Ever have one of those days......

Hello my friends,

Have you ever had one of those days where you just had to force yourself to do everything? Today was one of those for me. I had my Dearest wake me early so that I could walk on the tread mill. It was a huuuuuuuuge effort to drag my sorry tired butt from the bed. Coffee did little to perk me. (get it? Coffee....Perk..) But alas, my poor tired butt did get on the tread mill and I did my mile. I figure that it a good place to start for a milestone to try and build back up to my previous 3.1 miles a day. A twenty minute mile is pretty good for a start. Anyway, after getting all sweaty and gross, I cooled down, showered, rushed into my day of dental appointments, groceries, getting prescriptions. Ugggg, all before 10 am. Once I got home, I forced myself to make lunch. ( salmon patty recipe from the portion control cookbook Carrie Latte Wiatt) Then tackled some laundry, cleaned the kitchen and did some book keeping. It was at this point that I realized that it is Tuesday and I should be filming a video for you guys. My friends, I am wiped! I simply haven't got any topic prepared, and I doubt you would be interested in a day in the life of....type video. ( or would you?) So, I humbly apologize for my lack of video today. Perhaps a gust of energy will burst forth and I will produce an impromptu video for you towards the end of this week.

In the mean time, I leave you with this image of Sadie. She is the first one to use our new tread mill.

Isn't she adorable! If you have any ideas for videos you would like to see on this blog, or topics you wish to see covered. Leave them in the comments section.

Thanks for stopping by,

Body confidence as your body is changed by cancer

Hello my friends!

How are you doing today? I am doing pretty well. I feel like I am on a roll! I had a lengthy to do list this morning when I woke up and I have accomplished every item and thrown in a few extras. What a busy woman I am. I do have a wounded finger from slamming it in the truck tailgate while camping this weekend. It huuuuuurts. My finger is cut in two places, the cuticle is ripped up, and my nail has a blood blister under it. Ewwwww, right? Otherwise, I am doing well.

As I just mentioned, we went camping this past weekend. The plan was to go for two days, but due to rain, bears, and not wanting to listen to noisy campground neighbors a second night, we came back a day early. But I had a great time. We had a great camp fire (thanks to Anna) that Mo kept going all night. We told ghost stories and weird stories we had heard on youtube. It rained in the middle of the night and we had to put the cover over the top of the tent. When we woke our coffee post didn't work so we went into Gatlinberg for an incredibly delicious breakfast! I will have great memories of that breakfast, and this past weekend for years to come.

Sooo, this video covers a few topics that make people uncomfortable. It goes over a good chunk of the things we feel self conscious about under normal conditions, and things that are magnified by the process of cancer treatment, as well as things that are specifically cancer/chemo related. It is my hope that you find some or all of this video helpful to you as you or someone you love goes through life with cancer.

Thanks for stopping by! See you next week on Tuesday or Wednesday!

Leslie

Diagnosis 101, the new normal

Hello friends,

this week I want to talk to you about how you will live the new normal your life has become after being diagnosed with mets bc. The rounds of tests, doctors appointments and new medications that you will be taking daily. Plus, the multiple offers to help. It can be such a confusing time. People want to help you and your not even sure yet what you need. I suggest that you keep names and numbers for these kind souls and stretch beyond your comfort level by allowing them to really help out when you need it. There are many other topics covered today. Medicines, when to take them, and staying on a schedule. It will all make sense to you as you learn more about your treatment plan and accompanying meds. If you have any questions for me please leave them in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by.

Leslie

Breast cancer is breast cancer right?

Hello people,

Q: When is breast cancer not breast cancer?

A: When it spreads to other areas of the body.

That's right, Metastatic breast cancer is not currently included in the statistics used by groups like Susan G. Komen to show the cure rate of cancer. It is the cancer industries dirty little secret that the 40,000 men and women who are die from mets breast cancer each year, aren't included in the stats. Why would that be you might ask. Well, it would make their cure rates lower and it wouldn't make people walk/run and donate to the many pink ribbon groups with their hands out for donations.

