Time to Punch Out and be Mom

The moment when your allergy-suffering kid, enwreathed in used tissues, gazes up at you with hound dog eyes and says, "cuddle with me, mama. I think I just blew my brains out."

Persistence, Faith, Determination and Love

Running has become a thing for me. I don't know precisely the reason why. I walked for years, and maybe it just became time to go faster. Maybe it was because I started donating blood to a little boy with leukemia, and I was determined to make the best blood I could possibly make for him.

Yeah, that last one had an awful lot to do with it. I started taking vitamins right around then too. Now I know two young boys fighting for their lives. It is amazing how wanting them to be healthy so badly has made me more healthy too. The side-effects of good intentions I guess?

Then, there is that whole thing about staring down the 40 door…
I wanted to be able to run a 5K without losing my breath. Turns out I can run about 4.5 miles without losing my breath!

Which leads to this:

I was tired this morning. Christmas is kicking my butt this year! And work, and volunteering and parenting (which directly translates to TONS of appointments and extra-curricular running!) I've got a cold. I am WIPED out. But I ran today anyway. 2.5 miles. So tired, I forgot to stretch my tight hip before I went out the door. So scattered, I forgot my ankle brace (which is a BIG no-no!)!

I ran on snowy roads in sneakers that aren't made for snow running. But I went.

I was asking for trouble and taking foolish chances born of illness, exhaustion an overtaxed mind.

So I went carefully. I chanted to my boys, battling such horrible beasts. I willed them (and myself) to keep on.

Now, for the rest of the day, nothing will be difficult. 

It's a two-and-a-half-mile pep talk. Everyday. The image above appeared in my mind as I went. 

A friend told be about something huge that has little chance for success. I am willing that huge thing to happen. I was afraid when I heard about it. I feared the worst. But today… today I'm focused on that chance. That chance that it will work! 

When you want something bad enough, all you really need is a chance, right?

I'm glad I took my chances today. Everything turned out fine, and I am better off for the effort. 

Persist at your goals and have faith that you will learn as you persist! Be determined to live true to your intentions and do everything out of love: for yourself and love for the lives you impact.

There's This Kid I Know...

He is five years old. His name is Brett and this past December, he was diagnosed with AML-FLT3. I have learned a lot about those six letters and that nasty little number in the past few months. If you don't happen to be in the loop, they stand for a really wicked form of leukemia that requires multiple rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant to stand a chance of recovering.

It is a scary, scary journey. This little boy and his family have endured so much in the past six months. His mom is my friend, and she amazes me with her seemingly endless energy and ability to fight, nurse, love and still parent ALL of her three children! Her husband is withstanding all of this quite remarkably too - they are a strong family. You can find out more (and aid their fight!) by visiting their website: http://brettsbunch.wix.com/brettsbunch

Sandy called today to fill me on on another family's battle. She is very worried about another little boy, who was also an AML patient and is now a survivor! However, today that 11-year-old child suffered a stroke. I'm sure you can imagine, as I do, that his body is probably quite worn after such an intense battle with cancer.

Brett is recovering from a bone marrow transplant currently. He is doing well! But there is concern in our hearts for this other family and this other boy who is now fighting to recover in a new way.

Oddly, it is not fear I feel, but gratitude.

Not for this child (or any child's!) suffering. No. I wish that never happened.

I feel gratitude for open eyes - my own, first and foremost.

Tunnel vision happens. We get bogged down in our own lives, and think we do not have time or energy to help anyone else. You see charity organizations begging for time and finances on television or in your digital travels and think you are too stretched to help or your efforts will be wasted by some corrupt organization, and you pass it by. We all do it, and we as individuals cannot support all of the myriad causes there are to support!

But there is always something that can be done, and there is always something YOU can do.

