Step One: STOP POISONING MYSELF!! Eliminate all alcohol, sugar, processed foods, meat and dairy products from diet. Bye-bye, Babyface. I'll miss you.
Consume as much fruits, veggies, leafy greens as possible. Good thing I love that stuff- No problem there! As my friend Shannon Rose says: Eat the rainbow!
- Holy cow, it's so good!
And this: tastes like ass Organic Flax Oil- 
YUM! Put it in smoothies, or with that tasty vinegar on salad or veggies. But don't take it straight. I'm just sayin'. . .
YUM! Put it in smoothies, or with that tasty vinegar on salad or veggies. But don't take it straight. I'm just sayin'. . .
Stuff I tried:
Not bad in a smoothie, okay in coffee, definitely an acquired taste
Dude. WOW. Pretty soon I'll learn how to make this stuff. WOW.
Other things I ate:
vegetarian chili with whole wheat pasta (AWESOME)
roasted veggies (peppers, zukes, squash, garlic, yams, onions) with safflower oil and spices (AWESOME)
organic whole grain bread (GOOD) with organic RAW honey (BETTER)
lots of salads with interesting veggies (REALLY GOOD) and that BADASS VINEGAR (WAY BETTER!)
smoothies with banana (always), green stuff, juices. (REALLY GOOD til you add flax oil)
Other things I did towards my New Life of Healthy Living:
Went to my support group at TWC.
Read, researched, walked, laughed, hung out with my girls all week, went to Flagstaff, loved.
Today I'm going to The Mind Body Connection program at TWC.
Thursday, also at TWC, is a class called Five Wishes. It shows you how to create a Living Will and deal with those issues.
You know, I really can't say enough good things about The Wellness Community. Almost every day there is something interesting, informative, fun, therapeutic, and educational- from networking groups specific to your cancer, to general support groups, kid stuff, exercise, yoga, meditation, art, book club, and Cooking For Life, as well as speakers on genetic counseling, new technology, information on clinical trials, chemo brain, dealing with side effects, and living your life during and after cancer. I have learned so much there! And I've made some wonderful new friends. I EVEN GOT MY KID TO GO, and if you know us, you know how hard that was to pull off. (he's 14 and has a hard time dealing with it- so he doesn't). If you have TWC in your area, I encourage you to GO. Best of all, it's totally free.
Oh yeah- last week I had my cardiology and pulmonology follow ups. Here's what they had to say:
Cardiologist: (when asked if HE would do chemo, not only once or twice, but a third time) "Well, Patty- as a medical doctor, I would encourage you to talk to your oncologist about your plan. He's a smart guy (I know). Personally, I would try chemo again. Then again, I wouldn't do the whole lifestyle change, either- if it came down to the matter of what I eat and how long I'm gonna live, I'll take the steak every time. ALSO, I do recommend getting the MUGA (heart scan) done whether you decide to do chemo or not".
Honesty is his policy, I guess. I like it. He ALSO (ding ding ding!) said I could go off the BP meds I've been on since I had the heart attack last year. He told me to stay on the Coumadin (blood thinner) for awhile and he will monitor that weekly for me.
Pulmonologist: Well, Patty- it looks like your lungs are clear, and that the Valley Fever seems to have resolved. You can quit taking the Diflucan (anti-fungal) now. I'll be interested to see how your choices turn out! I would advise you to thoroughly research naturopathic doctors and nutritionists, because "anyone" can claim to be a nutritionist or a naturopath. Make sure they are N.M.D., and a Registered Dietician before embarking on your new journey towards better living. Call me when you need me!" I really love that guy.
Tomorrow (tomorrow, there's always tomorrow) I get to lay all this on my oncologist- my decision to not do any more chemotherapy, my desire to detox and purify my body, and my commitment to healthy living and well being. Hopefully, he will give me full support. After all, I do still have cancer, and he is my oncologist. It's not like he's going to drop me as a patient or anything just because I don't want any more chemo. I still need to have labwork done and a scan now and then to see how things look. I will ask him why a biopsy was not offered. Hmm.
