It's been about 3 weeks since I've taken medical leave from my workplace.  Today I thought it would be a nice to stop by my workplace and surprise everyone with a visit.  It should be okay since I have my 2nd round of chemo in just 2 days, so my white blood count should be up enough to go out a little while in public.  That's one of the hardest things about doing chemo ---avoiding germs and infections by isolating myself.

Boy, it was so nice  to get out---seeing old friends again, all the love and encouragement, and just being part of the real world again.  It was surreal like going back in time and visiting an old familar place from my past.  Yes, in only 3 weeks, it seems like forever.  It helped to cheer me up but also reminded me of how different things are now for me.  You think it would be wonderful to take medical leave as if it's a long vacation, but the reality is that you are faced with your own physical and mental battles every day and that's a big challenge.  In a heartbeat, I would trade to go back and face the early Monday mornings, the daily stress and problems, and everything that goes with working again.   I wish I had that choice.