When I checked into the hospital 11 years ago I had lost a lot of weight and was looking pretty awful. I was newly (as in less than two hours before) diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. An endocrinologist was assigned to me. He came to visit me in my room and we chatted for a few minutes.
He then stood at the foot of my bed and asked me to look at him.
I did.
He asked me to turn my head to face the window.
I did.
He announced that I was severely dehydrated.
"How do you know?" I asked, thinking that I drank more water at that point that the rest of my family combined.
"Your nose" he replied.
He had never seen me before so had no idea what my nose normally looked like. But he was able to, correctly, determine that I was severely dehydrated based on what it looked like. He transferred me to Intensive Care, put me on insulin and looked at my nose every time he came to visit. Within a few days, he was happy with how it had 'filled out'.
I have known people whose doctors have diagnosed a deficiency in one thing or another by looking at their fingernails and the ridges that formed there. Horizontal ridges mean on thing, vertical ones mean another.
I find that kind of stuff fascinating.
It's obviously not going to work with every possible diagnosis but our bodies tell us much more than we realize.
The other night I was telling my sister that my naturopath put me on digestive enzymes. She laughs and said that her naturopath did the same for her.
"Did he look at your tongue?" she asked.
No.
Apparently the colour of one's tongue gives a good indication of their digestive prowess. A rich, red colour means, as she puts it, a person can digest a tin can. A pale tongue means that they have difficulty digesting food that isn't cooked.
At a yoga retreat she attended a few years ago, everyone had to show their tongues and they were told what percentage of their diets should be raw and what percentage should be cooked. So interesting.
It sounds part voodoo but also makes sense. My tongue, like my sister's, was pretty pale when we compared to others around us. I do have difficulty with large amounts of uncooked veggies and, like her, would probably have been put on a 90% cooked diet at that yoga retreat. Even the fruit was cooked, just a bit, to help aid in the digestion.
Noses, tongues, fingernails. I'm guessing I haven't scratched the surface on the little hints our bodies give as to how they are doing.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Friday, November 8, 2013
Admitting is the First Step
I was driving home yesterday afternoon and listening, as always, to CBC Radio One.
It's a rare day when I'm am not fascinated by what they are talking about.
I missed the beginning of the interview and didn't catch who exactly they were interviewing. Whoever it was was talking about the growing number of people out there who are using some form of alternative therapy. My ears perked up when she said ''naturopath".
The speaker did not have any problem with naturopaths but she did say that many traditional family doctors do.
Because of that, many patients keep that information from their family doctor. They also, often, refrain from mentioning that they are taking fish oil. Or Coenzyme Q10. Or any other non-traditional supplement which, according to the speaker, can interact with pharmaceutical drugs in unexpected ways.
The message was not to stop taking supplements. Nor was it to stop taking pharmaceuticals.
It was to be open with everyone about who you are going to see, what you are taking, and why.
It's interesting.
When I went to the naturopath last week, they asked me to fill out a form with all the medications I was taking and the doses. I didn't hesitate and put every little pill down. I even put down the Vega powder I put in my breakfast shake because it's pretty high in a lot of things and I didn't want them recommending something that might lead to my taking too much.
On the other hand, when I go to my family doctor and they ask what I'm taking, I have no problem listing all the medications that they, or my diabetes doctor, prescribed. I do, however, refrain from mentioning my Vega powder. Or my iron pills.
I haven't seen my GP since I saw my naturopath but I'll be there early in the new year. I already know I'm going to think several times before 'admitting' that I'm taking a teaspoon of fish oil in my breakfast and digestive enzymes before meals.
Because I'm pretty darn sure I'm going to get a sigh and a polite lecture.
I also know that I'm going to think twice about telling my diabetes doctor because I've asked her several times about supplements for people with type 1 and she has always insisted that I only need Vitamin D and nothing else.
I'm not sure what the problem is exactly. I'm a firm believer that I am responsible for my own health and that the doctors, nurses and dieticians I see are there to help me make good choices and understand my options. They are not my bosses and they don't have the right to tell me what to do or not do. They can make recommendations and provide information to help me make my own choices.
And yet I am not thrilled at the idea of telling them about the naturopath in my life and the fact that I'm giving their advice as much weight as everyone else's. I won't do everything they recommend either but I'll certainly consider it seriously.