Below is an informative post I wrote 3 yrs ago as all this information was becoming new to me. I thought that I'd share it with you here on this blog. It was previously posted on my old blog the beautiful life.


Breast cancer is breast cancer, Right?
Hello people,

Spoiler alert, there is no makeup or fashion in this post!

I hope that this post finds all of you healthy and enjoying Summer. I would like to take a moment to remind the women readers to do monthly breast exams. In cast you didn't know this, Men can develop breast cancer as well. So, men if you feel something odd, get it checked.

Now how is one type of breast cancer different from another? Well of course there is staging, but I won't get into that. There is breast cancer that you would typically hear about, then there is inflammatory breast cancer which is mainly the tissue of the breast and ducts, and there is METS BC. Here is some information that I borrowed from Amy Durfee West's blog. http://www.durfeewest.com/?tag=metastatic-breast-cancer

Stage IV breast cancer is considered incurable. That makes it kind of an embarrassment in some of the “survivor” literature. Supposedly you have early detection, and you follow doctor’s orders, and you do your surgery, chemo and maybe radiation, and you lose weight and control stress and you become a cancer-free survivor. What do we do with people who don’t fit that profile? Well, there isn't much research funding for Mets breast cancer.

METAvivor’s 5 MBC Misperceptions
Myth: Research funding is well balanced for all stages of cancer.
Reality: 90% of cancer deaths result from Stage IV cancer, but only 2% of research funds are devoted to stage IV.
Myth: Metastatic breast cancer is rare.
Reality: 30% of breast cancer patients progress to Stage IV. Many more initially present with metastatic breast cancer.
Myth: Healthy lifestyles, timely screening and early detection prevent metastasis.
Reality: Metastasis happens despite vigilance and precautions. Even Stage I patients can and do metastasize.
Myth: Metastatic breast cancer is becoming a chronic disease. Fewer die every year.
Reality: New treatments extend life for some, but survival remains elusive. Over 40,000 women and men have been dying annually since 1987.
Myth: Stage IV breast cancer patients are well supported by many groups.
Reality: Far too many patients must face their challenges with little to no support. Most programs focus on wellness and recovery, avoiding any reference to Stage IV.


Okay, so that is end of the post that I've linked you to. On this page so aptly named The beautiful life, I want to impart on you that despite the negative things that are in the information, I still feel joy. Each morning I wake, It is another gift. I used to wake up thinking that it was the same old same old. Now I wake up thinking of the day as a blessing. It also makes me not plan things long term. It is about living in the moment or the day. That really does make every second such a beautiful moment in life. In so many ways it also has made the people closest to me more beautiful too. They say you never know who your real friends are until you go through a crisis. That is completely true. My true friends and family are beyond coming through for me. They are solid as a rock.

Let me remind you again to check yourselves, and get yearly mammograms.




Thank you for stopping by this blog. If any of this information has been helpful to you or if you have any questions please let me know in the comments.

Leslie

Cancer diagnosis 101

Hello My friends!

If this is your first time here, WELCOME! Come on in, take a look around, view the archived posts, feel free to ask questions or leave comments. If you are a returning blog follower, thank you for coming back. Take a moment to let me know what you like about this blog or what you wish you would find here. I love to hear from you guys!

In the following video I talk about the 101's of being diagnosed. What to expect, what advice I recommend, and things I wish I had known sooner. ( you can make a wig from you own hair, before loosing it to chemo, (who knew?) yeah) I also have a list of recommended websites in the mets breast cancer community. If you have found this blog because you are searching general info about cancer, you can find more specific to your type of cancer atthe American cancer society website.

