The Savvy Survivor

I had a telephone conversation with my Oncologist's Nurse Practitioner, yesterday. The news she gave me was amazing!! Merry Christmas to me! I've been taking Femara , since September; and she told me my tumor markers were significantly lower than when I first started taking it. Before I started taking Femara, my markers were in the mid-100's; they are now in the 70-80's range! I'm having to deal with six side effects, but just hearing the news that the drug is working, gives me the energy and determination to continue dealing with those side effects. Tumor marker levels in the 30's are considered normal; I'm almost there! No need for chemo, yet! Roughly two years ago, I told my Oncologist that I wasn't willing to go the conventional treatment route, anymore. The last drug combo (hormone blocker and chemo drug) I was on caused me 14 side effects, and I was miserable!! I told him what I had planned to do; he supported my decision, and said if I needed him...

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...

I was fat-shamed by a stranger, this afternoon. Typically, I wouldn’t give two shits about what anyone thinks of me, but he blindsided me. What he said hurt me; and it shouldn’t have. Back story….yesterday, I commented on the health and environmental benefits of going vegan, on one of the Facebook pages I'm a fan of, and had all manner of replies from a few people, which I dealt with; it was a heated exchange of opinions vs. facts. However, nobody has said anything else in that conversation thread, for a while; then, suddenly the fat-shamer shows his ugliness. Not only did this person insult me, belittle me, and call me out for being overweight (as if my being fat was the sole cause of everything that was wrong with the world); he also used my portion of the thread against me. He twisted everything I had previously said to the others, and made it all about how much I don't deserve to feel that way....because I'm fat. This was my reply to the attack... " In cas...

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 ...

My first blog of 2018!! 🎉 Wow...I am so excited, and feel incredibly blessed,  that I'm still alive! As most of you know, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, back in 2012; and, according to medical science, I'm supposed to be dead. For the last 5.5 years, I've been living on borrowed time, but not really...living. For a while I've been plugging myself as "The Savvy Survivor", and I've really tried to live by that persona. Being savvy, while in the care of others, has proven to be very difficult! Most of the time, I still eat what everyone else eats; and, I still struggle with food addictions. No offense to those who love me, but I really wish they'd stop feeding me normal food! I don't want it, but I have trouble saying "no". I've even gained weight, that had previously been shed. This year, I'll have to get a little more assertive with them. I don't want to live with cancer, anymore; and I certainly d...

For the last few months, my daughter, her children, and I have endured quite a significant amount of betrayal and hardship. Someone we both assumed was a loyal friend turned out to be a spiteful enemy. Discovering this was heartbreaking. We had to move into this person's home, when we moved to Ohio, because otherwise we would've been homeless; and homelessness is not something toddlers need to experience. While we lived with this person and her family, my daughter was treated like a servant, forced to give up her food stamps for the other family, and psychologically abused by her and her boyfriend. Since moving out, they've deliberately set out to defile mine and my daughter's reputations; slowly, the loyal friends we still have, are also cutting all ties with this other family. Our lives are now moving in a positive direction. And, it feels so good to be able to breathe again! We got a 3-bedroom apartment, in an income-based apartment complex; the Littles are lea...

The last time I had a Blog, I stopped posting right around Christmas time....two years ago.  So, now it's time to start over. A lot has happened since I dropped the ball on my Blog, two years ago...my health has been a constant yo-yo, between feeling good and struggling (repetitive infections, short stays in the hospital, etc); it got so bad, I moved in with my daughter and grandchildren in GA. At one point, I became temporarily paralyzed, as the result of an aggressive tumor in my lower spine (it's all good now). I also helped her get herself and the babies away from an abusive man. The four of us have relocated to Ohio, and are in the process of rebuilding our lives. Side Note: If you, or someone you know, is in an abusive relationship please call the Domestic Violence Hotline ! They are there to help...and they will! Now that I'm back in Ohio, I'll be getting back in touch with the folks at Akron General Medical Center , to continue my fight against breast...