A numbers game......

Since my last post I can proudly say Kansas City Chiefs are AFC Champs AND Super Bowl Champs!!!
Such an exciting time for our city-especially the million that showed up in freezing weather for the Victory Parade! Including my children and my poor husband who worked P&L many, many hours last week.
Woo-hoo, vacay paid for!!!

I started my chemo shot and pills and the shot to help strengthen my bones. The combo of all three sent my body into a tailspin-nausea, fatigue and no relief from my butt mets. But after a few days of fluids, switching up meds-now I take an anti-psychotic drug called Zyprexa off-label for the nausea (my husband says is appropriate) and it seems to be working. I now take my Kisqali at night and 30 min later take the Zyprexa and it’s working-I can actually sleep and not feel like I have a brick in my stomach for hours.

There has even been a little relief from the butt bone mets-unless I sit on my hiney on a step stool for hours rearranging the pantry.....not really relief, it just hurts differently. Now, mostly if I sit, I have to shift all my weight to my right butt cheek instead of my left and it helps. Standing and walking isn’t too bad. But hopefully that will all be taken care of this Friday with my Cryoablation.
Happy Valentine’s Day to me!

Today I met with my new oncologist Dr Lauren Nye at the KU Westwood Campus. And I really, really like her. Some of you are asking why I switched Oncologists, especially within the same system.
I do love Dr Sheehan, but since my diagnosis of the MBC, I have yet to sit down and have an appointment with her. All communication has been through 4 different nurses, which, to be honest, kind of just pisses me off. I’ve started a whole protocol of drugs, had an ekg and have had to do my own research and pursue getting the Cryo done all without having talked any of it over with her. I’ve been her patient for 8 years. Apparently I’m just another number there.
Well, I am a number, but not in the way I’ve been treated at that office.

I’m number 48. My young age
I’m number 3. Mother to that many children
I’m number 1 of 8 women who get breast cancer
I’m number 1 of 3 of those women who end up with MBC
I’m the number 1 wife to my husband. (Well....really his #2, but we don’t count that mistake)
And I’m gonna be the number 1 bitch who makes this cancer fight the hardest fight it’s ever seen to beat me.
And that’s where I wasn’t getting the support and answers I need.
Communicating between 4 nurses to get questions asked is unacceptable. So I switched. Because this is my fight and I refuse to fight healthcare providers to get what I need.

Dr Nye is not changing the drugs I am on, she is, however, going to keep giving me my Lupron shot for estrogen suppression, which Dr Sheehan had decided to stop doing.
She is also very knowledgeable in the genetic/genomic realm of breast cancer.
I am BRCA negative, we did that test back in 2012, but I have not had any updated gene testing since then. My spitting game was on today as I filled the little tube being sent away for that gene testing.
The testing will tell us if my cancer is somehow genetic in form or has a connection with another type of cancer like colon. There is a link between the 2 and we need to make sure I don’t carry that gene, and if I do, get that addressed. The testing will also help Dr Nye know if I need a different protocol of drugs at some point.
Insurance does not cover the updated gene testing-so the lab will do some testing and then if they need to do more they will call me with a total if I choose to proceed. Well, with kids and especially having a 23 year old daughter, we will figure out a way to pay for whatever it is they need to do.
I will be getting a bone scan and Chest/Abdomen/pelvis CT every 3 months from this point on. Ironically there are no recommendations to do follow up scans until you’re Stage IV with one foot in the grave.....
These are to track the areas we already know have metastatic disease and to ensure no new ones pop up. The drug protocol I am on right now has been shown to prevent disease progression for 18-24 months. And if they stop working, there’s always clinical trials and new drugs popping up every day. This is also where the results of the gene testing can come in handy, as we can do some genomic testing specific to my tumor type.

She’s also going to ask Dr Custer to do a bone biopsy on Friday when he does my Cryoablation. I asked because my recurrence in 2018 was a little different make up than my first tumor and I’d like to know if this is any different. She said she’s gonna ask really nicely to see if he will.....cross your fingers......

