Our Toxic Planet

Unfortunately, environmental toxins are everywhere...in our food, air, water, etc. They can even be found in certain products we use, on a daily basis, like plastic. This is another reason why human beings are so sick, all the time.

Every now and then, a good detox can clean out your internal system, and make you feel right as rain! I've tried several different detox programs, but my favorite one is simply eating. You heard me, correctly...just eat. Here...I'll explain what I mean.

Remember that list I gave you, in my Blog about clean eating, as a means to fight cancer? That's what I'm talking about! The more unprocessed, raw foods you eat, the fewer toxins you'll have in your body. Especially, if you eat more foods that are alkaline forming, than those that are acid forming.

Foods known as Super Greens (like barley grass and wheat grass) are powerhouses, when it comes to their nutritional profiles! Super greens contain a high volume of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, trace elements, chlorophyll, enzymes, and proteins, that are easily absorbed by the body.

Garlic is very beneficial, as well; it has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, anti-inflammatory benefits, cardiovascular benefits, and a range of others.

All of the foods on the "Alkaline Foods" list can help you detox your body, as well as balance your pH levels. In order to get the maximum benefit from them, buy certified organic foods. There's no point in detoxing your body from harmful chemicals, and things, if your just going to eat conventional foods that have been sprayed (or injected) with pesticides and herbicides.

I hope this information helps you...and may God bless you, as well!! oxoxox

Heads Up!!

This one's going to be short and sweet!

I now have an official Facebook Page...it's called "The Savvy Survivor". I hope you have the chance to check it out!!

I figured, if I'm going to share my experiences and knowledge, I'm going to need to reach as many people as possible; and, since I already have a personal Facebook Page, it only made sense to create one for the purpose of helping others.

On The Savvy Survivor, I'll be posting information from other websites, recipes I like, and these Blogs...of course! LOL!

Super excited to share all that I know with you...see ya, soon!!

Living the Experience

By now, I'm sure you've all caught up on my story...diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, last year....living every moment of my life trying to outsmart the Grim Reaper. So, far....it's working!! Yay!!

I thought it might be fun to share one of my recipes with you! I chose this one, because I'm totally addicted to Asian cuisine...and can't eat it anymore, because of the soy. Boo!! My sister actually came up with this idea, and it works sooooo well! LOL!!

Enjoy this recipe for "Garlic and Ginger Infused Fried Rice"....(I don't use measurements....the ginger and garlic are "to taste".)

Frozen Mixed Veggies

 

 

Long-grain Brown Rice

 

 

 

 

Minced Garlic

 

 

 

Ground Ginger

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cage-Free Eggs

 

 

 

Ok, here's what you do....

 

 

First, you scramble a couple of eggs, and set them aside. Then you cook the rice, and heat up the frozen veggies (drain off the water, when they're fully heated). After they're done, you put everything in a frying pan; add the ginger and garlic (to taste), and heat through, in some extra virgin olive oil (I don't measure that, either!).

 

 

 

 

This tastes exactly like take-out!! And, is a very versatile recipe...you can make it with any veggie combo you like!

 

Always try to use non-GMO ingredients...and always, always use organic! Cage-free eggs are the best...currently, I'm on the lookout for grass fed/grass finished eggs, and will let you know, when I find them!

 

Let me know what you think, after you've given this a taste test!

 

 

 

Clean Eating to Fight Cancer

I thought I'd spend a little time explaining why I've chosen to become a flexitarian, and eat clean, now.

As soon as the diagnosis of Stage IV Breast Cancer had set in, I began to reasearch natural ways to fight it off...I wasn't too keen, in the beginning, about going through Chemo! To be honest with you...I'm still not fond of the idea! But, there are TONS to sites out there, devoted to natural healing...here's what I have discovered:

No disease, illness, virus, etc. can live in a body that is pH balanced!

That's right! If your body is too acidic, you're at risk for developing all sorts of health concerns....diabetes, the flu, cancer, fibromyalgia, etc. Only when your body's pH is balanced, will you be in perfect health. So, I dug a little deeper to find out what foods are acid forming, and which ones were alkaline forming.

