I never thought I would be so excited to return to my normal life. I went to work today leaving from my sister's house but not with the tiredness of recovering from a chemo weekend (luckily that is so far behind me). I am refreshed and rejuvenated and ready for this new year. And tonight I will return to my own house and and my normal routine.

As much as I am joyful, I am also a bit melancholy. My sister, Joyce, opened not only her home but her heart to me. I have never laughed so much as I did while recovering at her house. She made this time so easy for me. And on top of that, she helped me clean and reorganize my house so that I could truly get off to a fresh start. I am not sure she realizes what a gift she gave me.

As for my healing, I am feeling great. The swelling has reduced tremendously. I still have swollen areas, but this is to be expected. I don't have the shooting pains or aches and feel only the slightest restriction of movement. Driving felt fine, even in the rainy commute. In just one week, I will have the first expansion. Or as I like to say, puberty begins on January 10th.

I join fellow blogger, Dana, in making this a year of no excuses. There is no excuse to not take care of myself... there is no excuse for not embracing my relationships and spending more time with friends and family... no excuse not to vacation and relax... no excuse for over-extending and over-committing myself.... no excuse for allowing fear to hold me back from anything... There are simply no excuses that will justify me not living a full, joyous life that expresses my gratitude to God for this gift of life.

No excuses. This survivor is going to enjoy life and live it passionately in 2005. Won't you join me?