The Savvy Survivor

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...

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...

Breast Cancer Awareness happens every day, for me. I've been battling Stage 4 ER+ Breast Cancer for the last five years; I was given six months to live, after being diagnosed. I am a survivor, a warrior, and a fighter; I have quite a few ongoing responsibilities, and plans that require me to be able-bodied and alive. In my journey, I've come across warriors who say their diagnosis was devastating, and others that say it was a blessing or a gift. I have to agree with the latter observation. Most of my life, I spent mistreating my body....too much alcohol, smoking, overeating, no physical fitness routine, etc. I arrogantly believed that if I were to get a disease, it would be diabetes; my father died from complications of that disease, and my mother is currently dealing with it. But I'd never get cancer....that's not something that runs in my family. It wasn't until after my cancer journey began that I was told my father's aunt died from breast cancer. Here...