I haven't updated in a while but that doesn't mean I haven't been sparking. :)

So, April has been a good -- but rough -- month for me. My PhD defense is looming (mid-summer) and I'm working around the clock on that. But I've been finding more and more ways to incorporate daily workouts into my life (I'm back to swimming laps! ).

Most importantly, my SO and I have found that we love taking evening walks together with my (well, now our) dog. It's just so wonderful to be able to walk again. Anyone with mobility issues knows what I'm talking about. No matter how hard you try not to let it, being unable to move as freely as you want eats at you.

The pain in my leg has really abated since the surgery. FINALLY. Having him remove the hardware that was messing with my tendons and nerves (plus creating bone spurs) has just made such a difference.

I'm up to walking 1.5 miles in a single stretch! What a difference from my last post when walking 0.6 miles was tough. I regularly get 5000-6000 steps a day; most so far is 8000 and I'm always pushing forward.

Plus, I've seen the benefit of the added swimming and walking in my weight loss efforts. I've nearly doubled what I lost in March in April. That's really exciting. Plus, sticking to my diet has just been really easy this month despite the added activity. I can tell my body WANTS to be healthier. :)

So there's all the good. Now for the rough... well, the stress. Oh. My. Goodness. It's about near to kill me sometimes. I've also started a new drug that is, well, a chemotherapy (no, I do not have cancer). But it's an immune suppressant. I was on a different, milder one earlier in the year. I have some autoimmune issue that is causing really bad joint pain/issues, and we're trying to get it under control. The down side is that this drug wipes me out for days. It's only second week on it... I'm hoping it will get better. But if this lethargy and exhaustion keeps up, I just don't know if I can do it at the same time I'm finishing my PhD.

I'm looking forward to May. I'm looking forward to longer walks, that gradually turn into walks in the woods, that one day turn back into overnight hikes. I look forward to swimming laps 3x this week... then 4x a week... then 5x. I look forward to getting back under 300 pounds. I'm looking forward to the end of my PhD, and my transition to a new position in a new city.

Mostly, I'm looking forward to life.