For me, it's blood donation. Since Brett got sick, I've gone every 56 days to Roswell Park to direct blood donations to my favorite little superhero. Doing this, I've found, benefits me just as much as it (hopefully!) benefits Brett! I take better care of myself. I drink more water. I take a daily vitamin that I just could not remember to take with any sort of regularity before this child got sick. Now, I am like clockwork. My whole reason for doing this is to make REALLY good blood for Brett!

I've decided, even when Brett doesn't need my blood anymore, someone else will. I will keep on being a blood donor. Because now I know there are always families out there with a kid waging war on an enemy within. There is always a parent trying to be brave while hoping and praying for a miracle. There is always a community in the shadows with their hearts open and their energies directed at clearing the way for the miracle they deeply believe will happen for their intended.

Closing our eyes to these circumstances doesn't make them any less real. Looking back, I think I've partly shut them out because I was afraid of the fear and the pain of joining what on the surface may look like a losing battle. What I've learned is, when it is your friend, your community… the fear and pain in NOT acting is far more intense! I have to wait 56 days between blood donations. 56 days feels like an eternity! I have even tried to convince the donor center I am strong enough to do it more often (that doesn't work, just FYI).

Acting, giving, DOING creates hope, power and love! Don't get me wrong, tears are created too. Lots of them, and some are fear tears. But some are tears of amazement, and overwhelming pride when you see others acting, doing and helping to support your cause in amazing ways.

Not all of us are created to dash into burning buildings and save trapped babies, but ALL OF US have the ability to reach out in some capacity. It's not about having the time or not having the time, it is about having the choice to Make the Time.

Bad Buggeroos

Team Gregarious has spent the last five days in the company of a rather nasty stomach flu. I am aware that is not the proper term, but you all know what I mean. Vomit, diarrhea, aches, chills, fever... it's been nasty! Happily, I managed to help my three peeps to the road to recovery before falling victim to the villainous vomit myself. When I did get it, it was comparatively mild to what I watched my son and hubby experience, and I was lucky hubby had the day off and could entertain Little Miss while I rested (and writhed in pain from headache, chills and aching hips and spine... yuck). 

As soon as I thought my stomach could handle it, I made my Recovery Smoothie. This is super-simple, but I swear by it and wanted to share!

Recovery Smoothie
In a blender, combine these ingredients
1/4 C. Plain Yogurt (mine is Greek)
1  Banana
2 tbs. Honey
(a little milk if you would like a thinner smoothie)
1/4 tsp. salt

You may be thinking "Salt???" Yes, salt. You've lost a lot of it. People swear by Gatorade for its electrolytes. What are electrolytes?  Basically, a bunch of minerals, and salt is one. A couple of others are Calcium and Potassium (hence, yogurt and banana!). You also need to get the good bacteria going in your stomach again, and yogurt with live active cultures is perfect for that.

It helped! Yay! It always does (that's why I am sharing)!

Today, both kids got on the bus and the hubby went back to work. I'm loads better, but maybe not 100%. So, Step 2 is a good soak in the tub! I took an Epsom salt bath, but this time, I added 1/2 cup of sea salt. This tip I learned from my friend, Dr. Pamela Grover, who works with Dr. Leila Kirdani at Quality of Life Medicine in Rochester, NY. She said Epsom salt and sea salt baths were great for helping headaches, and I'd certainly had my share of that over the last three days! SO, in went the sea salt, along with the Epsom salt mixed with lavender and orange essential oils.

Ahhhhh...................

It's just an hour later, and I really do feel much better! I ate an English muffin (bland sounded safest) with butter and here I sit... in my underwear while my clothes dry. You know how it is, right? Mom gets sick and all anyone else can do is feed themselves and let everything else pile up. Surely, why would anyone want to do any more of Mom's Job than they have to? She has nothing else in the world to do anyway, right? Uh-huh...

Sigh

And that is why we must recover quickly. Getting buried under housework could mean having to run to the grocery store naked! Thank heavens I freelance from home, if the lack of pants didn't throw a coworker or client, the rollers in my hair most assuredly would.

Stay Healthy, My Friends!