She also recommended a referral to an Oncology Psychiatrist-right now they are about 3 months out with making appointments so I’m on the list. It will help to talk to someone who has no dog in this race, and can be objective.

We’ve also cleaned up our eating and doing about 80/20 whole food and plant based eating. It takes a little while to prep-but I sure feel good after eating the meals I have lately. My bone density study shows some mild osteopenia so I have to take a calcium supplement, but no more than 1000mg per day in pill form, so I need more through my diet. And I love me some homemade hummus that my husband has been making so I’m good with that ‘prescription’.

I was really impressed with Dr Nye and her nurse who walked me through all my upcoming appointments and what to expect in the next few months. My appointment was an hour long, I never felt rushed.
She did a more thorough history than I’m pretty sure I’ve ever had. I will be seeing her every month for at least the next year.
I’m glad I made the switch and even though my protocol had no changes, my heart feels like I’m at the right place.

I was treated like a number here too, only it was like I was their number 1.



Much love,
K

Getting my booty froze....

A couple of weeks ago a friend sent me some info on a procedure called Osteocool, a radiofrequency Ablation that is used to ablate tumors. She is working just outside of DC, so recommended I check around locally to see if anyone does it here in KC. She also said they are seeing great results with pain control.

RFA involves drilling a hole into the bony tumor, then inserting a probe that is heated up so hot it essentially erodes away the tumor. And by hot I mean 150-190 degrees hot.

So I text my friend, and IR Tech at KU, and asked her if they did this procedure there. And they do!! So, had my CT sent to the docs at the main campus and they called last week to tell me they reviewed them and felt they could help me out!
Today I had a consultation with Dr Brandon Custer, an Interventional Radiologist at KU. And though I had thought I would be discussing having the Osteocool RFA done, he actually feels that doing Cryoablation is more appropriate. Working the same way as RFA, except instead of using heating probes, they use cooling probes. And by cold, I mean -40 degrees. Yes MINUS 40 degrees. Think KC has been cold lately, well......this is cold.
Same process of drilling a hole and then inserting the probe. As they cool it down, it will form an ‘ice ball’ around the tumor essentially killing off the cancer cells. Yes, you read that correctly-killing. the. cancer. cells.
This is all done under CT guidance (go CT!) and they can actually SEE the ice ball form. I think I might ask one of the techs to take my phone and record that for me!? I mean, help a fellow CT sister out!?

Why cold instead of heat? He said the cooling is better for that area and he’s the expert so I’m game!
Apparently they need at least a 1cm area around the tumor to make sure they don’t affect surrounding tissue and muscle and nerves and all that good stuff and my sciatica nerve is 1.8 cm away from my ischial tuberosity. Whew!
The pic in this blog is of a pelvis, and the red areas are the ischial tuberosities-or your ‘sit bones’. Because they are literally the bones in your butt that you sit on-see other pic.

I will be under General Anesthesia due to the painful nature of it, but it’s an outpatient procedure so I get to go home that day. Oh, and the day we are doing it is none other than Valentine’s Day. Yep-Brian said “here’s your gift honey, getting your booty frozen!”
Did I mention they will be going in from the back-so yes, through my hiney.
Even better news is that they are seeing good results from people who have 8/10 pain score going down to a 2/10 and lasting longer than Radiation Therapy. Since I’m currently living daily at about 6-7/10 and on some days even 10/10, that is music to my ears! When asked how my pain is, the easiest way to explain it is like when you’re 9 months pregnant and that baby is sitting on your pelvis and you feel the pressure on your hoo-hah. And like I’m constantly sitting on a hard bicycle seat that I can’t quite get comfortable on.
PLUS-it’s not radiation to my pelvis and other surrounding structures, AND if it starts to hurt again in a year or so or more mets come back-they can do it again!!