I have a few months before my next 'traditional' appointment which should give me enough time to get used to the idea that I'm going to have to look my doctor in the eye and say 'yes, I'm taking fish oil and enzymes'.
It's a rare day when I'm am not fascinated by what they are talking about.
I missed the beginning of the interview and didn't catch who exactly they were interviewing. Whoever it was was talking about the growing number of people out there who are using some form of alternative therapy. My ears perked up when she said ''naturopath".
The speaker did not have any problem with naturopaths but she did say that many traditional family doctors do.
Because of that, many patients keep that information from their family doctor. They also, often, refrain from mentioning that they are taking fish oil. Or Coenzyme Q10. Or any other non-traditional supplement which, according to the speaker, can interact with pharmaceutical drugs in unexpected ways.
The message was not to stop taking supplements. Nor was it to stop taking pharmaceuticals.
It was to be open with everyone about who you are going to see, what you are taking, and why.
It's interesting.
When I went to the naturopath last week, they asked me to fill out a form with all the medications I was taking and the doses. I didn't hesitate and put every little pill down. I even put down the Vega powder I put in my breakfast shake because it's pretty high in a lot of things and I didn't want them recommending something that might lead to my taking too much.
On the other hand, when I go to my family doctor and they ask what I'm taking, I have no problem listing all the medications that they, or my diabetes doctor, prescribed. I do, however, refrain from mentioning my Vega powder. Or my iron pills.
I haven't seen my GP since I saw my naturopath but I'll be there early in the new year. I already know I'm going to think several times before 'admitting' that I'm taking a teaspoon of fish oil in my breakfast and digestive enzymes before meals.
Because I'm pretty darn sure I'm going to get a sigh and a polite lecture.
I also know that I'm going to think twice about telling my diabetes doctor because I've asked her several times about supplements for people with type 1 and she has always insisted that I only need Vitamin D and nothing else.
I'm not sure what the problem is exactly. I'm a firm believer that I am responsible for my own health and that the doctors, nurses and dieticians I see are there to help me make good choices and understand my options. They are not my bosses and they don't have the right to tell me what to do or not do. They can make recommendations and provide information to help me make my own choices.
And yet I am not thrilled at the idea of telling them about the naturopath in my life and the fact that I'm giving their advice as much weight as everyone else's. I won't do everything they recommend either but I'll certainly consider it seriously.
I have a few months before my next 'traditional' appointment which should give me enough time to get used to the idea that I'm going to have to look my doctor in the eye and say 'yes, I'm taking fish oil and enzymes'.
Do we have a problem?
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Stubborn
"On a scale of one to ten, one being low and ten being high, how stubborn do you think I am?" I asked sweetly.
"In general or when you want to be stubborn?" Doug replied.
"When I'm actually being stubborn" I said.
"Olympic caliber baby. With bonus points." was the response. And then he darted outside with the recycling before I could argue with him.
It's true. I pride myself on being flexible and quick to respond to change but, when I have a reason to be stubborn, I'll dig my heels in so deep it takes some pretty heavy machinery to dig me back out again.
A funny thing happened at the pool on Wednesday morning. My stubborn streak kicked in big time. The only problem was that I wasn't exactly sure what I was being stubborn about. What I was refusing to budge on. What I was unwilling to yield.
I just knew it was something.
I mentioned in Tuesday's blog that I was working on changing my swim stroke from barge to speedboat. I mentioned that, on Monday, I had found a drill that worked well at getting me to move the way I was supposed to move without feeling too unnatural.
The only problem was that I was doing this drill in slow motion.
On Wednesday morning we got to the pool and were told we had a 'fun' set to do. It was a tough set in terms of distance but the kind of set I normally like. It looked like this:
Warm up
200m pull
6x50m breast arms with freestyle kick
150m pull
Main set (also known as a pyramid set)
100m fast
200m (4x50m kick)
500m tempo
700m (400m build, 4x50m fast, 100m fast)
700m (400m build, 4x50m fast, 100m fast)
500m tempo
200m (4x50m kick)
100m fast
I put my hand up (like I do when I have a question and also to be funny). "Do you want me to swim fast or to swim well?" I asked.
"I want you to swim well but push your speed. Keep working on your body roll" was the response.
