Heck Yes, Hard Work is Worth It

Sometimes when I go to the gym, to yoga or swim laps, I feel like a person with no grace or stamina. It really feels like my endeavors won't accomplish anything but today I discovered that those efforts have changed the way my body both moves and feels.

Last fall, I was able to stop using crutches but I was still trying to regain my mobility. It was a slow process that had spanned over 6 months since I had had 3 vertebral disintegrations (thanks to bone-eating cancer.) I asked Curtis, the head honcho of trainers at World Health Macleod, to assign me a trainer who "was one of their best ones and who knew about backs" so he hooked me up with Patrick, a trainer who had a serious back injury a decade ago. The first day we trained together Patrick had me do a series of exercises to scope out my ability and twice I had to ask him if we could stop and I, embarrassingly, had to cry because the lunges and squats were so painful.

Today, I not only did unassisted squats and lunges but we added weights and I didn't have to cry at all! We were both so pleased and frankly, Patrick was also kind of surprised at how easy it was for me. I hadn't realized how much progress we'd made even though I'm in much less pain today than I once was. So keep at your athletics, stay moving even when it seems like nothing and you'll be rewarded with progress. If I can stop using canes and dance with Kill again after breaking my back then I know that you can lose weight, gain flexibility, feel beautiful in your body and so many more of your goals. Good luck and I know that you'll do so well.

Love,

Cailey

Toughen Up

Last week I felt a little rough as it turns out this chemo has started to reach it's highest level of toxicity. On Friday, dad and I went to the gym although I had to hop out of the car and vomit both before and after. However, my favorite part of the day was that he didn't offer to skip the work out and I didn't ask, so we helped each other be tough. I think that pretty often someone will give you permission to go home and relax and that you could take that suggestion and run with it but you shouldn't because you're not going to be great like that. You need to do things that make you feel proud and to be like the people that you most admire.

A few weeks ago I had two baseball hats made with the words Casey and Chemie on them as well as the blog on the back in embroidery. Patrick the trainer told me that after wearing my custom made Lids hat store hats (Lids store in Chinook Mall does custom hats for cheap for example, my two together only cost 45$) the trainers at World Health Club Chinook all read my blog and then posted about it on their website. It was really cool and he said that they're all really impressed with my toughness during cancer treatment. He also says that other customers want to know about me because they think it's great that a young bald woman and her dad come to gym so often. Way to go us, be great this week even if you have to barf mid-way through.

Love,

Cailey