Anything we would consider "junk food" is acid forming. It's not even in it's natural state, and depleted of all, or most, of it's nutrient value. The term "junk food" was coined over 30 years ago, and consists of foods made by these guys, and their competitors:

Any and all candies, chips, colas, snack cakes, desserts, etc. are also junk foods, and acid forming to the body.

However, I did discover that there are some healthy foods that are acid forming...but you shouldn't do away with them. Most of these foods have beneficial nutrients:


ACIDIFYING VEGETABLES
Corn
Lentils
Olives
Winter Squash

ACIDIFYING FRUITS
Blueberries
Canned or Glazed Fruits
Cranberries
Currants
Plums
Prunes

ACIDIFYING GRAINS, GRAIN PRODUCTS
Amaranth
Barley
Bran, oat
Bran, wheat
Bread
Corn
Cornstarch
Crackers, soda
Flour, wheat
Flour, white
Hemp Seed Flour
Kamut
Macaroni
Noodles
Oatmeal
Oats (rolled)
Quinoa
Rice (all)
Rice Cakes
Rye
Spaghetti
Spelt
Wheat Germ
Wheat

ACIDIFYING BEANS & LEGUMES
Almond Milk
Black Beans
Chick Peas
Green Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Rice Milk
Soy Beans
Soy Milk
White Beans

ACIDIFYING DAIRY
Butter
Cheese
Cheese, Processed
Ice Cream
Ice Milk

ACIDIFYING NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews
Legumes
Peanut Butter
Peanuts
Pecans
Tahini
Walnuts

ACIDIFYING ANIMAL PROTEIN
Bacon
Beef
Carp
Clams
Cod
Corned Beef
Fish
Haddock
Lamb
Lobster
Mussels
Organ Meats
Oyster
Pike
Pork
Rabbit
Salmon
Sardines
Sausage
Scallops
Shellfish
Shrimp
Tuna
Turkey
Veal
Venison

ACIDIFYING FATS & OILS
Avacado Oil
Butter
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Flax Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Lard
Olive Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil


Other foods and, products we consume, that are not-so-good for us are also acid forming:

ACIDIFYING SWEETENERS
Carob
Corn Syrup
Sugar

ACIDIFYING ALCOHOL
Beer
Hard Liquor
Spirits
Wine

ACIDIFYING OTHER FOODS
Catsup
Cocoa
Coffee
Mustard
Pepper
Soft Drinks
Vinegar

ACIDIFYING DRUGS & CHEMICALS
Aspirin
Chemicals
Drugs, Medicinal
Drugs, Psychedelic
Herbicides
Pesticides
Tobacco

ACIDIFYING JUNK FOOD
Beer: pH 2.5
Coca-Cola: pH 2
Coffee: pH 4

Any and all medications we take, whether they are over-the-counter or prescriptions, are acid forming. In order that our bodies are pH balanced, we need to be consuming more alkaline forming foods, than we do acid forming foods.

Did you notice something, though? Pesticides and herbicides are also acid forming to your body....who, in there right mind, would EAT pesticides or hebicides???

We do....the consumer. Every time you purchase fruits and veggies that are not organic, you risk eating something Monsanto has genetically engineered/modified; which means it probably has pesticides or herbicides in it. Even if it's original purpose was to be alkaline forming...becoming a GMO alters it's purpose.

Here is the list of alkaline forming foods....

ALKALIZING VEGETABLESAlfalfa
Barley Grass
Beet Greens
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard Greens
Chlorella
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Dandelions
Dulce
Edible Flowers
Eggplant
Fermented Veggies
Garlic
Green Beans
Green Peas
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Nightshade Veggies
Onions
Parsnips (high glycemic)
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radishes
Rutabaga
Sea Veggies
Spinach, green
Spirulina
Sprouts
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Watercress
Wheat Grass
Wild Greens

ALKALIZING ORIENTAL VEGETABLES
Daikon
Dandelion Root
Kombu
Maitake
Nori
Reishi
Shitake
Umeboshi
Wakame