Here is a list of the mets breast cancer blogs I follow.

http://www.butdoctorihatepink.com

http://jillscancerjourney.blogspot.com

http://lisabadams.com

http://www.lizkreger.com

http://gracefulwomanwarrior.com

http://ihatebreastcancer.wordpress.com

And for products specific to breast cancer patients you can go to:

http://www.headcovers.com/11371/eyebrow-mascara-brow-tint/

You will find my video below. Let me know what you think. What sort of things do you want to know about cancer that I can help you with in part two of diagnosis 101?


Thanks for stopping by,
Leslie

Different products I have used to treat hand and foot syndrome

Hello friends,

I am attempting to do things a little differently on this blog. I am trying to create more pages that will lead you to specific topics as you search for answers on your cancer journey. For instance, you may be specifically looking for info on hand and foot syndrome, and you don't want to read my whole blog to find answers. Creating pages will help you. You just come to my blog, look through the pages menu to find the topic you're looking for and then Viola! You can see if I have the answers you seek. The first of the pages I will be posting to this blog is about the types of creams, and ointments I use for keeping the hand and foot syndrome from getting out of control. Don't get me wrong, I still have it, but it helps it from cracking, bleeding, peeling or being too painful. My feet and hands are still red, but these products really help. Of course you should always let your doctor or a nurse know that you are experiencing this. They may have other recommendations for you. These are supplementary to what they may suggest.

In addition to the over the counter creams, I also use coconut oil. This is a food grade oil, and I do use it in cooking. But I also scoop a little tupperware container of it to keep in the bathroom. I use this as a body butter on my feet, legs and arms. It smells like Hawaiian tropic. Smells sooooo great! I also will use about a tablespoon size once a week and put it on dry hair for about 15 minutes as a deep conditioner. I use a thumb nail size of it to remove eyeliner and mascara daily. Just rub it into your eyes until you have black circles like a raccoon, and then remove it with a cotton ball and wash your face using your regular facial cleanser. It makes your lashes soft and really removes all your eye make very well. It dissolves really nicely in hot bath water for a oil bath. Leaving your skin soft and silky. It is so much more than a kitchen product. Try it out and let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Also, did anyone find the hidden message in my previous blog post? Just wondering if anyone picked up on that. Look for more hidden messages in posts to come.

Thanks for stopping by,


Leslie

Different products I have used to treat hand and foot syndrome

Hello friends,

I am attempting to do things a little differently on this blog. I am trying to create more pages that will lead you to specific topics as you search for answers on your cancer journey. For instance, you may be specifically looking for info on hand and foot syndrome, and you don't want to read my whole blog to find answers. Creating pages will help you. You just come to my blog, look through the pages menu to find the topic you're looking for and then Viola! You can see if I have the answers you seek. The first of the pages I will be posting to this blog is about the types of creams, and ointments I use for keeping the hand and foot syndrome from getting out of control. Don't get me wrong, I still have it, but it helps it from cracking, bleeding, peeling or being too painful. My feet and hands are still red, but these products really help. Of course you should always let your doctor or a nurse know that you are experiencing this. They may have other recommendations for you. These are supplementary to what they may suggest.

In addition to the over the counter creams, I also use coconut oil. This is a food grade oil, and I do use it in cooking. But I also scoop a little tupperware container of it to keep in the bathroom. I use this as a body butter on my feet, legs and arms. It smells like Hawaiian tropic. Smells sooooo great! I also will use about a tablespoon size once a week and put it on dry hair for about 15 minutes as a deep conditioner. I use a thumb nail size of it to remove eyeliner and mascara daily. Just rub it into your eyes until you have black circles like a raccoon, and then remove it with a cotton ball and wash your face using your regular facial cleanser. It makes your lashes soft and really removes all your eye make very well. It dissolves really nicely in hot bath water for a oil bath. Leaving your skin soft and silky. It is so much more than a kitchen product. Try it out and let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Also, did anyone find the hidden message in my previous blog post? Just wondering if anyone picked up on that. Look for more hidden messages in posts to come.

Thanks for stopping by,


Leslie