I’m so excited to have this option available over Radiation Therapy-but if needed we could essentially add that in too. Though it doesn’t sound as if that will be needed.
And I’m so lucky we have KU right here in town that has National Cancer Institute designation. One of only 70 facilities nationwide.
I’m blessed to have caring and smart friends who thought of me for this-thank you Sheila! And I’ve always said “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” and having my dear friend Rose as a KU IR Tech who helped facilitate all of this for me with her docs! Thanks Rose-it’s sucks you’re off that day, you don’t get to see my booty freeze.

In the meantime I started my Kisqali today and so far, so good. I’m headed to bed and have to work all weekend so I’m hoping not to have any side effects. Goodnight and sweet dreams!

Much love,
K

Moving along....slowly....

Y’all may hate this weather, but I am personally looking forward to putting on my flannel jammie pants tonight when I get home from work and not taking them off again until I have to get ready for work Monday morning. (Ok, I might shower and put on a clean pair of flannel jammies) I’m gonna snuggle up with a bottle (or 6) of dry red wine and my dogs, a fleece blanket and the remote. And I’m not leaving the house.
I am mentally exhausted this week from all the phone calls and emails and doctor’s visits and research I’ve done this week.
I have learned a lot.
A lot I didn’t really want to know.
The statistics are not great with my new diagnosis.
The median survival rate for metastatic breast cancer is 3 years.
Yes, that number is 3.
36 months.

It takes my breath away and makes me tear up even typing those numbers.
Did y’all know I’m 48? And will be 49 in April.
Cancer doesn’t care.
It doesn’t care how old, I actually prefer young, I am.
Or that I have 3 children.
And a husband.
And family.
And friends.
And a career.
And dogs.
And it wouldn’t care if I was single and childless and petless and friendless.
It doesn’t care that I make a decent living.
And it wouldn’t care if I was rich.
It doesn’t care that I have amazing people in my life and that I know God.

The one thing cancer does best is the one thing we wish everyone did.

Cancer does not discriminate.

The one attribute we hold people and employers and rules and laws to....it does better than anyone.
And dammit does that make me mad.
Not that I deserve NOT to have metastatic breast cancer just because of those things I listed above. Or that I wish cancer on a group of people I deem unworthy. But after 2 times already.....could it just have skipped me this one time???
But then who would that unlucky person be, if not me?
I certainly don’t wish it on a child.
Or a young adult just starting their life.
Or a new mom.
Or new dad.
Or that sweet lady at the grocery store.
Or that lovely gentleman at the drug store.

I honestly just wish cancer didn’t exist.

That we could discriminate against it;

“Nah, I don’t like you Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer because of how you look, so move along. No place for you here. “

If only.

That was my 5 minute pity party for myself today.
And yours too.

Wondering what I mean by that?
A long time ago, and I mean like 15 years ago when Ethan was born, long before even my first breast cancer diagnosis, I realized I could spend all day feeling sorry for myself, or my situation, if I wanted. And believe me, some days I wanted to. Or I could spend 5 minutes a day doing the crying, screaming, what-if, why me, life is unfair pity party and then still have 1,435 minutes left in that day to do something productive. And when you only spend 5 minutes focusing on the negative each day, there’s a whole lot of good you can find in the remaining 1,435.

So I give myself 5 minutes each day.
Sometimes it’s in the morning when I wake, but before I’m out of bed.
Others it’s not until I lay down to try and sleep after a trying day.
Then, there’s the days it hits me smack dab in the middle of lunch.
Or dinner.
And some days, yes there are some days, that I don’t feel sorry for myself at all.
There are actually lots of those days.
Yes, even now.
Because I give myself that little allowance of time doesn’t mean I need it everyday. I only do because I know myself well enough to know that if I get upset or let the tears start, and I haven’t already got a plan in place and a limit on self-pity, I could be an emotional, hot mess dishrag and cry for days.

5 minutes.
And then it’s time to get up, get my smile on and move forward.
Try it on those tough days.
We all have them.
It really does work.
And I need people to realize that I don’t need longer than 5 minutes to hash over my latest dilemma with you.
You can cry when you see me, I get it. I’m amazing and this will likely kill me.
You can’t live without me, I mean who really could?
And you’re hurt and angry just like I am.
And I will probably cry too.
Because, again, emotional hot mess dishrag here.
And then I will probably crack a completely morbid joke about giving out shots at my funeral as you walk in.
(Ok maybe more appropriate at the visitation)
5. Minutes. Up.