ALKALIZING FRUITS
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana (high glycemic)
Berries
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries, sour
Coconut, fresh
Currants
Dates, dried
Figs, dried
Grapes
Grapefruit
Honeydew Melon
Lemon
Lime
Muskmelons
Nectarine
Orange
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Raisins
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tangerine
Tomato
Tropical Fruits
Umeboshi Plums
Watermelon

ALKALIZING PROTEIN
Almonds
Chestnuts
Millet
Tempeh (fermented)
Tofu (fermented)
Whey Protein Powder

ALKALIZING SWEETENERS
Stevia

ALKALIZING SPICES & SEASONINGS
Chili Pepper
Cinnamon
Curry
Ginger
Herbs (all)
Miso
Mustard
Sea Salt
Tamari

ALKALIZING OTHER
Alkaline Antioxidant Water
Apple Cider Vinegar
Bee Pollen
Fresh Fruit Juice
Green Juices
Lecithin Granules
Mineral Water
Molasses, blackstrap
Probiotic Cultures
Soured Dairy Products
Veggie Juices

ALKALIZING MINERALS
Calcium: pH 12
Cesium: pH 14
Magnesium: pH 9
Potassium: pH 14
Sodium: pH 14

When purchasing your foods, whatever you're getting, always try to buy organic. I know it can get pretty costly, but you'll be doing your body (and your budget) a favor, in the long run! Eat free range chicken (and eggs from them), meats that were not injected with hormones or antibiotics; organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains (also organic), and milk from grass fed cows or goats (or try almond milk, or rice milk, if you're lactose intolerant).

Thanks for taking the time to read this; I hope it serves you well! Be healthy, and may God bless you!

It's been a while!

Sorry about that, folks...I've been a little focused on life, and haven't taken the time to blog, for a while.

Since my last Blog, I've transitioned from regular Physical Therapy, to a program called Phase II. I'm still doing the same exercises, same routine, but I'm doing it all on my own!! I no longer have a Physical Therapist! She did tell me that if I needed her, she'd be there to help me...I even asked her to "introduce me" to one of the machines I wasn't too familiar with, yet! LOL!! This is kind of what it looks like...

My reps and my weights are increasing, on all my weight bearing exercises.....and I FINALLY walked for a solid 20 minutes, on the treadmill (my speed is at 1.5)!! Super excited about that!! I almost felt like dancing, when I saw the treadmill's timer said I was approaching the 20 minute mark! LOL!!

This bird's got the right idea!! LOL!!

My hair is still very short, too...it seems to be growing slowly, at about 1/2 an inch per month. Not complaining, though...I don't mind the short do, at all! I'm merely stating this because prior to chemo, my hair grew pretty quickly, and now it's not growing all that fast. I was told there would be changes, after chemo....there are a lot of differences, now...I'm a whole new person!

Since my diet changed (clean eating now), I've noticed when I do indulge in something not-so-good, my body can't handle it, anymore. The other day, I ate a serving of canned chicken and dumplings, and within about 45 minutes I began to feel sluggish; then my stomach began to bother me. It was not nice, at all!

Let me tell you about what I eat, now....

I'm now known as a flexitarian; I eat mostly fresh fruits, fresh veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains; I also eat real cheese and real butter, and meat/eggs on occasion. Very rarely do I venture into the aisles, because that's where all the processed foods are located.

When I eat meat (beef, pork, chicken, etc) I make sure the package says "no hormones" and "no antibiotics". Some of the meats I've been purchasing also say "grass fed". The eggs I buy come from free-range chickens. And I've recently switched to almond milk, rather than cow's milk. Getting healthy, and staying healthy!!

When I do brave the aisles in the middle of the store, it's to get things like Couscous, whole grain pasta, organic sauces, multi-grain bread, brown rice, tapioca, organic soup, specific herbs and spices, and extra virgin olive oil.

Goodness...all this talk about food is making me hungry! LOL!! I think I'll fix some whole grain pasta, with organic pasta sauce, and a nice salad! Thanks for stopping by...have a great evening!

I'm so mad, I could spit nails!!

