August 24 - Part III. I came home with a whole list of things I thought I should still do. Exercise was on that list. A few small tasks were on it too. There was technically still time left in the day, and that tiny voice in my head tried to turn “time” into “responsibility.” But my body had a different opinion. It was tired. Really tired. So instead of forcing myself through an imaginary productivity checklist, I listened. I ate some crackers with canned tuna, put on one of

August 24 - Part II. Some days ask for a homemade meal. Other days ask for a box of potatoes, frozen carrots, and whatever chicken is already waiting in the freezer. After spending time at the beach, I eventually made my way back home and started thinking about food. I had gone grocery shopping the day before with one goal in mind: buy things that would be easy to prepare. That may sound small, but it felt very necessary. I’ve been dealing with gastrointestinal issues for a w

August 24. Some victories do not look dramatic from the outside. Sometimes they look like walking along the shore in shorts and a T-shirt, letting the water touch your feet, and realizing you feel calm. August 24 started early for me. I woke up around 7:00 a.m., showered, got ready, and had breakfast before heading to an 8:20 a.m. appointment in Luquillo. I got to the clinic about five minutes early, expecting the usual waiting, but everything moved surprisingly fast. I check