Setting Goals for Recovery

Thursday was the last day of school. This sure was a tough year on so many levels. I just want to put it behind me and start all over in the fall.
Friday was going to be a practice run through radiation but they called that morning to cancel because the machine was broken. We rescheduled for Monday. I was trying to get all psyched for this new treatment
but they called again because the machine was still down. We will shoot for Wednesday.

I decided to do some homework from this new book I'm reading  studying, After Cancer Treatment, by setting some short and long term goals for my health and well-being.Three areas that need consideration are Physical, Emotional and Support Systems. Physical Goals are divided into three categories: Nutrition to promote healing, Exercise to build strength and endurance and Sleep to increase a healthy immune system.

I need to learn how to pace myself and think of my energy as "coins" by considering how it's "spent". There is a difference between "activity" vs "exercise". I thought I was doing great by running errands and doing housework. But I was using energy that should have been saved for structured exercise that involved strength training, cardio and flexibility. When I spent my energy on miscellaneous activities, I had nothing left for exercise. I'll have to admit, it sure felt good to clean the bathrooms the way I used to bc (before cancer). I still have to get through radiation and can't afford to "waste" this precious energy.

Short Term - by September 1

• Physical: Nutrition - drink 64 ounces of water, eat more natural foods, avoid food additives, avoid processed foods, eat fish once a week (Carol, please teach me how to cook this stuff!)
• Physical: Exercise - walk 20 minutes 5 days a week, do yoga 3 days a week, strength training, lose 5 pounds
• Physical: Sleep - go to bed by midnight with chamomile tea and a good book, stop using the TV to fall asleep, nap before fatigue sets in, no computer 2 hours before bedtime.
• Emotional - pray and meditate daily, practice mindfulness
• Support Systems - connect with people who are loving and enhance my life

Long Term - by June 2014

• Physical: Nutrition - continue ST goals, eat fish twice a week,
• Physical: Exercise - walk 45 minutes 5 days a week, do yoga daily, strength training,  lose 20 pounds
• Physical: Sleep - go to bed by 10:00 pm during the school year, continue ST goals 
• Emotional - continue to pray and meditate, practice mindfulness
• Support Systems - call my parents daily, host family gatherings often, hang out with friends

I need to find an app to keep track of some of this and schedule it on my Google Calendar or it might never happen. Call if you want to walk with me this summer!

I would encourage you to set goals for yourself in these areas. 

You shouldn't wait until you have cancer 

to be proactive about your health. 

Hugs,
Christie

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Eyes Wide Open

I've been reading studying this new book about the affects of diet and lifestyle on cancer cells. It's fascinating and I'm already implementing the healthy food. Nutrition has always been a part of my background as an FCS teacher and so has cooking, but now I understand the affects of food on a molecular level. 

Here's the problem. I bought all of this fresh produce at Kreiger's this week. Cabbage, leeks, garlic, brussel sprouts, green beans, sweet potatoes,  cauliflower, turmeric  flax-seed  The other night I made sweet potato oven fries sprinkled with turmeric  I lost the peeler and almost slit my wrist using a knife. Then Richard had to slice them because I had no strength to cut the sweet potatoes into fries. Tonight is a fundraiser for the band at Hardee's, then interim pick-up at the high school. So the veggies won't be used and tomorrow neither of us will have the energy to cook anything after chemo. 

I thought all of this fresh, organic food was healthy but my friend Jane, a dietitian,  pointed out that it might be organic but it's not free from bacteria and organisms. (think fresh spinach and salmonella). She  suggested buying frozen food because it's cleaned and flash frozen straight from the field, retaining more nutrients. I'm not sure where most of this produce came from but I'm sure it wasn't grown in Ohio - not in February. A Neutropenic Diet is what I should be following. 

This is what I learned from the research outlined in this book:

1. If I can lower the level of inflammation markers I will be twice as likely to survive, page 45-47
2. If I don't eat sugar or white flour I won't provide insulin to help cancer cells grow, page 67-70
3. If I eat meat and dairy products from animals which consumed grass instead of corn and soy, I can balance my intake of Omega 3 & 6, reducing the stimulation in tumor growth, page 73-80
4. If I eat Turmeric it will force cancer cells to die, page 114
5. If I consume Asian mushrooms it will stop cancer growth, page 117
6. If I consume fragrant herbs (mint, thyme, marjoram, basil and rosemary) I can reduce the spread of cancer cells by provoking their death page 120
7. If I consume olive oil it will slow the progression of cancer, page 112
8. If I eat garlic, onions, leeks and shallots it will promote cell death of breast cancer, page 136
9. If I overcome traumatic life events and rid myself of helplessness the cancer markers in my blood can return to a normal level, page 153-161, 178
10. If I get 3 weekly, 30 minute massages per week it will slow the production of stress hormones and increase the number of NK (natural killer) cells of my immune system, page 196
11. If I practice relaxation through yoga/meditation I can have a 56% lower mortality risk, page 161-174, 184
12. If I walk 3-5 hours per week I will increase my MET to a level that stimulate defense mechanisms to fight breast cancer, page 19
13. If I eat cruciform vegetables it will promote the suicide of cancer cells, page 135
14. If I eat vegetables  rich in carotene (carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, beets) I can live longer than if I don't eat these items, page 136
15. If I eat citrus fruits they will stimulate the detoxification of carcinogenics by my liver, page 139
16. If I eat dark chocolate (70% cocoa) the molecules slow the growth of cancer cells, page 140
17. If I consume Omega-3 from flax-seed,  nuts and canola oil I will have a significantly lower risk of developing metastatic tumors, page 143
18. If I drink 3 cups of green tea daily I may decrease my chance of relapse  by 57% , page 111

I know, all things in moderation;
except for this last one.

19.  If I have a network of 10 or more friends, I will quadruple my chance of surviving this breast cancer, page 179

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