The Savvy Survivor

For the last 8.5 years, I've been battling Stage 4 breast cancer; in that time, I have, unfortunately, developed a few more health concerns. In the next few blog posts, I'm going to focus on the other health concerns; sharing with you the research I've done on how to manage/care for them. The newest health concern of mine is a peptic ulcer; I had to have abdominal surgery, to repair a perforated stomach, because the ulcer had become a life-threatening situation. I didn't realize I even had an ulcer, until I was told my stomach had ruptured. That's what's known as a "silent ulcer"; they're caused by overuse of NSAIDs; and there are no symptoms. For years, I've been taking too much Ibuprofen (1K mg at a time), too often (multiple times a week); you could say I was addicted to it. It became the only pain reliever I could use, that didn't make me feel loopy, like narcotics do. Having become addicted to it, my stomach reacted and formed the ulce...

Happy Thanksgiving to my American fans; may this day find you blessed and healthy ! To all of my fans, wherever you are, I count each and every one of you as a blessing; and I am grateful to have you in my life! This year has been a very difficult year for everyone; what we thought was going to be another "flu season" has endured the entire year; it has caused more deaths, unemployment, and hardships than any other pandemic in history.  But, those of us who have survived this year, have that to be thankful for...we're still here! There is hope, on the horizon! I am especially thankful for the breath in my lungs, considering I almost died back in August ! It is crystal clear to me, that my journey on this planet is not completed, yet. And while I can still draw breath, I have decided to make the most of the time that has been given to me. Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what movie I just referenced! As you navigate though your day, whether you are with your loved on...

When I started The Savvy Survivor, on February 14, 2013, I had every intention of sharing my journey with you; I wanted to show whomever was watching that they could survive an incurable disease, beyond their doctor's prognosis. That was my plan, anyway. I feel that I have failed my mission. Throughout the years, I have survived; but I haven't taken care of myself as well as I should've been doing. I backslid into old eating habits, more times than I can count; to the point of almost being diagnosed with Diabetes. I have half a dozen new health issues to deal with, as I'm writing this to you; including being the reluctant owner of a peptic ulcer . There are two ways to get peptic ulcers; one is via H. pylori bacterial infection. The second is by way of overuse of NSAIDS ; this is how I got mine. I have been taking far too much Ibuprofen, more times a day than I should've been, to keep the pain of my breast cancer from spoiling my day. I will never take Ibuprofen, ag...

I haven't blogged in a rather long time (sorry!), because I've been taking care of life; but today, I feel the need to speak out about feelings. First, I want to say, it's ok to express your feelings. And it's perfectly alright to be sad, anxious or depressed, at this point in time. The entire world is sick; and we're all dealing with a lot, right now. But I didn't need to be shamed, for how I feel; and that happened, this morning. A Facebook page I'm a fan of asked how we were all dealing with the Easter holiday; and I answered them. Someone thought it was their duty to scold me for not being thankful that I have someone to spend the holiday with, even though my son can't be with me. I am thankful to have my daughter and grandchildren around; but I'm dying of a terminal illness, so having my son near me, as well, is a blessing! Not counting the holidays we lived through, in separate states; this is the first holiday I've had to endur...

This blog has nothing to do with breast cancer, or healthy eating; but the subject is near and dear to my heart. And I was told, knowledge does no one any good, unless you share it; so, this is my Christmas gift to you! Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, ever since I was little; but I was never really excited about history class, while growing up. I only began getting excited about history, when I learned about it, beyond the boundaries of my text books. It’s very liberating, when you discover the truth! All of us who grew up in church, were taught that Jesus is the reason for the season; he is God in the flesh, and was born to save us all from sin. One of my favorite images, this time of year, is the Kneeling Santa. I just love the symbolism...it’s beautiful! But, truth be told (John 8:32 says the truth will set us free), Christ’s birth is not the true reason; he wasn’t even born in December. Shepherds wouldn’t be tending their flocks outdoors, that l...