“Six years ago I had a brain tumor removed. It was getting into areas that were potentially inoperable. I thought for sure it meant I was going to die. They ended up taking out almost my entire right temporal lobe. After surgery, I felt horrible. I gained a lot of weight. I wasn’t able to be physically active. It took me a long time to recover. I had headaches. I didn’t feel quite the same. I had a hard time remembering things. A year after the surgery, I started working out …a lot. I needed to do something. It just felt like it was time to get things back in order. Not only did it help me physically, but mentally as well. I was able to focus better. It gave me more energy and it just seemed like I felt back to my normal self again. Every 6 months when I go in for my follow up MRI scan is when I get a little nervous. They’re sure that it will reoccur. They can never get all the cells because there’s always a few cells that can go behind what they can image. There’s a lot that is unknown about brain cancer. Treatments are still being developed and there’s new potential. I’m very hopeful. I’m trying to stay as healthy as I can for as long as I can because if the brain tumor decides it wants to start growing really fast, maybe I can prolong my life long enough where there will be new treatment that is effective. Working out has kind of become the foundation of what makes me feel centered and grounded. I feel like taking the time to take care of myself has made me a better mom, a better wife and a better person. It’s gotten to the point now where I schedule workouts every week and it’s always worth it to me. I want to be here for my kids. I want to be healthy enough to keep up with them. This whole experience has definitely made me appreciate life a lot more. I try to live in the moment and appreciate what is right here and right now.”