This doesn't have anything to do with my fighting breast cancer, but it does have to do with my survival. I've learned to be a fighter, thanks to my recent diagnosis, and the fighter has come out in full force as a result of yesterday's elementary school massacre!! The kid gloves are OFF!!

I posted a Note on Facebook, this afternoon...and decided to share it with you. Please forgive me, while I rant...

"Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death!" ~ Patrick Henry

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The Scripture I gave you is in reference to farming not-so-productive crops; but, in this day and age, it applies to our society on SOOOO many levels! Here, let me show you…

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . . ." the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution

Congress shall make NO law...prohibiting the free exercise of religion. And yet, Congress as passed laws that say Christians are not allowed to pray, or read their Bibles, in any other building except a church building!! Sounds like THEY broke their OWN RULES!!

"Separation of church and state" is NOWHERE in the Constitution...it was a statement made by Thomas Jefferson, in a letter he wrote! He said, "I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."

What the 1st Amendment was originally intended for was to keep the government from setting up a Church State…an official “one world” belief system… a government funded, government sponsored, “if you don’t believe the way we tell you to, you’ll go to jail” belief system. It was never intended to be a battering ram for the US government to use, to stop religion from being practiced, in public places. And yet, we let them do that to us!!

Our beloved government has used the term “Separation of Church and State” to ban the practice of Christianity in everyday life; thus, “prohibiting the free exercise thereof”, which is NOT what the 1st Amendment was for!!! Before God was kicked out of school, the Bible was used as an every day TEXT BOOK, right along side a child's History book, and Math book!

Now, I’m not saying you don’t have the right to practice your religion…you absolutely do! You also have the right to not practice any religion...this country is called "The Great Melting Pot" because of its diversity! But NONE of us have the right to get offended at anyone, for practicing their religion!! That would be “prohibiting the free exercise thereof”…which would make the offended person no better than the lawmakers who changed the rules!! Granted, the religion that was practiced, when the Constitution was penned out, was Christianity; but the 1st Amendment now applies to other religions, practiced in the USA, too!

Speaking of the establishment of a Church State…have you noticed that more and more school districts are beginning to teach that Allah is the Almighty God (it started in Texas, from what I hear). They’re also banning more and more culture from our children’s lives…book banning, printing “revised” editions of History books (they’re revised so that no one learns REAL history). Don’t believe me?? Take a History book from your parent’s generation, and one from your child’s generation, and compare them…you’ll see!!

Cultural dummies are what we’ve become! What "great works of literature" were children required to read, as part of their curriculum, back in the 1940s? Most books that have been banned since that decade were done so because of sexual content, foul language, racist remarks, or violence. How many movies have you, or your children, seen that contain any of those elements?? Why is it ok to watch those elements unfold within the context of a movie, but reading about them within the context of a book is not??

Judy Blume once said "Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear."

We have become a society that allows our government to decide what’s not acceptable for our children, and for us. We’ve stopped being parents; we’ve also stopped being citizens!! Eventually, we’ll all stop being free, as well. Look up the definition for the word “tyranny”.

The government has never stripped this country of it’s rights, all at once…they’ve done it little by little, masking it as something necessary for the common good of all. And, we’ve fallen for it, EVERY time!! And, until we WAKE UP…we will continue to agree with our government officials that “this isn’t fair”, “that’s a violation”, and “thus-n-so is offensive”.

Back in the day, if you were offended by me, for any reason at all, you were told to shut up and deal with it…now-a-days, if you’re offended by me, for any reason at all, it’s my responsibility to change who I am, so you’ll feel more comfortable around me. Being offended has become a civil liberty…WHAT???? (refer back to my previous statements on the 1st Amendment)

I’ve also noticed, as a result of the elementary school massacre, yesterday, there are a LOT of people insisting that the government take away our right to bare arms (I’ve been watching the President’s Facebook page). Ok, I don’t know about you, but I’m sure the criminals of this country would just give up and surrender their firearms, if they were told it’s illegal to own them (note the sarcasm, please). C’mon folks, get real please! If our government makes it illegal to own any sort of firearm, in this country, all of us law-abiding citizens will be left defenseless against the citizens who have no regard for the law!!

