I’m gonna keep this post fairly simple today, and let the videos steal the show.

To sum it up, the ol’ post cancer bod doesn’t work quite the way it used to.  Not much more I can say than that.  I creak,  I overheat, I screech,  I feel like everyone’s first car that their parents bought real cheap to let them go ahead and run ragged,  while they practiced learning how to drive.  It works, you’re totally thankful to just have a car at all… but seriously, when those fancy cars speed past as the light turns green (and you can’t keep up cuz your just getting up to 10mph with your engine overheating already)… it’s a lil’ humbling.  To say the least.  At least I got a new paint job? Ha! (Gotta laugh, right?)

So, for now…

That’s just it.  For NOW, it is what it is.  But that’s just it.  This is how it is now.  Maybe some of it will last, maybe not.

But I’m comin’ back.  Baby steps.  But steps nonetheless.

……………….

GETTIN’ MY GROOVE BACK

I mean, Stella Got Her Groove Back, right?  Why can’t I?

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It started after my last surgery with our “In Hospital Family Music Video” as a Thank you to our surgeon and staff…

CLICK FOR OUR FAM’S YOUTUBE DEBUT!!

(please excuse my moves, my friends, I was a wee bit sore, to say the least! Yikes! ‘Twas the pain pills that made me do it? Nah… ’twas my kids… Nah… ’twas me.   ‘Twas just plain old me.  Can’t help m’self)

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So there was that.

As you can see my moves were a tad limited by the oh so lovely girdle, stitches, 4 drains, and bandages surrounding my whole torso at the time.  So I spent a lot of time easing into my daily life. And becoming, eventually, one of these moms….

(Click below for MUST SEE VIDEO)

ACTIVEWEAR VIDEO

(for the many non-active things we do in our “active wear”!  bahahaha!!!) Must watch!

*Special thanks to my bro and sis-in-law for their lead on this epic video!

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And now?

Well, some days it seems as though the chemo is purging out of my joints and bones so loudly that I may have a job in a Haunted House just in time for Halloween, or better yet… I’m being prepared for Brad Pitt’s sequel movie, “The Curious Case of Buna Buttons“?

Honestly, those days don’t seem to last so long.  Some times when they hit, they overwhelm me so much I feel like I’m wearing goggles underwater and all the water just won’t stop rushing in, no matter how many times I try adjust them!  Yet, other days, I wake up… and none of those things matter.  Just a bunch of little things. (And ya know what how I’ve always felt about “every little thing!”) If I can turn on the TV and see one legged Olympians winning medals on the track, blind war veterans training new recruits, and gymnasts with no legs doing quadruple somersaults because they said, “HECK NO!! I’M CAN DO THIS.”

Then so can I.

They saw their purpose.  They always knew they were born to do something important, and no matter how big their obstacles, they did whatever the heck had to do and ….BAM!!! They went for it.

I grew up as a dancer, I met my hubbie while training for a marathon while we worked in a gym, my family celebrate til the sun comes down if you keep a good beat kickin. So what’d I do…

Woke up at 5am today, pushed play…AGAIN (as part of my Beachbody onDemand Workout Challenge) and chose a HIP HOP workout routine…’cuz I ain’t scared!  Haha!  I had fun, I sweat, and I did what made me feel good.  I felt alive!!!!  It will build from there, and I’ll do more and more every day. 

I LOOOOVE TO DANCE.

I LOOOOOVE TO PLAY WITH MY FAMILY.

I LOOOOOVE TO RUN.

I LOOOOOOVE TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY.

I LOOOOOOOVE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME AND LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST.

Cancer didn’t stop me last year.  Why should it now?

Or in my case, since I’m not much on lip stick… I’ll go with the yoga pants and the active wear! But, I got you, Liz.  I got you!

Last year, I opened up a PRAYER WALL here, a place for people to comment and send me their intentions. It started as something that became the best source of both medicine and distraction… the greatest healthy outlet and channel for me when my body, mind and spirit felt like they were falling apart.

Well these past few weeks, I started malfunctioning, so to speak, and just this weekend, it dawned on me… “I need my prayer wall again!”

So whether you comment on this, prefer to email them to me with a more private intention at teambuna@gmail.com, or simply take this as an opportunity to pause as you’re reading this and pray, it all works.

However, I found that when praying in and for this community, the graces doubled and tripled.  When people shared their intentions in comment posts for others to pray as well, we all got graces from it, dont’ ya think? It felt like superpowers.  I felt like I turned into the Hulk!! All, except my clothes didn’t rip, my skin didn’t turn green, lil’ less on the anger, and I’m still not even 5’4″ … Hmm? Maybe a bad example?

lou forigno will forever be my only hulk, sorry folks

Today, in particular, I’m begging you to intercede for the prayers of a special friend that you’ll find on my SUPPORT THE TEAM PAGE.  Ever 2 weeks, to one month, (as needed) I update this spot to inform us all of special families who need our help both in prayer and monetary assistance.  These are people that I can honestly stand behind because I personally know their story and can tell you it’s legit and my heart is with them. I won’t steer you wrong.

So many people are hurting out their, but in the same light, the people whom I find are reaching out for help and are in need of prayer are finding so much joy in their suffering.  Who knew?  Families drawing closer together, friends spending time to gether around infusion chairs, communities drawing together for prayer services, serving families for meals, pouring out love in cards, and dropping off secret admirer gifts…

or even for me… my whole day and my whole week just did a 180 with 3 separate get togethers with fellow cancer survivors that just entirely lifted my spirits in a way that I just can’t even tell you at just the perfect timing… followed by the most AMAZING SURPRISE at my front door step from a family reaching deep down into their hearts to pay it forward and give us a gift of joy and celebration for our whole family that will be remembered for a lifetime.

We are connected in prayer, we are connected in service, we are connected in love.  

With God… nothing is impossible.

So please, COMMENT ON THIS BLOG OR MY PRAYER WALL PAGE send us your intentions so we can all take all of those rough patches, that funk, that pain, those side effects, those grumbling moments at work that never seem to end and just scroll over the comments on either prayer wall and “PRAY IT FORWARD” and just channel it for good.  ‘Cuz isn’t that what “TEAM BUNA” is all about anyway… GOOD (aka: the actual meaning of Buna).  Let’s do this!

LET’S DO THIS…

I know that during this whole “aftermath” of Cancer, I’ve need prayer in a major, major way.  And having your intentions keeps me focused and moving forward.  It gives me the graces that I need.  And I know YOU need it too.  And if you click on my SUPPORT THE TEAM link, COREY PETRO and his family need your prayers and support TODAY!!!!

Please don’t delay.

Every little thing’s gonna alright, that’s for sure…

And likewise…

Every little prayer matters, every little person…