It is what it is.

I got a phone call from my Lady Dr this morning. Not how I wanted to start the day.

She had gone over the pathology from my biopsy, and it's not great. I heard a lot of big medical terms, some I understood, some I didn't, but it comes down to that lovely C-word.  Technically, Stage 0 cancer.

I'll be honest, I didn't know there was such a thing as stage 0, but as far as I understand, it means the bad cells were localized and (hopefully) completely removed. The margins were NOT clear, but my Dr feels confident that the cauterization would have gotten the layer of invasive cells. I'm willing to bet on her confidence at this point.

I was given the option of what to do next: wait and retest in April, or go ahead with a full hysterectomy.

That's a pretty big decision to make before noon.

I'm choosing to wait. I want to enjoy the holidays. I want to feel healthy and normal for a few months. I've been reassured that waiting is safe, and so I will. I want to run the Circular Logic marathon in March. And then we'll deal with this.

As soon as I hung up, my crazy-runner brain thought of an upside: if it comes to worst-case scenario and parts get yanked, the timing is as perfect as it could get- April to May is my lull between marathon training! And, if need be, I don't really need to worry about training for the Air Force Marathon this fall until the 1st week of June since it's later this year than in the past!!

SWEET!

So, body of mine, if I must go under the knife, at least it will fall during a training lull. My health is my number one priority, but running is how I deal with stress and anxiety, so knowing that I won't be side-lined from my bigger goals is very reassuring. Makes the C-word comparable to shin splints. Or a strained ligament. You know, just another obstacle to overcome.

As my dad would say if he were still living, it is what it is. I hope I haven't horrified anyone by sharing; my hope is that those who also need strength, no matter the reason, can find theirs.