Snow!

I realized today how much I'm loving winter for the first time in years. I can finally do stuff in the cold without coughing or having my lungs seize as soon as I step outside. It's a wonderful thing.

I wouldn't say that I enjoyed the Toronto winters, in fact, they were pretty cold and terrible. There wasn't any real snow but the bitter wind was brutal for my poor lungs and body. I spent as much time as possible inside trying to find ways to avoid the outside. The few things we did outside were done on strategically nice winter days and mostly involved walking from one warm building to another (like at the zoo).

This winter is already so much better! Being able to breathe while I do things feels fantastic. I actually want to go outside and be active in the cold. I think the amazing jacket I got for Christmas that keeps me toasty warm helps but these replacement lungs are really doing their job well. I'm still not as physically strong as I would like since being out of the hospital but I'm getting there slowly.

Isaiah and I have been out for a few more little snowshoes around the Springhill trails. The snow we're getting tonight will be great for snowshoeing and for the ski hill which Amy and I are hoping to throw ourselves down on Monday.

I'm really trying to fit as much in as I can before the side-effects kick in. Ideally they would stay away and I'm a bit hopeful that it will be better this time as I'm currently day four post-chemo with day three on the white cell booster shots and feeling good. My only side-effect so far this cycle are headaches on and off as warned from the spinal tap.

However, my hope may be a bit too early as for cycle 1 and 2, it wasn't until day four and five when the jaw pain started with everything else following soon after. I'm really hoping that I don't wake up tomorrow with pain, I want to play in the new fluffy snow, not sit around popping Tylenol. Fingers crossed my body agrees with me!

Pretty berries amongst the white and grey.