Certain drugs are illegal, and yet they’re sold on the black market, every day!! Human trafficking is illegal…but it still happens!! Murder, robbery, rape, extortion, etc are all illegal…and yet, crime is a sad and unfortunate reality! Criminals DON’T obey laws!!! What will end, or at least curb, crime in this country are harsher punishments for the criminals, and more freedom for us to defend ourselves against them!!

When it was the “norm” to defend yourself against criminals, there were fewer of them. Now that they can sue you, or call the cops on you, for defending yourself against them…they’re EVERYWHERE!! And they have more rights, under the law, than we do!! Our government sees to it that criminals are pampered, while in jail. Isn’t a jail sentence supposed to be a punishment??

Now, don’t get me wrong! I’m all for “innocent until proven guilty”, but for all those who on death row…if they haven’t proven their innocence within the course of the first 10 years, they are obviously guilty!! The government needs to stop wasting taxpayer money, keeping death row inmates comfortable, and alive!! They’ve been sentenced to death…NOT “life in prison”!!

A man by the name of Ronald Post killed a female motel clerk almost 30 years ago…he confessed to it, too. He was put on death row, and is now fighting his execution (set for 1/16/13). His claim is that being executed would be “cruel and unusual punishment” due to his weighing around 450 lbs. He gained 200 lbs, while on death row, and cited that he might break the death chamber gurney, or that his executioners might not be able to find his veins, for the lethal injection. Wait…he’s asking for compassion and leniency??? Where was HIS compassion, when he decided to kill that woman??

Do you see? We’ve been reaping what we’ve been sowing, through the years; and the only way to heal our land (our country) is to do what God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14. The moral fiber of this once great country has decayed almost beyond recognition. Criminals, and society in general, have been allowed to abuse the system ever since our government decided that fair wasn’t really fair, and changed the rules! The squeaky wheel gets the grease, people!! If we want to get back to practicing our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, where good “old fashioned” morals are the norm, WE have to start getting louder!!!

Who’s with me???

Update on Progress

I've had a couple "update" appointments with my Oncologist, recently...things are progressing quite well!

My first update was a full-body bone scan; had to do that, because my spine was full of tumors, so he wanted to see if any of them were gone, yet. The second update was a CT Scan, to see if any vital organs were affected, and to check the size of the mass in my left breast, as well as the size of my lymph nodes in my left armpit.

Results of the bone scan - I have a touch of arthritis in my knees, hips and shoulders; and most of the tumors down my spine are either gone, or significantly reduced in size. One of them has become larger, but my Oncologist doesn't seem too concerned about that, just yet.

Results of the CT Scan - I have a few cysts in my woman parts and my liver (not to worry, he says), and I have a few gallstones (also no worries, at this time). None of my vital organs were damaged, nor are they showing any signs of tumors! Yay!! And, my lymph nodes in my left armpit have significantly reduced in size, and so has the mass in my left breast!! Praise God, it's ALMOST gone!! I am continuing to stand on Scripture for my healing!!

So...what's the game plan now?? Continue taking Tamoxifen (once a day), eating properly (loads of fresh veggies and fruit, not so much processed stuff...and NO soy!!), and exercising (Physical Therapy - 3 times a week).

I love my life!!

Transformation - Originally posted on July 22, 2012

I shared this with my Facebook friends, shortly after being diagnosed...it's my story, from another angle. I called it "Transformation"...

"As all of you know, by now, I'm dealing with a diagnosis of Stage 4 Breast Cancer; this is the terminal stage. I hate that word...terminal. Life, itself, is terminal; the day we were born, we begin to die! Some of us have been dying longer than others, but we're all dying. And, yes, it is a shame that diseases such as cancer have the potential to speed up that process.

Now, don't freak out....I'm not on my death bed! I'm stronger, now, than I was before being told I even had cancer! And I will fight with everything I am to beat this disease! I am determined to lean on the Lord for my strength, courage, and determination, so that the next 50 years of my life are God-glorifying and personally satisfying! The Bible say that God promises us a long and satisfying life....well, at the age of 42, I'm certainly NOT satisfied!!

