It's Coming . . . . .

2019 is just days away. I say this every year, but my wish is for the new year to be better than the year before. Hahaha! Famous last words! We have had about five to six years of hurtles, deep ditches, and road blocks. I do have to say this December was the first one in a long time that I could enjoy the holiday season. I was not recovering from surgery, I was not so dizzy that I could not drive, and I was not wearing the boot of doom. So, progress has been made!

I am looking forward to crushing my goals in my Living Well Planner. My major goal of the year, that I have tried to tackle many times before to no avail, is to clean and organize the house. It gets the best of me every year, but this year my plan is to blow this goal out of the water. In January, I plan to focus my sights on the sunroom. Wish me luck! 

I am also about to embark on a second go-around of the elimination diet. I will be starting it up this coming Saturday (January 5) and a few friends are also going to tag along. I hope that we all find the answers that we seek along the journey. I feel much more prepared this time and have a better idea about what I am actually doing. I am curious if I missed any food intolerances during the first go-around. I am also looking forward to getting my body and brain reset into eating healthier again.  

Well, off to plan my day and week!

Faith of A Child

 

Today, I went solo to church. Hubby needed a day to recoup from the craziness of the last few weeks. Sunday is typically the day of the week that he can call his own. Pumpkin, of course, then decided he was staying home with daddy. By that point, I decided to let the Bear sleep in and go solo. It is nice to occasionally go solo. I don't have to worry about what the kids are doing, how they are acting, and it is more peaceful. I was set to enjoy a kid-less church service, or so I thought.

I have been making scarves for a few Christmas gifts, so I took along a crocheting project. I rarely take a project with me, but with Christmas only nine days away I wanted to maximize my time. I am not an expert by any means and fail miserably at reading crochet patterns. I typically just triple crochet row after row, so it is a great project to mindless do while watching tv, waiting for the kids to get out of school, or listening to others speak.

Grandma sat down next to me in the pew. Then three little sprites arrived and peaked at me from the pew in front of me. I have only seen the trio a few times in church. They began chatting with me, mesmerized by the crocheting project. My own personal fan club!

They pelleted me with questions, lots and lots of questions. What was I making? How did I do that? Who was it for? I wish I had a scarf. Do you make hats, too? Do you believe in Santa? Does the church hand out presents to everyone? I wish I could do that. I can't even draw. My birthday is next month. How many days until Christmas?

The little sprites were a lively crew. I answered the questions they ask, asked a few simple questions myself, but let them chat for the most part. I found out that one girl was in the 4th grade, one girl was the 2nd grade, and one boy was in kindergarten. They came to church all by themselves. Outside the church, I had noticed a child's bicycle and a push scooter in the grass. The oldest little sprite talked about coming from her grandmother's house many blocks away. She talked about her grandparents, but never mentioned her parents.

They watched me crochet a simple scarf before the church service. The oldest stating when she grows up she is going to crochet, too. Before the service started they scurried off to sit with an adult friend that they had made in the church on a previous visit. It is amazing how God turns the simplest, most unlikely things into something profound and meaningful.

Oh . . . to have the faith of a child, to seek out God, and to create your own path to follow! I hope that the little sprites return and that they experience the hope, joy, and love of the season.

Plans For the Future

Wow! It is December 1. Where has the time gone? 

December is a good time to get a game plan going for the coming year. Where do I see myself? What would I like to do? What is important to me? What do I want to accomplish? How am I going to keep myself motivated?

I am lousy at writing goals and sticking to them. I am well-intentioned, but lose momentum when hurtles pop-up and I just do not get back on track again. In recent years, I have gone to monthly goals instead of yearly goals. With monthly goals, you can reassess how it is going and redirect yourself much easier. 

In 2019, my main objectives would be to work on improving my health and to tackle the daunting task of the organization of the house. I have been following Living Well Spending Less and have purchased their fancy planner to see if I can become more organized with my time in 2019.

The planner is beautiful! It has sections to help me plan out my long-term, monthly, and weekly goals. I am excited to start using it in the new year. 

For the month of January, I plan to start the Elimination Diet for round two. I haven't felt as healthy as I was before I was diagnosed with cancer and I want to get back to that place. This week marked the one-year anniversary of my mastectomy. I definitely have not eaten as healthy as I was before the journey started. Easy, quick, and fast were the goals of food prep for months and months. I am ready to retrain my body to eat healthy again. I also want to pinpoint if I have any additional food intolerances that I may have missed during the first round.

