Monday, March 12, 2012

FAQs

People seem to ask me the same questions about this, so I thought I would answer them here – in case others want to know also…I have no idea what y’all want to know!!
Weight loss and food:
How much weight have you lost? Was it from chemo? Are you still trying to lose weight?

And yes, all three usually come out in one question…right in a row!
Since the beginning of last year, I have lost almost 37 pounds – YIKES…I knew I had gotten a chunky, but I sure didn’t think I had THAT much to lose! Sure enough I did.

No…chemo really isn’t a good diet aide…I wouldn’t recommend it for you if you are trying to lose weight! It makes you feel like you a pregnant and want to eat all carbs and junk food – not good for losing weight.

Not per-say – I think I still have about 10 pounds to lose around the belly…they say belly fat ups your chances of cancer, so I am trying to rid of it all just for health reasons.

What do you eat?
I would say I follow a low GI diet 95% of the time – that means no refined sugar and low carb.  I usually stay away from processed food as well.  Sometimes I splurge on a cupcake or something like that.  I usually feel like crap though after I eat it from the sugar spike and crash.

Chicken/eggs are organic.
Fruits/Veggies are organic.

Milk/cheese organic
For breakfast I make a smoothie.  I use a vitamix which in my opinion is a life changing blender – and YES, they do have infomercials for a vitamix!!

The latest and greatest smoothie recipe is:
Roasted beet – not sure how much I put in.  I roast 2 – 4 beets at a time and use a few chunks
BIG handful of spinach
2 tbls of flaxseeds
Coconut milk
4-5 strawberries…with stems..on Vitamix infomercial they talk about all the nutrients in the stems!
PITTED dates (very important that they are pitted)
Banana
Water and ice
Chocolate protein powder

I think it is yummy – Eric and Ian aren’t really on board with it.
If I don’t want a smoothie, I make 2 eggs and piece of sprouted toast.

Lunch is usually a salad.  I use Mrs Braggs organic/preservative free dressing – yummy!!  I have tried to make my own dressing, it just doesn’t turn out good every time so I use this instead.

Salad: lettuce, feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower seeds and dressing
Snacks – nuts, cheese, natural peanut butter & celery

Dinner – I usually cook a few dishes we eat on a regular basis:

Ground turkey meat, steamed broccoli or roasted cauliflower and red sauce – add red pepper flakes and parm cheese
Chicken stir fry with lots of veggies – no rice

Bean soup – I make a big pot on weekend and we munch on all week. If you want recipe, let me know.

Naan bread pizzas – load it with veggies
I want to start doing more fish dishes.

We eat the same things pretty much over and over again – it makes it easier on me and we seem to do better with fewer choices.
Do you think your diet made a difference in your treatment?

I think so. Do I think my diet made my cancer go away – no. I think it made a huge difference in my overall health – being chunky isn’t healthy – eating cr*p food isn’t healthy.

Are you exercising again?
Yes, I do the elliptical at least 4 times a week and watch trashy TV while doing it!  I have been doing zumba once a week and just started strength training and yoga. I want to run again, but it would totally wipe me out at this point, so I am happy with what I am able to do.

Do you think it was any one thing that has made you NED?
Yes, I think God has had His hands all over me and has guided all the decisions and the medicines.  I gave this over to Him (not  at first, I tried to hold on to it and control it, then I knew I couldn’t and told Him, here it is for you to deal with) and as soon as I washed my hands of it was when I was told I was NED.

What does NED mean?
No Evidence of Disease…means they see NOTHING on the scans.  Best possible words a cancer patient can hear!

Will you be on your treatment forever? Is going two times a week a pain?
I am not sure if I will be on the parp forever…they might find newer better drug, they might not, but I honestly don’t worry about it.  I am on the parp now, it is working like a charm and I will be grateful for it and keep on with it!

Of course it is a pain, BUT Eric and I look at this like “my job.” There are other activities I would rather be doing, BUT this activity is keeping me healthy and cancer-free so in the grand scheme of things, there is really nothing else that I would replace this with.
How do you stay so positive?
I don’t see any other way to be.  It is what it is, I know there is nothing I can do besides what I am doing, so what good is it going to do me, Eric or Ian for me to mope around and be p*ssed off? 

And more so, I feel God gives me the grace to get through all my days – some days require more and some less…but He gives me the amount I need.
I hope these answers help someone out there – I wish no one out there was having to go through cancer, but I know that isn’t the case, so I hope I can help someone with this.

1 comment:

Sherwoods said...

Your last two posts have brought tears to my eyes.... Praise God for your health and beautiful outlook!