One thing I cannot do,
Will not do,
Do not have the strength for,
Is to hold anyone else up during this ride.

I have my kids and husband and a very large family-y’all are included in this too-that I need to help gently guide down this shitty, bumpy path to eventual life without me.
And my own mortality to cope with.
So, I’m sorry if that seems selfish, but in simple terms, I just don’t have the time or energy.
By all means, I want you on this journey with me, and I am so thankful and blessed for all of the amazing support I have. And I will share with you every step of the way.
Ask your questions, there are none that scare or offend me. Many questions people have asked in the last couple of weeks have helped me move down paths I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of.
So don’t get caught up in the sadness of it all, take your 5 minutes like I do and then let’s move forward together.

And in moving forward, I have somewhat of a plan. And this may all end up scrapped and tossed out the window and changed ten times in the next month. But when you’re dealing with a terminal illness, that’s ok! Treatments change and minds change.
And situations change.

•On Tuesday 1/21, I am receiving my teaching education on the three drugs I mentioned in my previous blog; the Xgeva, Faslodex and Kisqali.
•I had a simulation planning CT to set up the potential fields of radiation for my hip.
•What I’m most excited about is that I have a consult with a KU Interventional Radiologist next Friday to see if I’m a candidate for a procedure called the Osteocool. This is a radiofrequency ablation done to bony lesions that is showing some pretty good success in regard to pain relief.
I will know more next Friday and share with you what I learn.
I can’t thank the people who sent me this info AND helped facilitate it enough.
Options are important to me.
And pain relief is coming in high priority right now too.

I’ve also learned that with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer, I’ve kind of become the black sheep of the cancers.
There is far less funding and research on Stage IV MBC. And it is the reason 40,000 women die annually.
Cancer still in the breast
DOES NOT KILL YOU.
Read that line again and ask me if you have any questions about what that means....
That is why early detection is key.
Anywho-it’s like I’ve already got one foot in my grave. No sense of urgency in getting my meds figured out last week, no real help in regard to medication for my pain that I can actually take AND go to work.
CC Nurse:”Oh, we called in the Morphine for you”
Me: “ I can’t take morphine and go to work”
CC Nurse: “you work?”
Me: “yep, full time. 12 hour shifts. On my feet. In healthcare actually. Morphine not compatible with any of that”
CC Nurse: silence.
Ahem.

And not a good response from the Radiation Oncologist I met in regard to not starting Rad Therapy until my consult with the IR Rad about the Osteocool.
“Then I’m not sure why you’re here anyway.”
“We do this all the time and it’s fine”
“You can’t have both and if you can I’ve never seen any literature on doing it, I’m not sure there is any”
Sorry, I like options. And I have some.
Ps-time to improve the bedside manner. Literally bedside while I was lying in the Sim room CT scanner.

Did I mention my 5 minutes sometimes includes head shaking and big sighs....

And as much as I adore my Oncologist, I am seeking another opinion as to course of treatment. It may end up being exactly the same. Or someone may have some magic fairy unicorn glitter they can sprinkle on these bony mets and make them disappear and I need to hear that option too.

So this weekend I welcome some brainless TV binging with the fam, 2,870 minutes of gratefulness, and of course
a Chiefs WIN!!!


Always much love,
K

2020....in with a big bang

I had predicted 2020 would not be boring for us for long, I just didn’t expect it to happen before mid-January. And I would take boring over the news we got last week any day.