Organizing the house is my other main objective. I am going to have to sit down and create a year-long plan that can be broken into monthly, weekly, and daily goals to crush the task at hand. This is an extremely overwhelming process. I feel like the clutter grows, has babies, and spreads at an alarming rate. I need to get the whole family on board for this project. It is difficult to make headway when you are the only one attempting to tame the clutter. So I will have to create goals for myself, but also discover ways to encourage the kiddos to clean-up after themselves and to help out with household chores.

Have you started to think ahead to 2019? What do you plan to do? It seems like the "in" thing to do at the beginning of the year is choosing a word for the upcoming year. I think determination will be my word for 2019. Have you chosen a word yet?

Only Me

 
Do you ever feel like something can only happen to you or your family? I feel like this a lot. If it will happen to someone, the odds are I will be somehow involved.

Real life examples over the course of my adult life:

* The store debiting my bank account for $0.01 when the check was written for $11 something. The store had just got a new system that did electronic checks, apparently it did not like my check. I had to write a second check.

* I once drove under a power transformer as it exploded. That was a fun one, I thought something happened to my car as I pulled into my driveway. I stopped the car and jumped out as my neighbor ran over to see if I was okay. The power guy that fixed the transformer said the squirrel didn't make it.

* Three different ladies in the doctor's office had to reset their passwords when attempting to take my co-pay.

* When I was seven months pregnant with my first-born, I was in my workplace bathroom. The underground transformer that ran behind the building exploded about twenty feet from my location plunging the whole card shop into darkness. My co-worker raced to the back room to check on me. The store was closed for two days due to the outage.

* I'm a battery vampire. I can drain a brand new watch battery in two months flat. I gave up wearing watches a few years ago. Our house was broken into two years ago this week, so I no longer have any watches anyway.

* I stepped on a hickory nut husk in our driveway three years ago next month. I ended up tearing two out of three ligaments in my left ankle. My best friend for the next 4-1/2 months was a walking boot (aka The Boot of Doom). 

* At the grocery store, I always seem to find the self-checkout that has a balance issue. It is great when the attendant has to approve each item you scan because the checkout scale is off and tells you to take the last scanned item out of the bag.

* Percentage wise: A typical person has a 0.01% chance of developing breast cancer in their 40s, 0.1% chance of having Chiari, 1.4% chance of having a Chek2 mutation, 1.7% chance of having a child with autism, and a 4% chance of having a food allergy. I must be lucky!

* After my second surgery last year, a freak accident occurred in recovery. I got clipped in the foot by a passing hospital bed. It was a comedy of errors, no one person was at fault. I ended up in the Boot of Doom for about 3-4 weeks due to a possible stress fracture of the fourth metatarsal. The hospital was kind enough to cover the bills. It made for an interesting time, I couldn't use my right arm and was lugging around the heavy boot on my right leg. 

* Every car I have ever owned has shocked me when closing the door. From personal experience, the pinky is the most painful finger to be shocked. My current car also changes radio stations on its own.

* Last year, I had to contact the health insurance company to fix a glitch on their end. Somehow they had that my then eight-year-old had a mammogram instead of me and they refused to pay anything on it. Apparently, someone on their end entered the information in their system wrong.

* One of the most interesting glitches. . . . Somehow the county managed to deposit our property check twice, two months apart. This, of course, overdrew our bank account. I had to dig through our bank statements to figure it all out. The bank fixed everything after I contacted them about cashing the same check number twice.  

Do you have any funny "it can only happen to me" stories?

Elimination Diet 101

Two years ago, I embarked on an elimination diet. I had been diagnosed with Chiari. My doctor suggested that I investigate to see if a food intolerance was contributing to the headaches and dizziness, that I had been experiencing. Chiari occurs when the cerebellum (back part of your brain) is herniated (tonsil) and extends past your skull. The cerebellum tonsil touches your brain stem and spinal cord which can cause a host of different problems. Besides headaches and dizziness, Chiari can also cause issues with eyesight, balance, hearing, speech, swallowing, and much more. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Chiari. Managing symptoms is the best course of action, which is basically trial and error.

Before I get too far into my story, I would like to point out an elimination diet is not a fad diet and the goal is not to lose weight. An elimination diet is a scientific journey of sorts that helps one to access the impact that different foods have on their overall health. An elimination diet helps one to determine if they have any food intolerances. Food intolerances typically cannot be found through allergy testing. Allergy testing only works for true food allergies that can be life-threatening, even then allergy testing is not 100% accurate. A food intolerance can make you extremely sick but is not considered life-threatening and will not show up on an allergy test. A food intolerance can cause a variety of symptoms: dizziness, headaches, weight gain, gastrointestinal problems, sleep problems, breathing problems, and the list goes on.

