I've Come So Far...and Still Have A Ways To Go....

I still remember that time right before I was diagnosed with cancer. For two nights I really struggled with my workout. That second night I had Plyometrics! For those of you who have never done P90X, let me tell ya...PLYO X is a mutha!!! Most exercises are only 30 seconds each, BUT... jumping around like a mad person for about an hour would put anybody in their place! At the end of my first 90 days of P90X, even though the workouts were still challenging, I was able to get through them without feeling like I was going to die. But on that night, it was so hard and I felt so bad that I only made it through the first ten minutes of the workout.I had to quit! Even though I felt bad that I had to quit the workout, I was worried because I couldn't finish a workout that I was able to finish just a week before. My thoughts were that I should be kicking this workout in the butt, but physically I just wasn't able to do it. Because I wasn't able to do it physically, it forced me to look at myself mentally and say, 'WHY CAN'T I FINISH IT?" It was discouraging to say the least, but I knew that I had to figure out why I felt so bad. It was about a week later when I found out I was bleeding internally from a tumor that turned out to be cancer....

So fast forward to a few days ago. I was doing Plyo X again and it felt great. As a matter of fact, for some of the moves, I moved from the modified versions to doing the actual moves. I was able to keep up "with the kids" and it felt good. I kinda mentioned this to my wife and told her, "Hon...do you remember when  I barely could do this workout right before I got sick?" She shook her head and said "Yea!"

It made really think about how far I have come since I made the decision to get fit. I did one round of P90X and was in the best shape I have ever been in. My diabetes was under control and other health factors such as high blood pressure was also in check. But as I got those things under control, the cancer diagnosis turned my world around. After going through chemo and radiation and going through surgery I knew that it would probably be a while before I could get back to P90X. I was told that I would have a 6-8 week recovery period after the surgery. I waited eight weeks and than it was on!!! I started my second round of P90X and it was R-O-U-G-H! After not doing any kind of physical activity for about 6 months, P90X was even more of a challenge than it was the first time I did it. BUT...I kept going...I kept pressing play!!! At the end of the day I know that I have come along way...but I also know that as far as I've come, I also know that I still have a ways to go. Now that I have come out clean on the other side of cancer, my priorities have changed when it come to fitness and health. At first I was happy just to lose some weight and get my diabetes under control. But now, there is always a chance that the cancer can come back. So now my focus is still to get healthy and STAY healthy, but I also know that everyday that goes by is a blessing and I owe it to myself and to my family to keep on pressing forward. I have come a long way...but I still have a ways to go....