Infusion #5

I have had a lot of people saying I need to give an update, so here it goes…

In June when I went in to have my 5th infusion, and I had some complications. My arm had been bothering me for quite a while, they started to worry by the look and symptoms of my arm, that the immunotherapy was causing a rare auto immune disease called eosinophilic fasciitis. So they decided to hold treatment and investigate this more. By the time I had gotten in to all of my appointments and scans the inflammation in my arm had gone down and to make a very long story short, it is still undetermined. We are watching it carefully and I will go in right away for a biopsy if the tissue flares up again.
July rolled around and they decided that my body seemed strong enough to go through with the next round, so I just had an infusion on the 21st, after a good 8 week break.

I am glad to be back at it. I definitely want to keep going and would love to finish this year of treatment, knowing I did what I could to fight this battle.

Through this break, I have had a lot of frustrations with my body, and I have been discouraged. Not being able to proceed normally with treatment in June made me feel a bit defeated.

It has got me thinking though. For a very very long time, I have been consumed with looking a certain way, or losing weight. I have never been content with the size or shape of my body. For years and years through teen years, young adulthood, and pregnancies/postpartum, I have been looking to achieve goals I have set for myself, never accepting my body for what it was. It is interesting how things have started shifting since my diagnosis. I am becoming more and more aware of just how little any of that matters. I am completely aware of all the energy and time I have put into something that means nothing in the scheme of things, and I wish I could get that time back!
Even with the frustrations of dealing with these health problems I am starting to realize more and more every day that I am strong, my body is incredible, and it is time I start being thankful for the wonderful things I have accomplished with this body! I have given birth to 4 beautiful, healthy children. I have a heart that beats. Legs that get me where I want to go. The list goes on and on, and you all get the point. Our bodies are phenomenal, we should treat them with the utmost respect.
If you know me you know I love my exercise, that will not change. In fact, it has helped get me through this year mentally, and I am so thankful that I have been able to continue feeling good enough to do that for the most part. I am really trying to focus on letting go of all of those frustrations I have with my body and my health, I’m trying to focus on all the things that I love about it. My body is a gift from our creator, a loving Heavenly Father, and I would not trade it for anything different. I have a beautiful life, and I cannot tell you how thankful I am that I am here on this earth with wonderful family and friends around me. I am grateful to be me.

Kate Blom