting around feeling sorry for myself. That certainly won’t help anything. But doing laps and reminding myself of the gifts I already have in my life everyday will make the days in waiting a lot easier to deal with knowing that I may have been given what seems an unfair challenge but it is nothing compared to the blessings I’ve had over a lifetime.

My brother, Steph and Brian came by for dinner. On our walk I finally ventured off the 8th floor, all the way down to the 3rd! Soon enough I might actually see the outside of this building

I was telling Philip that one of the unexpected pleasures to come out of this experience is that I have gotten to spend one on one time with so many people that I so rarely get to do that with. We so often do things in groups or quickly chat while passing, but I feel like people have really opened up to me in this weird world of mine. I have learned things about some of my friends that I never knew and I have gotten to see so clearly the struggles and joys that each of us face in our lives. I am grateful for that. My new room is starting to feel like a calming sanctuary and that is comforting. But have no worries that I will be ready to leave it as soon as they say ok. There is no place I would rather be right now than curled up in my own bed with my family. That is the vision I hold onto to get me through.