The G word

So I finally took my cap and gown out of the bag today even though I got it a few weeks ago.  Obviously, I still have not fully accepted the fact that I am actually graduating.  It was only 9 months or so ago that my doctor was telling me that I would most likely have to drop out of school. Being the motivated person that I am, that was not an option for me.  That's not to say that this was year has not been a challenge for me.  In order to be able to graduate on time, I really had to prioritize. 

I am the type of person who loves staying busy, always running around getting stuff done and trying new things. I love exercising and just being active, and hate being stuck in the house!  I am also such a morning person that I would spring out of bed at 7 or 8 in the morning and workout or do homework just to start off the day.  As you can imagine, this new lifestyle was very, very tough for me to grasp.  I learned that I would need to rest my body and really limit my activity meaning no more working out, and no more of the morning runs that I love.  I was so tired that I literally could not wake up in the morning even if I had gone to bed earlier the night before.  So basically, between the fatigue and body aches, I was told to really take it easy meaning I would need to stay resting in my apartment.  As you can imagine, I was going to have to miss out on a lot of social events.  

So how did I mesh this new lifestyle in with the lifestyle I typically lived at school?  I continued to drag myself out of bed early because with Lyme, getting out of bed is a very long process so this kept me from being late to class.  My typical morning at that time: I would wake up, shower, get back in bed until I had enough energy to get ready, start getting ready for the day and taking breaks in between.  I drank lots and lots of coffee just to get through an average morning routine.  I was so sick that I could barely walk to and from class so I would come right back to my apartment and get back in bed.  I finished all of my school work while I was laying in bed.  So yeah, aside from a handful of social events and doctors appointments, I spent majority of my first semester of my senior year....in my bed.  And yes, I did suck as much as it sounds.

Now I am three weeks away from graduation, I have definitely improved from these past months, but I still have a ways to go.  I now have more energy to do more things I just need to prioritize and save my energy for the most important things.  As bittersweet as it is to leave the place I have made some of the best memories in the past four years, I am so incredibly happy to be graduating because it is a huge accomplishment for me.  It just goes to show, that if you want it bad enough, and try hard enough you can make it happen, no matter what gets in your way!

Until next time,
Julie