Right-o.
We started. I swam as fast as I could while keeping my body rolling the way I had figured out on Monday. I was lapped in the 100m.
I lead during the 200m kick set because I'm a pretty fast kicker.
I was lapped several times in the 500m tempo. In fact, they didn't even wait for me to finish before heading into the 700m set.
Here's the thing. I was swimming significantly slower than I normally do and yet it felt harder. I no longer had my 'feel' for the water and felt like I was really struggling to move forward. I was out of breath. It was not pretty.
It was during the 500m that my stubborn streak kicked into high gear. I will NOT lose my roll. I WILL push to keep the form I'm learning and I will NOT allow my body to go back to the way I always swim. I kept moving. Kept panting. Kept feeling like a new kid at the pool flailing about ungracefully. Kept being lapped by my swimming friends who usually beat me to the wall by seconds, not minutes.
I got to the 700m part and the other ladies were already more than 200m ahead of me in the set. I pushed harder and harder while forcing my body to keep rolling back and forth, stubbornly refusing to sacrifice form for speed.
I got to the 4x50m section and my coach told me to swim them "fast!!!". "Dammit" I thought. "I am trying to swim them fast. Can't you see how hard I"m trying??"
I did the first 50m in one minute.
One minute!!!
Not 50 seconds. Not 48 seconds.
One. Whole. Minute.
It was starting to get depressing. Body roll is supposed to reduce drag and help you move more quickly though the water. Not lumber about like a seal with one flipper tied behind his back.
The next 50m took 58 seconds. The third took a minute.
Bloody hell! I was getting so frustrated at myself and then at my coach who kept saying 'faster'.
For the fourth 50m, my stubborn streak kicked in. A different one this time. I pushed off from the wall and purposely fell into my old stroke. My comfortable stroke. My barge stroke. I flew through the water, hit the wall, flew back and touched the wall in 53 seconds. It felt fabulous.
"That's better!" she said.
A third stubborn streak kicked in and I thought "no it's not! It's faster for sure. But it's the stroke that you've been on me about to fix for a year."
So I stubbornly went back to the body roll and struggled through the next 700m. It took so long that it was 7am and I still had 800m to go.
"I'm done!" I said, trying to keep the frustration from my voice.
"What happened today? Was it your blood sugar or the stroke correction."
"Stroke correction." I said crisply. "I would have stopped if I had blood sugar issues."
"Well, it takes time. Give it two weeks and you'll notice a big difference."
"I sure as hell hope so" I thought as I headed to the shower. Because it's pretty darn tempting to drop this whole thing and go back to being fast.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
I Don't Want to be a Barge Anymore
My swimming goal is to go from this:
to this:
I apparently swim like a barge and need to learn how to swim like a super streamlined boat.
Ideally, when a swimmer swims (freestyle that is), their head stays in the same position but their shoulders and torso should rotate up and down. It's called a body roll. This allows the water to flow more easily past the swimmer - causing less resistance.
It looks like this:
See how one shoulder is up and the other shoulder is down? That helps make the swimmer more streamlined in the water. Which translates into faster with less energy used. I'm down with that.
Sadly, I do not rotate up and down. At all. My shoulders face the water straight on - creating a lot of drag. Even when I think I'm rotating, I'm not.
When we do various drills to work on specific swimming issues, I am always given drills that help me practice rotating from side to side to allow the water to flow by me more easily.
I always get 100% on the drills. In slow motion, I can rotate from side to side beautifully. It's only when I speed things up that it falls apart and I go back to being a barge.
On Monday, at the pool, I was given yet another drill to do but, this time, I was able to translate it into real swimming. It felt weird and awkward but I was able to transform what I learned during drills into actual swimming.
It happened at the end of Monday's workout, about five minutes before I had to leave. I'm excited to see if I can hold on to what I somehow figured out and bring it into Wednesday's workout.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
The Beats That Inspire My Feet
By the time this post is posted, I'll have finished my first post-half marathon return to running run.
An easy thirty minute trot to test out my legs...and my new sissy-coloured running shoes.
I'll have my music playing quietly enough to still hear the birds waking up and the train whistles blowing in the distance. Loud enough to work its way down to my feet and inspire them to move a little faster for a little longer.
