What's Boot Camp Got To Do With It?

Pretty much everything.  It's been  three weeks since I was able to attend my last boot camp.  I miss the workouts, but the people more!  They were such a great support system when I was first diagnosed and I'm bummed that I don't get to see them every day.  I will say that I don't miss getting up at 5 a.m. though.   I've been so lucky to have gotten to know such an amazing and supportive group of people!  On my last day of camp before surgery, I showed up and a bunch of them were wearing t-shirts that said "Fight Like a Girl" in support.  So awesome!





For the past year, I've been what you might consider a psycho boot camper.  I went Monday through Friday for 50 straight weeks-missing only three days in September because I had Vertigo.  The 5:30 am class (which was my class of choice) had a pretty regular group of people that attended.  As you can imagine,  I've gotten to know some of them very well and consider them good friends.  One of the avid campers, Kimberly, was diagnosed with breast cancer the day after me.  Can you believe it?  Although neither of us would like to see the other going through this, we both felt fortunate to have someone going through pretty much the exact same thing, at the exact same time.  What a blessing...and a curse.  I had t-shirts made for Kimberly and I that said "Cancer's Nothin'!  I Survived Peri-Lyn!".  Peri-Lyn is our trainer and was a huge inspiration and resource this past year.  I'm also afraid of her.  Just kidding.  Not really.  I love you Peri-Lyn!

I know that all of the hard work I put in this past year has prepared me for this moment.  Furthermore, if I hadn't lost all the weight, I'm not sure I ever would have found a lump.  So thank you Snohomish Boot Camp for changing and SAVING my life!