It seems as if cancer isn’t done with me.....my tumor marker (Ca 27-29) has been in normal range since I finished chemo in January. Normal being anything under 38. In August it was actually 24. This lab is not the best lab to be used for recurrence, but it’s all breast cancer patients have.
Well, in November my Ca 27-29 was elevated at 54. And I moderately freaked out as I had been fighting all the lung/cough/asthma stuff for 5 months by then. But the cancer center was convinced it was elevated because I had shingles a couple weeks prior to having it drawn and they suspected that had caused it to be up. So the plan was re-draw a month later. A month later was December 26th and it was again elevated. Only this time it was 74 and clearly showed no signs of being a false positive.
So we decided to start with a CT of my chest, abdomen and pelvis, which would basically cover any areas in question.
The results are not good, as it appears my breast cancer has spread to my bones. To my spine and pelvis/hip area to be specific.
My upper back-thoracic area has 3 vertebra with lesions at T4, T7 and T9. And my in my pelvis my ischial tuberosity (think of the bony part of your butt cheek) has a pretty good size lesion that is 5x2 cm. Which explains why my hip has been hurting for several weeks. I felt like I had strained it doing some workouts and so I kept doing some stretching and yoga thinking that would help-little did I know!?

I haven’t seen the Oncologist yet, but she called me and we briefly talked about my options;
because I have significant pain in my hip that is not going to go away since it’s being eaten up with cancer, we are going to do some radiation treatments to help control the pain. Hopefully as early as next week with meeting the Radiation Oncologist and getting that started.

The drugs I’ll be starting are
Xgeva- a shot which is to help prevent fractures in patients with bone cancer and bone diseases.
Faslodex-also an injection used in estrogen positive breast cancers, also to help bony spread.
Kisqali-a pill used in conjunction with the Faslodex for metastatic breast cancer.

That’s what we know so far. I’m working and kind of holding it together. Dr Sheehan is trying to come up with something that I can take for the hip pain that’s not narcotic-so I can work.

I’m sorry if this is how some of you are finding out-I needed to tell my kids and family and that took everything in me to do it without crying.
Which I did anyway.
I’m mad and angry and in disbelief and pissed and want to scream and throw things.
Which I plan to do.

So for now ‘it is what it is’.....
Our familiar motto.
Much love to you all, we will keep you updated as we find out more in the days to come.
I might be down, but don’t count me out, people with breast cancer bony mets can live for years, and I assured my husband he can’t get rid of me that easy. There are lots of great drugs on the market and new advances being made all the time to stop this terrible disease.

And I plan to continue to be a survivor.

Happy NYE 2020!

It’s not even 9pm on New Year’s Eve of a new decade and I’m comfortably lounging in my jammies, a hot toddy in one hand and the remote in the other. Hubby is working The Power & Light NYE Party (KC’s restaurant/bar district)
Hailey is in Chicago getting ready for their big night out, Parker is downstairs with friends getting ready to leave the house so it’s me, the bald kid-who would rather watch King Julian than hang with me, and the dogs-who are happy to be sitting basically on my lap.
2019 was a crazy year.....

I beat breast cancer. Again.
Hailey graduated from college
Parker is still at home and deciding (and changing his mind weekly) what he wants to do when he grows up.
Ethan started growing hair. Ok it’s really just a patch. And it’s dark. And it’s hideous and probably gonna get shaved off soon. But hey, maybe he won’t be ‘the bald kid’ forever.
Brian was diagnosed with diabetes. Which he’s handling quite well.
We met Brian’s new extended family at the family reunion and were welcomed with open arms and are already looking forward to the next one.
I went fishing in the ocean again. And loved it.
I got to visit a city on my bucket list and eat beignets, buy a voo-doo doll, drink a hurricane at Pat O’s and walk down Bourbon Street in the heart of NOLA.
I binged a lot of Netflix and Prime.
I read fewer books than I wanted to.
I made some new friends and spent time with my old faves.
We gained a dog, and we lost one.
Some days I smiled and laughed so much my face hurt and other days I cried so much I thought I would run out of tears.
Funny, you don’t.
We lived and we loved and we learned.
And that’s all from just one year-there’s not enough time to recap the decade-just know I started it in my late 30’s and thought I knew it all-only to be quickly educated and now in my late 40’s can admit I will never know it all!
Time is precious and short and though parts of 2019 were challenging at best and downright shitty at the worst, I wouldn’t trade who I did this last year with.

