The Day I Found Out, Part 1

Hello out there! I came home from my business convention so pumped up and excited about helping people and building my business (and physically worn out!) that I just haven't had time to blog. I'm working on a bit better balance from now on, though, because I love blogging about being a Survivor. I truly hope that my story and journey is helping other Survivors even if it's in just a small way. We're all in this Surviving and thriving thing, together from my perspective. 

I learned a lot about myself during my convention in Atlanta last weekend. The most important lesson I learned and practiced is my growing ability to be brave and bold while still being sincere and kind. 

Thanks to Twitter I found the awesome site- The Day I Found Out. It's a site where cancer Survivors  post the story of the day they found out they had cancer. Here's what the site is all about: 

"For many cancer survivors and their loved ones, this was one of the toughest days of their lives. These are their stories. This is a place where people with hope to spare can share it with those who need it most." 

Of course, I love this site. I was also a little afraid of this site, because it's powerful, emotional, raw, and brings back unpleasant memories. It's emotionally and almost physically painful to go back to those 2 days that completely changed my life. When I first found this site I wanted to record my video right away, but I couldn't get the webcam to work right and other stuff happened and I just let it go. A part of me was afraid to go back to that first day I found out as if something would break loose inside of me and not be able to be fixed. 

Then I went to a convention in the very big city (with horrible traffic!) of Atlanta alone with 60,000 like-minded people and found a new level of braveness inside me. This braveness gives me a confidence and boldness so that I am able to help other people despite my own fears. That's what my career is all about- helping people improve their lives. 

That's also a part of what this blog is about- being brave, facing fears, using words as swords, and offering supportive hope to other Survivors.

 So, after a little encouragement from one of the Tweeters behind thedayifoundout.com I set my mind on recording my Part 1 Friday morning. 

And here I am in my first ever Vlog: 

Cleaning Up

I've been a bad blogger lately. I've had plenty to say (when do I not? ha!), but just haven't had time to write. So, I've asked a couple very special people to help me keep this blog alive and hopping by writing Guest Posts while I'm away on business. Be on the lookout tomorrow morning for the first one!


I realized, yes again, that there just isn't going to be a 'normal' in my life. I'm okay with it, I just need to learn to adapt my clean eating to it on a much better level. 


No, wait a minute. Actually, I kind of LOVE that my life isn't 'normal'. I just want to learn to eat cleanly in every un-normal scenario. The key is planning and having quick clean eats to grab no matter what. I'm going to be practicing over the weekend while on a business trip. I have a few clean-ish protein bars, Clean Eating's Cajun red beans and rice with turkey sausage packed up and ready for the cooler, clean drinks for the ride and the hotel (to save money, too!), snack size baggies of nuts, a bag of organic popcorn for noshing, and my head screwed on clean and straight. 


The past few days have been transitional-clean (yes, I made up that term) after nearly 2 solid weeks of unwise choices while my sisters and their kids were visiting and playing. It's wasn't 100% awful, there were some clean eats squeezed in here and there but nothing consistent. Not surprisingly I felt pretty bad most days. 


I think, for me, part of going berserk is rebelling against this 'new' way of eating that cancer forced upon me. I'm in the midst of my next round of post treatment check ups. (My last set of tests is this coming Thursday, and I should get all the results at the end of the day.) These days have an anxious undertone to them which makes me want to find comfort in food. I know better, yes. And yes I've chosen to embrace clean eating as a long term way to fight against another cancer recurrence among other health reasons. No one has forced it on me, besides me and the research I've done and can't ignore. Still, I forget about all that sometimes. (Damn you chemo brain!!)  I'm remembering again and feel oh soooo much better already! 


I had a fabulous 75 minute reflexology treatment from my dear friend at Foot Steps In Eden on Monday, been doing self-Reiki treatments every day, just finished Cathe's STS Meso 2 today and eats are getting cleaner and cleaner. Ahhhhh. And Ommmmm.


Curious about Reiki and Reflexology? Look for my friend Tricia's guest post here tomorrow. It's a goodie. Many thanks, Tricia!! 

My Birthday Month!!

It's my birthday month, yay!! I'm excited about celebrating my birthday this year, because each birthday from now is a big win against cancer. It's precious to me to be alive. Here's to more birthdays for all us!! This year I'm celebrating (off and on) all month, and I'm starting this weekend with a road trip to Atlanta with my Mom.

Over five years ago I read an article in some newspaper about this aquarium that was going to be opening in Atlanta- the largest aquarium in the world. The Georgia Aquarium. I want to go to this aquarium as much as a child wants to go to Disney World. Seriously!! I tried and failed for 5 years to make that dream come alive. Then about a week ago a new door opened and my amazingly wonderful Mom offered to open that door a little wider so we could go the Aquarium. I'm beyond excited!! There's a whale shark there, a real life whale shark! When else would I get the chance to see a whale shark?!? Maybe my old dream of becoming a marine biologist will reawaken? Probably note, but one day I'll tell you about the time I went to marine biology school in the Florida Keys.

We are spending Saturday at the aquarium and will probably also do a little shopping. And eating, too! If you have any Atlanta suggestions, please send me an email or post a comment!

Sunday morning we are going to one of Mom and mine's favorite stores- Trader Joe's. We're bringing 2 big coolers for our frozen treasures and a special packing materials for the fabulous and very well priced wines that we're planning to stock up on. Do you have any Trader Joe's favorites? Share them, please!!

I'll be checking out a few business meetings in Atlanta on Monday, then driving to Indiana for more meetings and a visit with my cousin and his family, and flying home from the exciting city of Dayton on Wednesday. I've packed my warmest clothes and I'm bracing myself for the cold in Indiana.

I'll be doing a lot of walking and standing over the long weekend which means I'll be rationing my 'feet energy' wisely. (Oh how I wish this foot neuropathy would go away already!!) Unfortunately, this means cutting down my workouts during my travels. I've got a walking workout on my iPod along with 2 Cathe kick-boxing downloads to use as I find time and 'foot energy' though.  And I will keep a hand-written food journal and not 'eat like an idiot', as my dear friend and mentor, Curt, often says.

I'm hoping the hotel's business office will allow me to blog about my aquarium experience!

On with the celebrating....Georgia Aquarium, here I come!!