Sunday, January 18, 2009

Hot Flashes Can Be Useful

The weather here in the Northeast can be best described using that nasty four letter word: COLD!!! I do not believe the temperature gauge registered above 20 this week. And oh yeah - that other four letter word keeps cropping (or should I say piling) up - SNOW. I have been sticking to the treadmill for my runs which is not all that exciting. (I have run in 17 degree weather which actually has not been bad and I have a running partner as crazy as I am; shout out to you Amy!) So, the side effects I suffer most from by taking tamoxifen, hot flashes, have actually come in quite handy this week! No more nights fighting Greg for the blankets; he can have them as I am heated from the inside out!

This week promises to be one of new beginnings as Barack Obama will become our President. His mantra of change brings to me a message of hope. I do not envy the man as he walks into the mire of economic woes and foreign conflict that highlight the daily news. I have been trying to pay attention to his thoughts around health care and what impact it may have on me not only as a patient but as an employee of a health care company. The use of an electronic medical record resonates loudly with me as I constantly cite my example of going to three different departments in the same hospital on the same day and completing the same paperwork and signing the same privacy form. Wouldn't it be nice if they could just share? We live in an incredible time of medical advance; I am excited to see what the future brings now that I am convinced I'll be around to see it!

Myself, I plan to keep running and promoting breast cancer awareness. I am shooting for possibly two marathons this year: the Nike Race for Women in San Francisco and, if I get in, the ING Marathon in NYC. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Today I am looking at 7 miles on my treadmill. Yuck. The Hyannis 1/2 is about a month away so I need to do it. Looks like I'll be turning on the TV and watching whatever mindless drivel can take me away from the fact I am not getting anywhere!

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