I can only hope 2020 is a little less ‘extra’. But being that we are who we are, that’s highly unlikely.
So it is what it is, and we welcome it with open arms.
And a few shots.

Happy New Year!
May your 2020 be all that you want it to be-and all that you make of it.
Cause I’m making it my bitch, so drop that ball and get this New Decade going-I’ve got stuff to accomplish!

Is summer really almost over???

I cannot believe August is almost over.
This summer flew by.
Just a quick update of the latest in our crazy world;

Bald kid is back in school for a week and I get notes home that totally bust his freeloading skinny hiney about how many steps he’s taking there. Yeah, we’ll be setting some goals for that step taking at home real soon Ethan Charles.
He’s got several of his annual appointments coming up soon-Cardiology (with our other favorite bald guy)Rehab (with a new doc!)
Ortho (love Dr Schwend) and a PT eval to re-start some pool therapy and a nutrition check for his weight loss over the last year (12 pounds lost unintentionally). I’ll share hopefully all good news from those!

Parker and Hailey are both in our basement just like the good ole days. You know-one nagging the other over the dirty bathroom and trash emptying and laundry while the other rolls his eyes at her and does most of it to annoy her I’m sure. I have to be honest though, in the midst of the sibling discord, I am happy they are both under my roof. And even though they may act like they can’t stand one another, they have been going to the gym together and my house has never been vacuumed this much since we moved in!

We celebrated my Dad’s 75th Birthday and had some awesome family pics taken. I really like the one of Dad and Teresa and my siblings and spouses! Hailey was in Chi-Town at Lollapalooza so we’ll have to photoshop her in later I guess. I’m lucky to still have my Dad around and kickin’, Lord knows I gave him plenty of gray hair and high blood pressure in those 75 years...

Since my cough sounds like that of a 3 pack a day, oxygen wearing, 80 year old with emphysema, I earned myself a bronch. Among other tests in the weeks to come.
A bronchoscopy is a procedure where a pulmonologist will pass a scope down into my lungs to take a look around, along with washings and a biopsy if warranted. The good part about this? The drugs. Oh, and maybe an answer to my 8 week coughing fit.
I’ve also scored an echo of my heart, a sleep study AND a methacholine challenge (test for asthma).
Had the bronch done yesterday and it was not my test of choice. Though Dr Ladesic only had the scope down for 6 whole minutes and that part wasn’t bad at all thanks to the versed and fentanyl, the prep for it was terrible! First you do a breathing treatment with lidocaine to numb your mouth and throat. And numb it becomes. I felt like I couldn’t swallow or cough. Then they shoot some lidocaine jelly up your nose-both nostrils-to numb that where the scope will go. Yes, down your nose. My eyes watered, my nose burned, my mouth and throat were numb and then I was asleep and it was all over. I was not really totally asleep-but I definitely don’t recall any of the scope placement at all. He took some washings and scrapings and we should have results by end of this week.

I’ll just be thrilled to hopefully have some answers and maybe some relief soon. It’s getting exhausting. Though I can say I’ve broken into my stash of “the good pills” I had while on chemo and had some decent sleep the last few nights.

I’ve also come to realize that I am simply not going to ever get rid of my glasses. After trying some multi-focal contacts the last two weeks, and actually having both contacts in the same eye at one point, I am admittedly going shopping for some new spectacles on my days off.
Don’t. Even. Ask.
It wasn’t pretty and I’m shocked I was able to figure out what I did wrong and not jack the contacts up. Or my eye.
Touching your eyeball is not all that-I’ll stick with glasses for now. Probably forever.

Our friends from Oregon passed through KC on their multi-state camping journey and we were so happy to spend some time with them and meet their little girl! Wish it could have been longer-we promise we will make it to Portland soon Wackfords!

