The Savvy Survivor

Yesterday, I began my fitness journey; I went to Planet Fitness , with my daughter, and spoke to her Personal Trainer. He tried me out on four machines, gauging the weight and reps that felt comfortable for me. All four machines were challenging, but two were a bit easier; I also spent about 20 minutes on a recumbent bike. The sitting crunch machine was one of the machines I worked out on; in order for me to work it, I have to stretch behind myself, to reach the bars behind me. The muscles in my lower abdomen and lumbar region did not appreciate that, one bit! I'm sure it'll get easier, given some time. After our workout, we had some errands to run; one of mine was a trip to the doctor's office; no, I didn't get hurt at the gym, I had an appointment for a checkup. I had some blood work done, the last time I was there, and it was time to discuss the findings. I informed her that I was not taking the Lipitor , and why; two of the side effects scared me. My li...

Look at all those yummy colors! "Eat your vegetables!" Who didn't hear that, growing up? I wish I had kept up the practice of eating vegetables, a couple times a day….I probably wouldn't have breast cancer, if I had! It's not that I disliked them...I just found the food-like substances of the Standard American Diet more tasty, more convenient, and more affordable. My bad!  For the last seven years, I've learned to incorporate lots of different plant foods, every day. Brief PSA, here - Always choose organic fruits, veggies, grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, whenever possible; and eat them raw, but soak them, first! Soaking them reduces the anti-nutrients in them, making them easier to digest, and easier for your body to assimilate nutrients. Wait….let me backtrack here. Some veggies are healthier  cooked  (steam them); and you should always cook beans and legumes. The rest, I encourage you to eat raw. Cruciferous veggies, are great!  L...

On April 30th, I met my new Oncologist....and fired him. Actually, I didn't fire him, I just told him I was tired of doing things the conventional way. I need a break! We talked about what I had in mind to do, as far as alternative modalities, and I asked him if there was any way to monitor my progress without causing me any further anxiety or unwellness. I explained to him, that the last time I had a scan I was physically ill, the entire rest of the day; and my body doesn't seem to want any more Rx drugs. I asked him about monitoring tumor markers, and he told me that since that's not a reliably accurate system, he's reluctant to use it. He said my markers could be down, but if I have any inflammation in my body, they'll show as being elevated, when they're not. He told me the only reliable way to monitor my condition is by way of scans; I can't do those, anymore. I can't lay flat. At the end of our conversation, he said if I need him again, he's ...