It's Turkey Eve in my world, so Happy (early) Thanksgiving! My family is celebrating Thanksgiving early this year since my sister and her family will have moved to Texas by actual Thanksgiving. We've celebrated early for 4 years in a row now, the past 3 years we did it to fit my former work schedule in south Florida. Personally, I love having Thanksgiving early. It's my second favorite holiday, and this year, though it's been a tough year in many ways, I am filled with thankfulness. I'm thankful to be home, I'm thankful to be done with cancer treatments, I'm thankful my hair has started to grow back (even my eyelashes and eyebrows!), I'm thankful for the unconditional love of my family, I'm thankful for the joy my nieces and nephews bring to the family, I'm thankful for the opportunity to start over, I'm thankful for my Mom, I'm thankful for this blog and all my readers, and I'm thankful for all the wonderful and inspirational friends I've made through cancer. That's just the tip of my thankfulness mountain!
I'm thankful to be able to refine my health. I was officially cleared by my oncologist to start losing weight last weekend, and I've used this week as a transition. I've started using SparkPeople to keep daily track of my calories and goals. I love that I can keep track of everything in one spot! There are many things that I'd like to refine in my life, so I made a list and narrowed it down to these 6 goals to start off:
1. Self-Reiki treatment every day
2. Yoga 3 times a week
3. Eat less than 1800 calories a day
4. Eat at least 5 servings of Anti-Cancer diet recommended fruits and veggies each day
5. Work out 4 days each week
6. Only 4 cans of soda each week
I didn't include drinking at least 8 glasses of water, or eating whole grains instead of simple carbs because those are things that I've already made a part of my lifestyle. I mention this just so you know that I know that those things are very important in refining my health. *wink*
Aside from helping me lose weight, all of these goals also will help manage my stress and give me a sense of control over my health and life. Gotta love that combo!!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
My Wings
This is the front of the angel wings shirt. It's the first shirt of the BancorpSouth Team's fundraiser for the 2011 Fayette County Relay for Life in Tennessee . My sister, Heidi, is on the executive committee again this year. Thank you, Heidi! The ribbons on this shirt are pink in honor of breast cancer Survivors and Fighters. The ribbon on the next shirt will be 'Relay for Life purple' to honor all cancer Survivors and Fighters.
In the picture I'm at a Halloween party for kids at my church last weekend. My Mom, sisters and I took my 3 toddler nieces who dressed up as Princesses or Fairies, depending on which one of them you asked. Adorable and precious are the best words I have to describe them. We shared lots of (bitter)sweet moments!
This is the back of the shirt. Awesome, right!? If you're interested in buying a shirt to support BancorpSouth's Team in the Fayette County 2011 Relay for Life send me an email, greeneyedlefty74ATgmail.com. The short sleeve shirt is $10, the long sleeve is $15 plus whatever it costs to ship it to you.
Here's a silly picture of me carving a pumpkin in the angel wings shirt wear my princess crown. My oldest niece was sharing her costume with me, isn't that sweet? My sister, Heidi, is in the background showing the back of the shirt. There is no writing on this shirt at all, see?
Monday, November 1, 2010
Countdowns Part II
Countdowns are a part of most people’s lives. We countdown until the weekend, a vacation, or a holiday. Some people, a-hem ME, also countdown to things that aren’t so much fun such as going to the dentist. During my cancer treatment I counted down to surgery, then the end of radiation, then the end of chemo with lots of little countdowns in-between. I, also, counted down to moving home so I could continue treatment surrounded by my family. I mixed fun countdowns with the not so fun ones, and tried to focus on the positives.
I’ll have my post-chemo CT scan and physical exam in 9 days. I’m truly expecting positive news from this scan. I’m a bit anxious about talking with my oncologist, because I don’t want to forget to ask any important questions and I don’t want to hear any answers that I may not like. After over a year of waiting, tests, and treatments I feel like I’m finally getting some control over my body and life again, and I don’t want to hear anything that would change that from my gyn oncologist. I want to get on with getting on with my life!
I’m also doing a different kind of countdown. My youngest sister, her husband and 3 of ‘my’ Peeps are moving to Texas in 19 days. I am happy for them because the city they are moving to is a wonderful and beautiful place for a family. I am happy for them because the job my brother-in-law got is a fantastic career opportunity. I am heartbroken to lose them from my daily life, as are my other sister and my Mom. I feel as if I just got them ‘back’ when I moved home 5 short months ago. Each moment we share together between now and then is bittersweet. My middle niece, who almost 3, snuggled on the couch with me last night and was delighted to watch me blow bubble after bubble with my gum. It was amazing how much joy we both got out of those few minutes. I am heartbroken to countdown to this change and can't imagine not having those Peeps here with us. Yet, I know that change is the only true constant in life and that we choose to make the change better or worse by the energy and attitude that we put into it.
Pauline R. Kezer once said, “Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.”
The continuity of my family has always been unconditional love. We live in it every day no matter where each of us are physically or emotionally. We appreciate it, silently depend on it, and recognize that it’s precious. However, a root by itself is pretty boring even though it’s strong. Roots are meant to hold up and feed it’s branches. As my sister and her family move a new bud of change is pushing itself out of the family’s root and is stretching into Texas. The Connie-branch has a new bud of change, too. I’m changing from patient to Survivor, from a life on hold with cancer to a life free of cancer. May both new branches stretch and grow healthfully while rooted in love and powered by positive thoughts, words and energy.
The countdown continues....
I’ll have my post-chemo CT scan and physical exam in 9 days. I’m truly expecting positive news from this scan. I’m a bit anxious about talking with my oncologist, because I don’t want to forget to ask any important questions and I don’t want to hear any answers that I may not like. After over a year of waiting, tests, and treatments I feel like I’m finally getting some control over my body and life again, and I don’t want to hear anything that would change that from my gyn oncologist. I want to get on with getting on with my life!
I’m also doing a different kind of countdown. My youngest sister, her husband and 3 of ‘my’ Peeps are moving to Texas in 19 days. I am happy for them because the city they are moving to is a wonderful and beautiful place for a family. I am happy for them because the job my brother-in-law got is a fantastic career opportunity. I am heartbroken to lose them from my daily life, as are my other sister and my Mom. I feel as if I just got them ‘back’ when I moved home 5 short months ago. Each moment we share together between now and then is bittersweet. My middle niece, who almost 3, snuggled on the couch with me last night and was delighted to watch me blow bubble after bubble with my gum. It was amazing how much joy we both got out of those few minutes. I am heartbroken to countdown to this change and can't imagine not having those Peeps here with us. Yet, I know that change is the only true constant in life and that we choose to make the change better or worse by the energy and attitude that we put into it.
Pauline R. Kezer once said, “Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.”
The continuity of my family has always been unconditional love. We live in it every day no matter where each of us are physically or emotionally. We appreciate it, silently depend on it, and recognize that it’s precious. However, a root by itself is pretty boring even though it’s strong. Roots are meant to hold up and feed it’s branches. As my sister and her family move a new bud of change is pushing itself out of the family’s root and is stretching into Texas. The Connie-branch has a new bud of change, too. I’m changing from patient to Survivor, from a life on hold with cancer to a life free of cancer. May both new branches stretch and grow healthfully while rooted in love and powered by positive thoughts, words and energy.
The countdown continues....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)