Brian and I are getting ready to take a kidless vacay to Gulf Shores and we are so excited! We’ve got an offshore fishing trip planned and a jaunt over to NOLA to visit his Uncle Mike and Aunt Margaret and cousin Little Mike and Sydney-someplace neither one of us have been! Send me your must-sees, must-dos, must-eats and drinks....

And since Labor Day is right around the corner, you know what that means in KC right?? Irish Fest!!! We are for sure heading down Saturday-depending on the rain-so if anyone wants to join us-Slainte!

Will keep you updated on my tests and results. Please send the good juju-and the health fairies my way-I don’t want to be sick on our upcoming trip!

-K

Hello, my name is Kari. And I’m a Quitter.

I’m a quitter.
If there was a Quitter’s Anonymous I’d be the leader of the meetings.
But eventually I would quit those too, because historically, I’m a quitter.

I’m a great starter.
I love to start new programs, new challenges, new work-outs, new groups, new anything and I’m in!
All in, 100% gung-ho, balls to the wall, sign me up, I’ll buy that, ALL IN.
But....then I quit.

My intentions are always good.
Each new thing I start is ‘the one’.
The one I’m going to stick to, the one I’m going to work hard at.
The one I’m going to FINISH.

And....then I quit.

So last year when Sally messaged me after I posted on her page about a product/program
(Insert my husband’s groan “again???” here)
I told her my goal was to firm up my nutrition before I started chemo.
I wanted to have something good, nutritious, easy to make and carry, easy to get and keep down when absolutely nothing appealed to my chemo wrecked taste buds.
And I bought a bag of Shakeology every month or so. And I even did a work-out or two here or there.
After chemo I had surgery and a bad arm.
Then radiation and a worse arm.
And Sally never went away.
She wasn’t in my face about my nutrition or my work outs or my purchases.
She sent little messages.
“Thinking about you today. Hope you’re feeling well”
“You’re such an inspiration!”
“You got this”
“Sorry you feel so bad”
And really, she should have quit on me.
I was a sideline watcher.
A creeper.
A Facebook stalker.
I watched all her pages and posts and Lives.
And I just watched. Never really participated.
And Sally never went away.

A couple weeks ago she messaged me about a new program our team was starting.
Really, when I’ve quit everything else to date she thought what the heck-and gave me the opportunity to start it.
And I’m so glad I did.
I made a commitment to this new program
Morning Meltdown 100 by Beachbody.
100 days of workouts with nutrition plans and recipes included.
Sure! Sign me up!
I mean, I am a FABULOUS STARTER.
just a seasoned quitter too
So I started the MM100 last Monday.
And I loved it from day 1!
20-30 min workouts in my own home!
For my bad knees, uncoordinated self, having the 2 modifiers has been a lifesaver. And when it’s a move I simply am not able to do yet, I just keep moving the best way I can.
Because someday, I WILL be able to do those damn firecracker kicks-I promise you!

I got through the first full week. My nutrition definitely needed a little work (ok a lot!)
But I did 8 work-outs in a row. Or if I missed one, I doubled up the next day. And then the crappy upper respiratory stuff I’ve been battling for 6 weeks got the best of me.
Long nights of coughing and no sleep did not bode well for workouts. So I got 4 behind.
Poor nutrition didn’t help at all either.
So I got another round of steroids, pushed the water and good dense nutrition and perked up.
My goal was to start the 3 Day Refresh program today as a jumpstarter to the next week of workouts.
Remember what a quitter I am??
Well, I did day one with no problems!
They laughed at me at work when I walked in today with my Nutribullet to mix my shakes in.
And I had all the foods on the plan today AND did workout #14/100 when I got home from work!
As I get ready for bed and feel amazing all I can say is that I’m so glad Sally didn’t quit on me.
And that she invited me into her group of amazing, motivated, positive, REAL, everyday women just supporting one another in this crazy journey called life.

A group I don’t want to quit.

So, be somebody’s Sally.

Because you never know, there might just be a quitter like me waiting for you.
Who needs you like I needed Sally.

So I can leave my quitting days behind.