Funky butt lovin'

That's right. You heard (read?) me. I've been so sick the past two days with the flu. I had to take my first ever sick day in three years yesterday. I won't get in to the gory details but let me just say that I now know how to lose 7 pounds in two days! I NEVER get sick (hence never having taken a sick day) and I certainly have never been this sick. Apparently, my brother was the first to get sick and has been spreading it around to various family members. Thanks, bro. I know I sound dramatic but I consider myself a pretty tough person and this thing really knocked me out.

As I was lying there unable to move, I was thinking to myself that this must be what it's like to be on chemo. My dad's last chemo treatment was Tuesday, the first day of my illness, and although they give him medicine for nausea, he still had stiffness and the chills. I had all of that and more. And his treatment was very tame compared to others I've heard about. I can't imagine feeling like that for a month, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years....then possibly having to do it again later down the road. I couldn't even stand up straight and I could hardly walk the five steps from the bed to the bathroom; I can't believe people on chemo have to take care of their kids, go to work, run errands, go to the grocery store, actually do things. I kept thinking, "these people have to live their lives feeling like this." I honestly don't know if I could do it.

This came along at the completely wrong time for many reasons, one of them being my third and final half marathon is on Sunday and the possibility of not being able to complete it crossed my mind. However, I banished that thought from my brain because I am determined to do it. It's the most important race I've done so far because I now have a direct connection to the purple jersey I'll be wearing. Even if I have to walk the whole thing, I will finish that half for my dad and for all the other people whose strength is more than I can imagine.