Gratitude

I am so grateful to be where I am today instead of where I was last year at this time. 

Let me explain a bit. While I think I had this blog at the time (I’m pretty sure…), I don’t remember how much I shared, if at all. I may not have blogged at all at the time, now that I think about it. Just existing was enough. 

I was really sick with an infection about a year ago. The details aren’t important, but I’ll just say that it involved multiple courses of antibiotics, a hospitalization (and IV antibiotics) barely avoided, multiple visits to my health care providers, and parents who were so worried that they flew 1500 miles for a one and a half day visit. I lost more than 15 pounds – that I couldn’t afford to lose – had no energy, and still had to do my more-than-full-time job, as well as try to keep my life running. 

I could barely move off the couch some mornings. I slept more than 9 hours a night and was still exhausted. Even thinking about any type of exercise – walking, let alone running – made me laugh, it was so unthinkable. 

But I kicked it – with the help of modern medicine. And now, a year later, my leg and foot may look different due to the long-term effects of all of this, I am so so grateful to be healthy. I am so grateful to be able to run. To be able to stay awake for a full day without having to rest on the couch multiple times (or, honestly, put my head on the desk). To be able to fully focus on my work and my life without feeling like I am moving through thick mud, with a rope around my waist pulling me back. 

I am so grateful.