I researched my options and decided to purchase the book: The Elimination Diet. The book outlines the steps of the elimination diet, talks about what to look for when reintroducing foods, and includes recipes for different phases of the diet. I bought a medium sized notebook and colorful ink pens (you have to have some fun) to record my journey and symptoms. I also reached out to family and friends for help and support.

Here are the nuts and bolts of the elimination diet. The diet consists of three phases. Phase 1 is a two-day detox. There is a limited list of foods for those two days and all foods must be in puree or smoothie form. When foods are pureed, it is easier for your body to break down the nutrients and minerals. The detox days are to reset your body. The 2nd day was probably the hardest day overall for me, due to Phase 1 not allowing any meat. Phase 2 is day three through fourteen. There is a limited list of foods, but meats are included. Phase 3 starts on day fifteen and continues until all the food have been reintroduced. The foods are reintroduced one at a time twice a day for 3 days in a row. I discovered that for me it was best to test during lunch and dinner. If the food passes, you move to the next food on the list. If the food does not pass, you go into a holding pattern until your symptoms subside. That typically took 3-4 days for me. You can eat as much as you want, but you must stay within the safe foods you are allowed. I referred to the Whole Nutrition website Elimination Diet Resources during my journey.

I tested the following foods for intolerances: Citrus, nightshades (I broke this group out into potatoes and tomatoes since I am allergic to peppers), beef, pork, sesame, walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, sugar, chocolate, corn, soy, yeast, eggs, dairy, gluten, wheat, alcohol, and caffeine. The journey took me 15-1/2 weeks to complete. Besides being allergic to peppers (paprika), I discovered an intolerance to soy and sesame. Health-wise, I had fewer bouts of dizziness and headaches afterward. I learned to eat healthier. Before the elimination diet, I had also experienced acid reflux every evening as I laid down to sleep. The acid reflux is completely gone. The removal of soy and sesame from my diet resulted in me losing 50 pounds through eating alone. I am glad that I underwent the journey two years ago and I felt healthier for it.

Last year when I was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, I was unable to cook for about a month. It was another few months before I could comfortably cut produce, open bottles, or lift pans without extreme pain. It took about four months before I could drain a pot of pasta. I had to rely on others to prepare food. Fast and simple meals were the best way to go and as a result, I got out of the practice of eating healthy. I want to retrain my body to eat healthier again. I am also curious if the soy intolerance was extensive enough to mask other potential food intolerances. So, I have come to the decision to do a second round of the elimination diet in January. I learned so much through the first go around that I am looking forward to trying it a second time. I discovered amazing new recipes, how much soy is hidden in foods, and that eating healthy can be fun. 

What new adventure are you planning for January?

Mission: Stay Well

 

Wow! We are in cold and flu season once again. Last year, I had to perfect the art of staying well.

This past week marked the one-year anniversary of receiving my breast cancer diagnosis. In the beginning, I was of the belief that I just needed to stay well for the next biopsy or the next surgery. Little did I know that I needed to stay well for the entire winter season. That seemed like a Herculean feat, especially with how bad the cold & flu season was. My reconstruction doc put the fear of God into me during the appointments just after my first two surgeries. I learned if I got sick, even a cold, that I could get an infection in the breast expander. If that happened, the expander would need to be surgically removed, the tissue allowed months to heal, then the process would start all over again. There was no way that I wanted to try it a second time, so I became a bit of a germaphobe.

Here is how I stayed well:

1) Hand washing- I washed my hands a lot! Every time we walked into the house, I washed my hands and requested that the kids wash their hands. I washed my hands before every meal, too.

2) Sanitizing wipes- I wiped all the door knobs, light switches, handles, and remotes down a few times a week. I wiped down my desk and equipment in my office at work at least once a week (more if others were sick).

3) Hand towels- I replaced the hand towels in our house daily with a fresh one. This one is probably one of the big reasons that my whole family stayed well.

4) Gloves- Anytime that I was out in public, I kept my winter gloves on when I touched shopping carts and doors. I tried to limit my outings and did not go many places besides home, work, and doctor appointments for about 6 months.

5) Clothes washing- I washed all outerwear once a week (coats, hats, gloves, scarves) to reduce germs. I washed all the bedding in the house on a weekly basis.