Music is the background to my runs. I can easily go with out it but I do enjoy the soundtrack that carries me down my beloved country roads. My songs are so familiar that a few notes heard on the radio are enough to make me want to put on my shoes and run. There's probably something Pavlovian about it but I just really like tying music to my journeys because the songs enrich the journey and later help bring me back.
Two weeks ago I wrote about updating my running playlist for the Niagara half with songs that get me moving and keep me motivated. Playlists are a pretty personal thing - kinda like favourite shampoos or eye creams - and what inspires me might nauseate someone else.
That being said, I was asked by a few people to share my playlist.
So I'm sharing.
Feel free to be inspired by my musical choices or laugh at the things that I find inspiring. Either way, it's one more way for me to tell my story. I like stories and there is one behind every song I chose. They remind me of people I love. People I loved. Moments I shared. Moments I witnessed.
Every time I hear a song it brings me right back to another time and another place - and the strength of those times and places keep me moving through my days.
Jai Ho (from Slumdog Millionaire)
You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC)
Rolling in the Deep (Adele)
I'm in a Hurry and Don't Know Why (Alabama)
I've Seen a Little (Alan Doyle)
Keep the Car Running (Arcade Fire)
Sk8er Boi (Avril Lavigne)
Anything but Ordinary (Avril Lavigne)
Cruise (Barlow)
When the Night Feels my Song (Bedouin Soundclash)
I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)
Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen)
Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen)
Marry You (Brune Mars)
Summer of 69 (Bryan Adams)
Forever (Chris Brown)
Chariots of Fire (from, you guessed it, Chariots of Fire)
Viva la Vida (Coldplay)
Fix you (Coldplay)
Rain King (Counting Crows)
Holiday Road (The Dahlmanns - from Vacation!!)
When it Come my Turn (David Myles)
Tiny Dance (Elton John)
The Rain (Garrity)
Standing Outside the Fire (Garth Brooks)
See the World (Gomez)
March On (Good Charlotte)
The Good Catches Up (Gowan)
Ordinary Day, Sea of no Cares and When I am King (all by Great Big Sea)
The Rainmaker (Hans Zimmer from Power of One)
We are Unbreakable (Hedley)
Galileo (live) (Indigo Girls)
Lord of the Dance (The Irish Symphonia)
Good Mother (Jann Arden - Live with the VSO)
The Authority Song (John Mellancamp)
Southland Concerto (Johnny Clegg from Power of One)
In the Beginning and Wavin' Flag (K'naan)
The Gambler (Kenny Rogers)
Human (The Killers)
Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn)
Tuesday Morning and I Run For Life (Melissa Etheridge)
I Believe (Nikki Yanofsky)
What Makes you Beautiful (One Direction)
Who Knew (P!nk)
Graceland (Paul Simon)
500 Miles (Proclaimers)
The Show Must Go On (Queen)
Fidelity (Regina Spektor)
What I Like About You (The Romantics)
Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) (Shakira)
This is the Moment (Shaye)
Meet You There (Simple Plan)
Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)
Change of Seasons (Sweet Thing)
Dynamite (Taio Cruz)
It's not Unusual (Tom Jones)
Where the Streets Have no Name (U2)
This is War (30 Seconds to Mars)
Defying Gravity (from Wicked)
Thanks for listening!
An easy thirty minute trot to test out my legs...and my new sissy-coloured running shoes.
I'll have my music playing quietly enough to still hear the birds waking up and the train whistles blowing in the distance. Loud enough to work its way down to my feet and inspire them to move a little faster for a little longer.
Music is the background to my runs. I can easily go with out it but I do enjoy the soundtrack that carries me down my beloved country roads. My songs are so familiar that a few notes heard on the radio are enough to make me want to put on my shoes and run. There's probably something Pavlovian about it but I just really like tying music to my journeys because the songs enrich the journey and later help bring me back.
Two weeks ago I wrote about updating my running playlist for the Niagara half with songs that get me moving and keep me motivated. Playlists are a pretty personal thing - kinda like favourite shampoos or eye creams - and what inspires me might nauseate someone else.
That being said, I was asked by a few people to share my playlist.
So I'm sharing.
