I got to be...

Since March 16, I've been a cancer patient.  Doctors appointments, blood work, chemo treatments, hospital stay, scans, mammograms, etc.  That's been my life for the past four months.  I have focused on the goal and taken each step as was necessary.

We just returned from Abigail's freshman orientation at Cal Poly and, while we were gone, I got to be someone else for the 3 days.  Other than the fact that my eyes are still watering from chemo, I didn't have much of a reminder that I'm still a cancer patient.  And that's a good thing!  It was so nice to be focused on something else.

While we were gone,

I got to be a Cal Poly alumni.  I will admit it's pretty surreal being back on campus for our daughter's start at Cal Poly. It's been 21 years since Andy and I graduated.

I got to be a former San Luis Obipso resident.  We walked to Farmers Market from our hotel and walked by the house that I lived in my sophomore year.  It looks so different!

I got to be a mom of a kid going off to college.  The parents were separated from the students for most of the orientation.  We had a day and a half of sessions of how to prepare our student (and ourselves) for moving away from home and the start of college.

I got to be a consumer of adult beverages.  I haven't had anything to drink since my treatment started.  It was nice to be able to have one each night.

I got to be someone who was reminded how hilly and spread out the Cal Poly campus is.  My feet were definitely hurting by the end of this day.

I can't tell you how great it felt to do some "normal" things.  We will take Abigail back down mid-September and get her moved into the dorms.  That will be tough to drop her off.  As hard at it will be for us, I'm very excited for her to start this new chapter.