I wanted to talk to you about the journey that brought me to this point, in my life....is that ok? I grew up learning how to do things "my way", because no one else would show me any better way. I've made gastronomically huge mistakes, which altered the lives of those I love (sorry kids!), and I became a rebellious, "devil may care" person....especially with my health. Throughout my life, I've been told to watch what I eat; my Dad was a Diabetic, and passed away when I was only 13 years old. But I didn't care...I was going to do as I pleased, and eat as I pleased. I was young....what was I going to die from???

On into my adult years, I continued to do/say/eat as I pleased. At my heaviest, I weighed nearly 300 lbs! Large pizza's with tons of toppings all to myself, gallons of ice cream, snack cakes at various times of the day (every day), convenience foods (microwave meals, etc) and fast food were my staples...I didn't care what I ate, I just ate it! And I was really not a fan of exercise, so I played the martyr and did just enough to impress anyone who might have been watching me.

Even after giving my life to the Lord, I still held on to the idea that my way of doing things was good enough. God would lay something on my heart, and I would only do it until I was ok with the outcome....or until someone praised my efforts. No consistency in my obedience to Him, at all!

He would unction me to fast....no meat, no dairy, and no processed grains. Ok....but for how long? I always chose the time frame, so God was constantly bringing me back to it, time and time again. I even asked Him if He was trying to get me to do this as an every-day lifestyle....the answer was "yes!", and I promised to get to it, eventually.

This was not the only area where my way seemed do-able.....personal life, finances, etc. You name it, I did it leaning on my own understanding; Proverbs 3:5-6 cautions against that...we're supposed to trust that God knows what's best.

As a result of my decisions, I have been through some serious life-altering experiences, for the last few months. I can't count how many times I've heard, "now, don't blame yourself...you didn't cause this".

Actually, folks....I DID cause this to happen, because I neglected myself for so many years. But, I'm not depressed about it, and I'm not beating myself up about it....I'm accepting responsibility for what I caused, and I'm doing what's necessary to fix it. Including a sincere and desperate moment of repentance!

I apologized to God from the very depth of my soul, because I had neglected the upkeep of His temple (my body). 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit,and no longer belong to ourselves...but to God.

Everything that I did, while leaning on my own understanding and not trusting God, proved that I still believed I belonged to myself. I'm so thankful that He's such a patient and forgiving Father!! LOL! I think I'd be miserable if He wasn't!

And so, here I am....no job, no finances, nowhere to call home (thanks Kim and Deborah Ochsenbein...(my brother-in-law & sister) for letting me stay with you, for the time being!), etc. I've likened my current situation to that of Job's hardships....he lost everything, too. His health was even in question for a while....but he never stopped praising God. When Job's hardships were over, God restored him and blessed him with double what he had lost, in terms of homes, finances, family, etc.

Each and every day that I am blessed to wake up, I will praise the Name of the Lord! I survived cancer, last night....I'm awake, and alive! Hallelujah!! Praise God!!

Thanks for letting me share this with you!"


And thanks for reading it, here!!

My First Blog

Whew! I feel like I'm staring in a Broadway play, and it's opening night! What do I say?? I forgot my lines!! I'm a little nervous....breathe, you can do this!! LOL!!

I've been on an interesting journey, for the past five months...surviving Stage IV Breast Cancer! I've been posting Notes on Facebook, but I've decided I want to take my journey to the public...someone needs to know what I'm facing!! Someone out there is going through something similar, and I'm hoping my struggles and triumphs will help them! So, here we go.....

Let me back up for a minute, and catch you up to speed here....

When I turned 40 (two years ago), my body began to show signs of "decay", if you will. My immune system tanked, and I caught every germ that passed my way (I hadn't been sick in almost a decade, until then); I began to experience aches and pains in places I didn't realize I had, my energy level dropped....and the shape of my left breast began to change. I also noticed it felt different right above my nipple, although I wasn't really adamant about the self-exam routine, so I didn't keep up on it. My feet, ankles and legs began to retain water, as well...which made walking around a bit difficult, sometimes. I had always been told that when you turn 40, your body, and your health, start going "down hill", so I just chalked all of this up to becoming middle-aged.