Feel free to be inspired by my musical choices or laugh at the things that I find inspiring. Either way, it's one more way for me to tell my story. I like stories and there is one behind every song I chose. They remind me of people I love. People I loved. Moments I shared. Moments I witnessed.
Every time I hear a song it brings me right back to another time and another place - and the strength of those times and places keep me moving through my days.
Jai Ho (from Slumdog Millionaire)
You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC)
Rolling in the Deep (Adele)
I'm in a Hurry and Don't Know Why (Alabama)
I've Seen a Little (Alan Doyle)
Keep the Car Running (Arcade Fire)
Sk8er Boi (Avril Lavigne)
Anything but Ordinary (Avril Lavigne)
Cruise (Barlow)
When the Night Feels my Song (Bedouin Soundclash)
I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)
Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen)
Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen)
Marry You (Brune Mars)
Summer of 69 (Bryan Adams)
Forever (Chris Brown)
Chariots of Fire (from, you guessed it, Chariots of Fire)
Viva la Vida (Coldplay)
Fix you (Coldplay)
Rain King (Counting Crows)
Holiday Road (The Dahlmanns - from Vacation!!)
When it Come my Turn (David Myles)
Tiny Dance (Elton John)
The Rain (Garrity)
Standing Outside the Fire (Garth Brooks)
See the World (Gomez)
March On (Good Charlotte)
The Good Catches Up (Gowan)
Ordinary Day, Sea of no Cares and When I am King (all by Great Big Sea)
The Rainmaker (Hans Zimmer from Power of One)
We are Unbreakable (Hedley)
Galileo (live) (Indigo Girls)
Lord of the Dance (The Irish Symphonia)
Good Mother (Jann Arden - Live with the VSO)
The Authority Song (John Mellancamp)
Southland Concerto (Johnny Clegg from Power of One)
In the Beginning and Wavin' Flag (K'naan)
The Gambler (Kenny Rogers)
Human (The Killers)
Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn)
Tuesday Morning and I Run For Life (Melissa Etheridge)
I Believe (Nikki Yanofsky)
What Makes you Beautiful (One Direction)
Who Knew (P!nk)
Graceland (Paul Simon)
500 Miles (Proclaimers)
The Show Must Go On (Queen)
Fidelity (Regina Spektor)
What I Like About You (The Romantics)
Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) (Shakira)
This is the Moment (Shaye)
Meet You There (Simple Plan)
Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)
Change of Seasons (Sweet Thing)
Dynamite (Taio Cruz)
It's not Unusual (Tom Jones)
Where the Streets Have no Name (U2)
This is War (30 Seconds to Mars)
Defying Gravity (from Wicked)
Thanks for listening!
Monday, November 4, 2013
Road to Hope 2013
A long long time, I can still remember how their music used to make me smile...
...the musical sounds of the pounding feet of my Runners' Edge running group that is.
I started running on my own several years ago but quickly decided that I would benefit from joining a running group and learning how to run properly. I joined Runners' Edge and spent the next few years getting stronger, getting faster, learning how to run up hills...and making great friends.
I haven't run with my running friends in a while simply because the times they run don't work well with my schedule - work, diabetes and eating schedules that is. But I do so enjoy the moments when I'm able to meet up with my running peeps. Especially when there is a race involved.
A week and a bit ago, I ran my half marathon and proudly sported my Runners' Edge vest. I was cheered at almost every corner by someone from the group.
Yesterday, it was Doug's turn to race, at the Hamilton Road to Hope half marathon. I grabbed my camera and spent a few hours chasing him and a bunch of my Runners' Edge friends around the course.
...the musical sounds of the pounding feet of my Runners' Edge running group that is.
I started running on my own several years ago but quickly decided that I would benefit from joining a running group and learning how to run properly. I joined Runners' Edge and spent the next few years getting stronger, getting faster, learning how to run up hills...and making great friends.
I haven't run with my running friends in a while simply because the times they run don't work well with my schedule - work, diabetes and eating schedules that is. But I do so enjoy the moments when I'm able to meet up with my running peeps. Especially when there is a race involved.
A week and a bit ago, I ran my half marathon and proudly sported my Runners' Edge vest. I was cheered at almost every corner by someone from the group.
Yesterday, it was Doug's turn to race, at the Hamilton Road to Hope half marathon. I grabbed my camera and spent a few hours chasing him and a bunch of my Runners' Edge friends around the course.
