Ahhh...so good to be back!

It has been forever since I have come back here.  Things have changed so much and so many things have happened.  I guess with everything going on, I just wasn't able to find the time or the energy to come here.

Since the last time I posted, I ran in the Fox Cities Full Marathon relay with my amazing husband, two dear friends, my incredible sister-in-law and some incredible drivers that made the day fantastic!  It was a fabulous weekend with 8 Survivors.  We ran in honor of Lindsay Estacio, whom we had lost to complications of SJS.  It was a hard weekend, but we got through it together, as we always do!

I finished training for that very first marathon and completed it on October 7th with my bestie running partner, Deb.  She has become more to me than just someone I pound the pavement with.  She has become one of my best friends and a constant in my life.  She makes me feel safe when there are times that I don't.  She allows me to have my "crazy" days of anxiety, anger and struggles through this life I have been left with after my illness.  She is a sense of calm, of security and always good for a lots of laughs!  I thank God for her each and every day!

I finished my 26.2 mils in 5 hours and 21 minutes.  I was tired, sore, and felt broken at the end.  Until 1 mile  from the finish I saw the looming building of St. Mary's Hospital.  When I felt like quitting, it pushed me along once again and I closed a chapter in my life.

The following day, I was in court.  Battling the doctor that misdiagnosed me and prescribed the medication that nearly killed me.  The week was terrible.  It happened that I ended up being on trial, not the doctor in question.  My life was under a microscope and the blame was placed back on me.  I lost the case, making me doubt our legal system and the ability of doctors everywhere.  It saddens me to have become jaded from such an experience, but once again, I will be turning to running to get me through.

I battled an IT Band injury off and on from November until now, so am just getting back to it.  Starting over has proven to be very difficult, but so very much needed.  I refuse to let this set back stop me from moving forward!  I am pulling myself back up by my bootstraps and learning more about myself now more than ever.      I have opened my own hair studio, which I never thought I would do.  I have another marathon on my schedule for this year along with several relays.  I am hoping this year is full of courage, hope, love and joy. Success in whatever way I can make  it happen and time with my family and friends.  It is about overcoming fears and maybe, just maybe, tackling a new challenge.  It's about having fun!  It's about being happy and in order to do that, I will be putting one foot in front of the other.  Won't you join me??