What's That You Say, Mrs. Robinson?

I'm OK to Go!

I've decided to resurrect my old blog in part as a communication tool to update people in my life about my current situation, but also as a tool and outlet for myself. If you know me well, you know I tend to be pretty transparent about myself, for better, or worse. If you don't know me well, this will become more clear in the coming months. This journey I'm embarking on is in no way unique, unfortunately. Way too many people have gone through this already, and too many will follow. Perhaps there is a nugget I will share here that will help you or someone you know down the line. 

Here is where I am: 

Three weeks ago I had a surgery to remove a cyst on my right ovary. Ultimately, I ended up having everything removed - both ovaries and tubes, uterus, cervix, lymph nodes in the area and a whole bunch of endometriosis related tissue that was all over my abdomen. They tried to do it laparoscopically, but to be thorough, had to open me up completely. I've since been recovering with about a 12 inch vertical incision. Anyone who has had abdominal surgery knows how hard it is to heal from this. You really find out how much you use your core on a minute by minute basis. My recovery is moving right along. Slower than I would like, but then I can be really impatient with myself sometimes. I'm actually right on track.

Here's the kicker.

The cyst on my ovary was cancer. It appeared contained and a biopsy of all of the other "stuff" they took out showed zero cancer anywhere else, including (WHEW) my lymph nodes. If you have any experience with cancer though, you know that you are never 100% sure. I'm young and healthy and have a long life to live yet, so we've decided to be aggressive and treat this with a round of chemotherapy. Some might disagree on this approach and I can respect that. I have decided to do it because it's the right path for me. 

As we've shared the news with family and close friends, the questions I get the most are "Are you ready for this? Are you OK? This is kind of scary, are you sure you are up for this?" To these questions, I offer the following clip from one of my very favorite movies of all time, Contact. (If you've never seen it, SEE IT. It's on Netflix). It's not just the words that apply, but the whole vibe of this scene. I have a lot of trusted people in my control room, all playing a different role, but all with a common purpose. A special nod to Dan, my head of mission control, who has been down this road before and who has been an absolute angel by my side already. Although there is the unknown, some fear and full knowledge that what's ahead is going to really rough, I want to send the message loud and clear, just the way that Jody Foster's character is here:

I imagine that I'll document my journey, or parts of it, here for anyone who is interested. Because my day to day energy and head-space is at the top of my priority list, I don't know how often I'll post but this is my plan anyway.

I'm certain that some of you have either direct or second hand experience with this and will have some advice or other nuggets of info to share. Please DO! I'm all ears. While I'm attacking this with the western medicine approach, I'm also very much including other approaches in my treatment and care plan: meditation, essential oils, art therapy, counseling, salt lamps, yoga (when I'm physically able). I will consider anything. Bring it. 

Because, I'm OK to go!

 

Today is as good a day as any

Note to self:

When is a good time to start focusing on eating well, being more physically active, and paying attention to what is good for the body, and the soul?

Today.

And don't beat yourself up about all of the other times you've started and then stopped this. It's not in the falling down, it's in the getting up.

I'm getting back up.

And I'm bringing people with me. I know Dan is game for this. We have been doing good things on and off, but I will commit to making those good things happen more often. And I know that he will not only support me this time, but that we can do this together. It's a bit easier that way, you know.

And my friend Deb is doing it, too. We've only met a couple of times, but our journeys have been somewhat parallel. Go Deb! 

Today was a good start. One of the strategies that works well for me is tracking the calories I put in my body. Here is what I've had today (so far):

1 medium banana
1 cup of coffee with a teaspoon of creamer
1/2 turkey sandwich on a whole wheat roll w/lettuce, tomato, onions and peppercinis.
1 cup of fresh fruit (grapes, pineapple, honeydew and cantaloupe)
1 tall vanilla latte

I will now go to SparkPeople and enter this info and see what the damage has been how well I did today at fueling my body. And I'll find a way to get some exercise this evening.

And I'll be happy with my day. One day at a time.

Heart Matters

I know many of you are well aware of the issues that women face with heart disease. But on the off chance that you don't, please make sure that you read this article on CNN about the new heart guidelines for women.

When you think of someone having a heart attack, if you're like me, you picture it being a man. But heart disease is more prevalent in women than we ever thought. I would summarize some of the recommendations for you on how to lessen your chances, but you really should read the whole thing for yourself. Seriously.

If our hearts don't work, the rest just doesn't matter. Please be good to yourself.

More bang for your buck

If you're going to eat it, make it count.

In my quest to loose weight, I am not just concerned with the pounds. As a long-term strategy, I am also looking at my overall health. I come from a family full of diabetics (did you know that Halle Berry is diabetic?) and folks who have suffered from heart issues. My Mother-in-Law (who used to live in Berkeley AND Santa Cruz) is, by comparison to most people I know, a health food nut. I mean this in the most endearing way. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to what is good for your body and what is not. I learn a lot from her, and from other people in my life who are also on the quest for a healthier way of being.