The gang minutes before the start. It helps that they wear such easy to spot clothing. As that they pose in clusters based on their outfits.
This is at the 5k mark, right before they turn on to the highway and run down the escarpment. It's also right after Doug high-fived a big shark.
A little over an hour later, here he is mere seconds from the finish line. Going so fast he looks like he's flying. Looking no worse for wear.
Every runner has a story as to why they were running that day. Most stories I will never know. A few I have the honour of reading a chapter or two.
My friend Judy, who was running for herself and in the memory of her father.
My friend Prudence (on the left) who was about to run her first marathon. She rocked it by the way. And my friend Melanie (on the right) who has improved as a runner more than anyone else I know.
My friend Shane, who has been, literally and figuratively, transformed by running.
My friend Vince, who set himself yet another lofty goal for this race and met it.
And Doug, who ran the Road to Hope marathon two years ago with one goal: to quality for a guaranteed entry to New York.
He beat the cutoff time by a mile and, exactly one year later, we were in New York for the 2012 marathon that never was.
Now he was back in Hamilton again - on the very same day that 48,000 runners were toeing the line in New York for the 2013 comeback. How bittersweet the first weekend in November has turned out to be.
So many stories.
So many moments.
So many reasons to be a runner.
So many reasons to document their journeys.
Friday, November 1, 2013
November 1st - For Better and For Worse
November 1st. It's always an important day in my world.
It's the day when all the Hallowe'en candy is marked down and I join the other sale-happy shoppers at 7:30am at Wal-Mart. I stock up on perfectly sized bags of emergency carbs that come in the form of sour patch kids and sour cherries.
It's also, ironically, my diabetes anniversary. (And no, I didn't get diabetes from eating too much candy thank you very much) Today marks my 11th year living with the big D and, as always, I'm surprised at how much time has passed, slightly annoyed when I think of all the time, energy and money that this crazy disease takes up, and eternally grateful for all the things that it has helped me to do. All the people I have met. All the changes I have made in my life. All the adventures.
Today is a bittersweet kinda day where I let myself feel sad for just a little bit and then do my best to celebrate the fact that I'm still here, still strong, still healthy, and still fighting the good fight.
November 1st, 2013 is an even bigger day than usual. Two more things are happening today to help make my day all that much brighter.
First of all - guess what starts tonight?
It's the day when all the Hallowe'en candy is marked down and I join the other sale-happy shoppers at 7:30am at Wal-Mart. I stock up on perfectly sized bags of emergency carbs that come in the form of sour patch kids and sour cherries.
It's also, ironically, my diabetes anniversary. (And no, I didn't get diabetes from eating too much candy thank you very much) Today marks my 11th year living with the big D and, as always, I'm surprised at how much time has passed, slightly annoyed when I think of all the time, energy and money that this crazy disease takes up, and eternally grateful for all the things that it has helped me to do. All the people I have met. All the changes I have made in my life. All the adventures.
Today is a bittersweet kinda day where I let myself feel sad for just a little bit and then do my best to celebrate the fact that I'm still here, still strong, still healthy, and still fighting the good fight.
November 1st, 2013 is an even bigger day than usual. Two more things are happening today to help make my day all that much brighter.
First of all - guess what starts tonight?
That's right folks. Another curling season is about to begin.
Even more exciting that dusting off my broom and curling shoes is that today is the day that an article I wrote is being released - internationally. You may remember a few months back that Dave Hingsburger over at Rolling Around in my Head asked me to write an article about how to support someone with a developmental disability who has diabetes. Well, today is the day that the article arrives in inboxes around the world. It's exciting to think that perhaps, because of what I've written, someone takes the time to ask the right questions and say the right things. It's exciting to think that a few more people will offer support instead of judgement. That they will take the time to check out the DOC and help people connect with others who truly get it. It's exciting to think I might make a difference.
I can't put the article up on my blog yet but will be able to in a few weeks. Thank you to everyone who sent me suggestions of things to include.
So yes, today is a big day in my world. And yet, as is often the case, I celebrate it in a small way. With at early morning swim because I can. With friends at the curling rink. Laughing over snacks and drinks. Curled up in bed with the man I love. Grateful, as always, to have been given another year.
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