for what it's worth

This is me, post 2012 Turkey Trot 5 mile Race. Yes, I'm a smiling goofball. So happy to have crossed the finish line! It was CRAZY  with hills!! I thought I'd die from those hills! They felt more like mountains to this flatland Panhandle girl! I managed to run the race with 20,000+ other people and averaged about a 12 minute mile. I had to really push through those hills and ended up "power walking" most of the uphill portions. I crossed the finish line at 1:02. It's not fast by any means but it isn't too bad either. It was a total adrenaline rush! I loved being in the middle of all these people striving for the same goal. So many people with varying skill levels and different walks of life coming together to complete a singular task, to cross a finish line. Such fun! These guys here, ------------------------------------> were my running buddies. Ben (with the beard) is my bro-n-law and his friend Adam is the other guy. Adam left us in the dus...

Oh the drama!! Who will be the next president of the United States?? So tonight is the night. Today we will have decided who sits in the oval office answering to the coveted title of Mr. President. Will it be Obama or Romney? The hubs and I were in Vegas during the Gore/Bush election. It was a strange feeling, going to bed NOT knowing who the next US president would be. When we woke up the next day, we were still amazed that there was still no final decision. We went weeks not knowing who would be our leader. And it was ugly. This election may prove just as exciting... I am not political, passionately anyway. I know where I stand and what I believe in. I know what is best for our personal welfare and I vote accordingly. I do not make a big deal out of it. I don't challenge my friends and family who feel differently. I think this is a privilege we should not exploit. I love that we have the option to choose our governing bodies. This is the beauty of being an American c...

It never fails, when I am on the run--this is when I will have a major ostomy malfunction! My solution to this is not to crawl under a rock and hide;  though that would be very nice sometimes, it is to keep a stash of supplies in my car at all times. I found a small backpack (not even big enough to hold a school binder) that fits nicely under my car's seat. I love this little thing! It cost me about $9 at Walmart and it's worth it's weight in gold.  It has saved my butt (hee hee) more times than not. I can grab it and do a quick pouch or even, the whole ostomy change right in my car. I've also taken it in to numerous convenience stores, restaurants, and other public areas. It has everything I need in it. The nice thing is it doesn't shout OSTOMY either. Here's how I fill my little back pack: Disposal Ziplock Bag Ostomy Pouch Wafer Eakin Seal Skin Prep wipe Flushable Baby Wipes I take items 2-5 and I place one of each inside one disposal ziplock ...

Ever have a moment when you scream and yell, let the obscenities fly, hurl insults like chinese throwing stars? Act like you've told your kids never to do? Throw a fit like a spoiled brat? I do. I did. Yesterday. *cringe* Not sure what got into me other than a moment of pure insanity. I said some terrible things in anger and now I'm left cleaning up the shattered pieces. Good job Monnie. I lost my temper which is honestly pretty rare. Usually I am so laid back. I guess I've been letting some issues hide under the rug and then it was like the Titanic hitting the ice burg. I went down fast and hard taking everyone with me. Ugly, plain and simple. Today is going to be a little rough with all the fallout. Here goes nothing...

Um, yeah... This is how I feel sometimes. Taking the high road is HARD but I never regret it. When I do act out in anger or frustration, I regret it every darn time. Am I the only one who feels like this? Like punching and slashing? (You're lying if you tell yourself you never feel this way.) Here's my experience in NOT taking the high road: I had to double back on my miles, apologize and do major friend maintenance. If I had only taken the high road, I would have eventually seen that the person who lashed out at me was actually not angry with me but having some major issues in her own life. Instead, I allowed my own hurt feelings to dictate my actions causing even more damage in the long run. It makes my stomach hurt every time I think about what I said. Thankfully, we are still friends but it will never be the same. I regret that. Well, I'm headed out to run for the 1st time in 2 weeks after battling a sinus infection. I'm so ready but a little nervous, I kn...

After 72 hours in the canyon at a women's retreat, I am inspired to be the woman God has called me to be. Sometimes when you step out of your comfort zone, the reward is far bigger than you can ever imagine. I went out on a limb this weekend and told a little bit of what I've gone through over the past year and how God was so faithful during that time to the women on this retreat. The idea was to help someone else who may be struggling with illness or depression. What happened was this: I was reminded of just how beautiful it is to be loved by God and how He was with me at every point during those dark days of illness and long hospital stays. And even now, He continues to be by my side faithfully. I also realized that I've totally taken Him for granted as I've become healthier and healthier. Wow. (And not 'wow' in a good way.)  It made me sick to my stomach that I could be so stinkin' shallow and self-centered. How quickly I'd forgotten all those d...

Did you know that today, October 6th 2012, is World Ostomy Awareness Day? Until last year, I wouldn't have either. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have even cared before that. Ostomies, bowel disease and bowel cancers do not get the same appreciation as other cancers such as breast cancer. I'm not dissing on breast cancer by any means, it's just as horrible and I applaud the efforts of survivors and charities supporting it. I just want the same for recognition for bowel issue sufferers. So today, I am going to be 100% on fire for my ostomy. Why? So glad you asked! Plain and simple: it gave me my life back. Yep, that's it in a bag (uh hum, cheesy, I know). This little bag on the right side of my belly has given me more to be thankful for than I could've ever imagined before. The old saying "You don't know what you have until it's gone..." Yeah, so true. A person tends to take their health for granted when there is nothing wrong. Throw in a bad...