Within the course of the next two years, I began to lose the ability to walk. My balance was hindered, my mobility was weakened, and my lower back and hips hurt so badly when I tried to push through and force myself to move. I was a mess!! Couldn't stay awake to save my life, became more and more dependent on others for my basic needs, because it hurt too much to get up and do for myself...I needed help!!

I had a couple ER visits in June (2012) that, by way of x-rays and such, discovered something wrong in the lumbar region of my back...further testing and more x-rays, the following month (July 3, 2012) revealed a few tumors climbing up my spine. One of those tumors had all but destroyed my 5th lumbar vertebrae! The initial diagnosis was Multiple Myeloma, and I was sent to another hospital that was better equipped to take care of cancer patients. Cancer????

My youngest daughter was with me, when the first doctor said the word "tumor". I can't flip out...she's doing enough of that for both of us!! I have to stay strong...I have to make this seem like it's not as big of a deal as the doctor's say it is. I tell her, "there just a few blobs, honey...no big deal! I'll be fine!!" But will I be??? Too many questions to number hit my thought process, all at once; it gave me a headache! I have to be ok, my kids still need me!! On to the next hospital!

Final diagnosis, et al, came from the doctors at Akron General Medical Center. They were BRILLIANT!! I love my team of doctors, and I praise God for placing them in my life for such a time as this! Ok...more tests....more x-rays...more questions filling my head. I met so many caring faces, I had to write down most of the names, so I'd remember who it was that was talking to me. My Oncologist was the one who broke the news to me...it was Stage IV Breast Cancer. There is a huge mass in my left breast, and it metastasized into my lymph nodes and down my entire spine. He said, "so, this is what you're going to die from, when you die."....uuuhhhhhh, NOT!! Sorry, Doc, I'm not buying that story!!

I had two Surgeons visit me to discuss the tumors in my spine. I was going to need major surgery, and it looked like they were going to have to remove that vertebrae....it's too far gone to save. I am now the proud owner of a thing called a "cage"; I also found out that I have six lumbar vertebrae...you're only supposed to have five! My fourth and sixth lumbar vertebrae are now fused, by way of this cage the Surgeon placed in me. A few days after surgery, I had my first mammogram, and a biopsy that I got to watch! That was cool!!

To re-gain my mobility, after the surgery, I was moved to Edwin Shaw Rehab Facility...one of Akron General's best facilities for people like me! I only had to stay for a week, before they were confident enough to release me!!

Recovering from major back surgery has been a test of the will, though! My body doesn't like me, anymore, and frequently protests when I push myself to get better, or stronger. Yes...I'm still recovering! However, on a positive note...I'm getting stronger, and more able, every day!

From the beginning of August, to the end of October, I underwent Chemotherapy. I was given a drug called Taxol (as well as fluids and a small list of "preventative measure" meds), which I was told is the "go-to" drug for treating Breast Cancer. No horror story to tell you, there...but I did lose most of my hair.

The biggest problem I had was lack of energy; I couldn't function like a normal person. No matter how much, or how little, sleep I got...it was never enough! But...I didn't lose my appetite, I never got nausious, and I never got sick to my stomach! To this day, my sister says I'm the only person she knows who can gain weight, while on Chemo! LOL!! She's right though....at the Cancer Center, I was told not to worry about calories, or portion control, "just eat!!". So....I did, and I gained 23 lbs, in three months!!

I've also been taking a pill called Tamoxifen, which is an anti-estrogen hormone thereapy drug. The type of breast cancer I have is known as "estrogen receptive". It's the most common form of breast cancer there is, so it's easily treatable. At my last visit to my Oncologist, I was given some GREAT news!! The "blobs" are almost gone!! He says we're going to keep taking the pill, to see if that does the trick, but if not...there are other treatments we can explore.

So, now that you're up to speed....I hope you enjoy taking this journey with me!