So many great things have happened this week. I would have been ecstatic to know I could write this entry at the start of my campaign! First, I ran 10 miles last weekend and it felt great!!! It was incredibly smart of me to take the days off when my hip was hurting, so to answer my question from last week – yes, it was a VERY good idea to give my body rest when it was asking for it even when it did mean tainting my training schedule a little. Second, thanks to your generous donations my campaign surpassed not only my goal of $2,500, but I now have over $3,000 in donations and over 2 weeks left to go!! WOO HOO! To top this all off I received some pretty amazing donations this week to give as prizes in my campaign – a football signed by Donavan McNabb, quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, and a gift certificate to Eviama Spa, my favorite spa in the city and the home of the massages that helped me through my entire recovery. I am thrilled with these new prizes! Great things are happening over here! I hope your week is going as good as mine!
Flipping the calendar over to September this week caused me to reflect on the past 2 months and how truly amazing they have been for me. It was only 2 months ago when I started this blog and I couldn’t even run 3 miles. Now I am running 10 and feeling great doing so. It also allows me to focus on last September and where I was in my life. I was running with no issues, had no idea what a desmoid tumor was and wasn’t near grateful enough for the things in my life. They say that sometimes the best things in life come out of the worst situations – this couldn’t be truer for anyone then me. Just read the paragraph above and see how great things have turned out for me. Yeah, I have a scar across my tummy and my belly button isn’t exactly a belly button anymore and my stomach swells up after I run, but I have such a new outlook on life and my health and the people that surround me. I cherish my 2 mile runs and 5 mile runs and I LOVE my 10 mile runs. I realize how amazing the human body is and how grateful I am that I got my Dad’s muscular build :)! I tell friends and family how much they mean to me a lot more than I used to and I appreciate the time I get to spend with the people I care about.
I realize how fortunate I was when I woke up in that hospital bed and was told that the tumor was benign and I vowed to live my life to the fullest after experiencing those tough moments. I have such a new found respect for heroes that go through cancer and other life threatening illnesses and those who have chronic pain. It takes a true, true hero to push through such situations and my heart goes out to anyone that is going through this and any family member that must watch a love one go through this.
This experience has given me the courage to take more chances in life, be more honest with those around me and enjoy the little things just a lot more – a year ago I had no idea, no idea what that really meant. I can only hope that I can inspire you to open up your eyes to the wonderful things around you without having to go through the pain and frustration of surgery. We only get one shot at this thing call life – LIVE IT UP!
With Gratitude,
SFS
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Sera Fiana 