6) Peppermint Tea- I drank one to two mugs of peppermint tea daily. Peppermint tea is supposed to boost your immune system. 

7) Vitamin C- I took one chewable Airborne tablet twice a day. Emergen-C is good too, but it contains soy and made me quite sick.

8) Supplements- I took JuicePlus+ fruit blend and garden blend twice a day. 

9) Neti Pot- I know this one is a scary one for many people. I used the neti pot twice a day (morning & night). I think that the saline water helps to reduce the number of germs that enter the body through the nose. 

10) Humidifier- We ran a humidifier in our bedroom at night. I tend to breath and sleep better at night with the humidifier going.

11) Sleep- Try to get plenty of sleep. Sleep is so crucial to staying well. If you do not get enough sleep, your immune system can crash.

12) Hands- Keep your hands away from your face. This one is more difficult for me. It was one technique that I had to work on.

I had a sore throat for a few days last winter in about mid-February, which made me freak out a bit. Thankfully, it turned out well. Besides that, I stayed well all winter. I would not say that my tips are the only way to go, but that is how I survived last winter. I hope that the info above helps you this winter season.

Slow Down

Life is in constant motion. We rush around to do this and that. We say yes when maybe, we should say no. We fill up our schedules. We have grand plans and lofty goals. We run ourselves ragged.

Do you take some time to kick back and relax? Do you ever just slow down? Do you put yourself first from time to time? It does not hurt to have time to recharge yourself. A recharge could be as simple as taking 5 minutes to sit out in nature without any responsibilities and sip a warm beverage. A recharge could be as fancy as planning time to hang out with your friends. A recharge helps to reduce stress levels and gives you a more positive outlook on life.

Moms in general have a difficult time with putting themselves first. From time to time, I ditch the kiddos with hubby and escape to Target. Sometimes, I tell myself to look for one thing that I can buy just for me. Famous last words! I usually find things we need for the house, for the kiddos, or for hubby. It is really difficult to shop for myself. Although, the difficulty could be due to me being allergic to a lot of things and being super tall. I just cannot catch a break. Hahaha!

My recharge time is mainly kicking back with my Kindle and reading e-books. I love to read paper books, but finding free books online is a lot more feasible lately. I should head to the library more. Unfortunately, the kid section is on a different floor than the adult section; it can be a challenge to get the kiddos to visit the area that I wish to go. I mean, who can compete with wooden building blocks and trains. These magical objects still hold an allure for 9 and 11 year olds. Parenthood is so much fun!

I am as guilt as anyone about not taking time for myself. I have grand plans of scheduling time with friends or getting outside to capture some nature photography. But life gets in the way and it just does not happen. I need to do a better job of scheduling time for myself. I need to call my friends and make plans. I need to pack my camera up and take pictures on my lunch break. 

As you go through the week, do not forget to schedule yourself some recharge "me" time. It might just be the pick-me up that you need.

The Gift of Sleep

Sleep is so precious. One does not realize how much so until you have a streak of not enough. Sleep allows your body to recharge and to heal. Sleep is so important, especially for your mood and outlook on life.

Any parent knows that parenthood is great for disturbing sleep. I was so thankful when the kiddos started sleeping through the night as infants. You get this false sense of peaceful sleep. Your thinking "Woohoo!", then BAM. . . they get old enough to have nightmares. Nightmares and kiddos are not a good combination. The "I can't sleep in the dark" stage gets thrown in there, too. Throw ADHD into the mix and you hear "I can't go to sleep." As you lay in your bed, you are praying that the kiddos go to sleep and stay conked out through the night.

Recovering from major trauma also deprives you of quality sleep. Last year, I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and had a single mastectomy with reconstruction. I had a total of three surgeries over a five month period. I had a crash course in sleeping on my back for months on end. Throw a freak accident foot injury into the mix and sleeping on my back was pure torture. The first few weeks after the first surgery, I couldn't even get in and out of bed without my hubby's help. Sleeping on my back would also trigger my chiari symptoms, and my neck would hurt something fierce. It was a vicious cycle. It was a good seven months before I could even attempt to sleep on my side for short spurts of time.

I'm still having problems with getting quality sleep, but I have learned quite a bit along the way. I am constantly tweaking my routine and looking for new ways to catch some quality zzz's. Here is what has helped me at various times over the past year: 

1) If you use any electronic devices, turn the blue light filter on about two hours before bedtime. On some devices you can program the start and end time. Blue light can disrupt your sleep patterns. Two years ago, I attended a conference on autism and children. They recommended using blue light filters and if you use a night light they suggested a red bulb.

2) Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This can be difficult to start with, but is worth it in the long run. I try to be in bed by 10pm each night. If I am extremely beat, it is as early as 9pm. Then wake-up at 5:30am during the week, 6:30am on the weekends.

3) Try to block out as much light as possible. We have a small television and DVD player in the master bedroom. I cover the display lights with a bandana to block out the light. If you have a cell phone in the room, face the screen downward onto a flat surface. Turn devices to "Do Not Disturb" to silence distractions. In the winter months, we use a Vicks humidifier in the bedroom, I have yet to figure out how to block that light. Hahaha! I do strongly suggest a humidifier during the winter months, I sleep so much better with the added water particles in the air.

4) Maximize the use of pillows. Pillows come in all shapes and sizes. Make the most of them. Try to get as comfortable as possible. Warm fluffy blankets are good, too. Sometimes I bunch a blanket near my head for extra neck support when I am on my back.

5) If you are waking up feeling crummy, take a look into your mattress. Can you rotate it or flip it? Does your mattress need replaced?

6) Try restorative yoga. Over the summer I took part in a scientific study studying sleep patterns after cancer. I was randomly selected into the yoga group. I did a form a restorative yoga twice a week for six weeks. I slept better the nights that I went to yoga and I had more energy overall. It was a pretty amazing experience and I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, I have not been able to keep up on the yoga. With our current medical bills, I just can't justify in enrolling in a class. I was given a video, yoga mat, yoga strap, and instruction book. I have purchased a bolster and yoga blocks. I tried once at home, but it was difficult with our rather large labrador mix dog trying to "help me" out. I need to figure out a new game plan for this one.

7) Try mediation before drifting off to sleep. I have found a few YouTube videos that focus on yoga breathing and relaxation. I find the 10 minute videos are the right length for me.

8) Try gentle stretches in bed before you nod off. Try this routine- a) raise your eyebrows as far as you can, b) squeeze your eyelids tightly shut, c) open your mouth wide enough to stretch the hinges of your jaw (yawn), d) raise your shoulders up to touch your ears, e) tighten chest by taking a deep breath, f) suck your stomach in, g) tighten your arm muscles while clenching your hands, h) tighten your bottom, i) squeeze your leg muscles while pulling your toes upwards towards you, and j) curl your toes downward.

9) Drink a warm non-caffeinated drink before drifting off. I like peppermint tea. I also like warm vanilla milk (1 mug milk, spoon of sugar, dash of liquid vanilla- warm in microwave).

10) Essential oils are helpful. I have not explored this area too much. I like to spritz lavender linen spray on the bed sheets for a calming smell. When I have a really bad headache, I will roll peppermint oil onto my temples and behind my ears. My sister recommends also applying it to the nape of your neck, but that location does not agree with me so I skip it.

11) When the kiddos are out of routine, I will give them a small dose of melatonin (3mg to 5mg) for a few days to reestablish our bedtime routine. Unfortunately, I cannot take melatonin myself due to many over-the counter-medications containing soy as a filler. Soy flairs up my chiari symptoms, so I avoid it whenever possible.

12) When all else fails, check out Pinterest. I have found so many ideas that I have tried out.

13) For those going through reconstruction and have a breast expander, I feel for you. It is not for the faint of heart. I would never wish it upon anyone. The best way I can explain it to someone that does not know- an expander is like having an immobile football strapped to your chest. It does not move, your body has to learn to move around it. If this is you and you have an expander, alternate heat packs & ice packs and gentle massage the muscle tissue of you can handle it. Whatever you do, don't freak out in the middle of the night when you temporarily forget what you have been through and you wonder why your chest is swollen. Hang in there. It is only a short stage of your life, you will survive.

Thank you for reading my rather long ramblings. Hahaha! I honestly did not intend for this post to be so long, but sleep is oh so important. I hope that you have sweet dreams!

I Am Me

Life is full of ups and downs. All we can ask for is to be ourselves. We are all unique in our own way. Our experiences shape us. We are so many things and can be anything that we dream.

I am brave, I am me.

I am a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom. 

I am unique.

I am a nature lover.

I am a chiarian.

I am adaptable.

I am a breast cancer warrior.

I am a survivor.

I am blessed.

I am an autism mama.

I am resilient.

I am smart.

I am brave, I am me.