So that was my week. How was yours? Love you all!
Thursday, also at TWC, is a class called Five Wishes. It shows you how to create a Living Will and deal with those issues.
You know, I really can't say enough good things about The Wellness Community. Almost every day there is something interesting, informative, fun, therapeutic, and educational- from networking groups specific to your cancer, to general support groups, kid stuff, exercise, yoga, meditation, art, book club, and Cooking For Life, as well as speakers on genetic counseling, new technology, information on clinical trials, chemo brain, dealing with side effects, and living your life during and after cancer. I have learned so much there! And I've made some wonderful new friends. I EVEN GOT MY KID TO GO, and if you know us, you know how hard that was to pull off. (he's 14 and has a hard time dealing with it- so he doesn't). If you have TWC in your area, I encourage you to GO. Best of all, it's totally free.
Oh yeah- last week I had my cardiology and pulmonology follow ups. Here's what they had to say:
Cardiologist: (when asked if HE would do chemo, not only once or twice, but a third time) "Well, Patty- as a medical doctor, I would encourage you to talk to your oncologist about your plan. He's a smart guy (I know). Personally, I would try chemo again. Then again, I wouldn't do the whole lifestyle change, either- if it came down to the matter of what I eat and how long I'm gonna live, I'll take the steak every time. ALSO, I do recommend getting the MUGA (heart scan) done whether you decide to do chemo or not".
Honesty is his policy, I guess. I like it. He ALSO (ding ding ding!) said I could go off the BP meds I've been on since I had the heart attack last year. He told me to stay on the Coumadin (blood thinner) for awhile and he will monitor that weekly for me.
Pulmonologist: Well, Patty- it looks like your lungs are clear, and that the Valley Fever seems to have resolved. You can quit taking the Diflucan (anti-fungal) now. I'll be interested to see how your choices turn out! I would advise you to thoroughly research naturopathic doctors and nutritionists, because "anyone" can claim to be a nutritionist or a naturopath. Make sure they are N.M.D., and a Registered Dietician before embarking on your new journey towards better living. Call me when you need me!" I really love that guy.
Tomorrow (tomorrow, there's always tomorrow) I get to lay all this on my oncologist- my decision to not do any more chemotherapy, my desire to detox and purify my body, and my commitment to healthy living and well being. Hopefully, he will give me full support. After all, I do still have cancer, and he is my oncologist. It's not like he's going to drop me as a patient or anything just because I don't want any more chemo. I still need to have labwork done and a scan now and then to see how things look. I will ask him why a biopsy was not offered. Hmm.
So that was my week. How was yours? Love you all!
Wow - that was quite a mouthful.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I've ever been so tickled over a post ever before from anyone! WHEEEEEEEE!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, and just to be clear, I'm not nutritionist, or a N.DO.DOFND.S whatever but I DO rock pretty hard so that counts, right?
What?? Shan! You're not a N-DODO-FND.S??? Oh shit. I'll have to rethink everything now.
ReplyDeleteYes, you DO rock hard! I am so grateful to have you as my friend! I love you!
You are courageous! I just don't know what I'd do after all you have been through. You need to be there for your child...........you need to BE. We all need to BE. This damn cancer anyway. I'm sending prayers to you. Our bodies do have healing abilities, trust in you and trust in God.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless and Be Love,
Denise
Congratulations! We should all be learning a lesson from you and from your friend, Shannon. Research after research confirms stress and the American diet are feeders for cancer. To know you have found peace in your decision is heart warming. What a surprise that a Higgins would find healthy food so appetizing! I may jump on your band wagon. See you soon. We'll do vinegar and greens and eat the rainbow. Love you!
ReplyDeleteWishing you well as you continue this journey! I'd be eating this way, too, except my Hubby, due to health concerns of his own, requires a totally diff diet.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.