The Savvy Survivor

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...

I just celebrated my seven year Cancerversary, this month; I was elated, once I'd realized what day it was (July 3rd), after helping my daughter get the kids ready to go to daycare. I'm still here...I'm still alive!! But, I'm not where I want to be, in my journey. I have, unfortunately, lived my life giving up on myself; everything I do (including most hobbies), I simply dabble at, rather than making a commitment to something that will enrich my life. I always try...but never do.   Like Luke, I must unlearn what I have learned. Even during the l ast seven years, while fighting Metastatic Breast Cancer ; if you've been following me, for that long, you've seen me slide back into old, unhealthy habits. Habitual dabbling is a habit I formed, early in childhood; and one that I need to break. I don't want to die, any time soon! As a result of a lifetime of giving up on myself, I've developed (or I'm on the verge of developing) a number of fat...

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...

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 therapist said something, the other day, that turned on an interesting "light bulb" in my brain; I updated her on my current health concerns (recent diagnosis of high cholesterol), and what I had planned to do about it. And she told me that some people can manage just fine, with baby steps, while others need to go cold turkey. And then she asked me if I knew which one of those applied to me. I stopped smoking, over 15 years ago...by going cold turkey. When I lived in Knoxville, TN for a year (back in 2015), I began my vegetarian lifestyle....by going cold turkey. After I recovered from being paralyzed (while living in GA, back in 2016), I notice I started taking baby steps, back to healthy; and my health is getting worse, not better. I'm not good at baby steps. It seems that that particular approach gives me too much leeway, to drift back into old habits; and it's my old habits that are causing all these health issues! I have to be the one who goes cold tu...

I've been battling Stage 4 (metastatic) Breast Cancer for almost seven years; my cancerversary is in July. When I began this battle, I started calling it a journey; I’m in it for the long haul, come walk with me. Except I haven’t been walking the walk I was meant to walk. My journey has turned into the life of a sick woman who still believes she has forever to live. At the rate I’m going, I don’t have much time left...I’ve given myself high cholesterol and high triglycerides, on top of everything else. As it stands these are the things that are going wrong inside my body... breast cancer (terminal) arthritis osteoporosis cataracts high cholesterol/high triglycerides I had to explain my newest medical issue to my two very young grandchildren. It was pretty easy, after I told them that cholesterol is a goopy substance that your body is supposed to have, but I have too much; having too much goop inside of you, is very dangerous. This link will explain things to you, i...

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...

As we get closer to New Year's Eve, many of us are figuring out our New Year's Resolutions. What do we want to accomplish,  next year? Is there anything about ourselves that we can improve upon? Any goals we'd like to reach? I used to make Resolutions every year, and break them within a few months. Mine weren't just about losing weight, either....I used to set personal, and professional goals, year after year. In fact the last one I made was to never make another New Year's Resolution, again. I learned, about 20 years ago, I'm not good at keeping promises I make to myself; so there was no point in making them, anymore. Here's the ironic part....that one is the only one I've ever kept! If you're going to make a New Year's Resolution, which is essentially a promise to yourself, make sure it's one you know you'll stick to! Stop setting unattainable goals; stop giving up on improving the magnificence that is you! Whatever you want...go g...

As promised, here's another Christmas List to peruse. This time, I decided to share my favorite personal care products with you. There is only one link, because this website has so many great products on it! You can find Personal Care Products (skin care, hair care, and oral hygiene), Cosmetics (eye shadow, foundation, perfume, blush, etc), Vitamins and Supplements (whole food vitamins and super foods), and Herbal Remedies (immune support, detoxification, cleanses, weight control, etc). I started using these products five years ago, at the start of my breast cancer journey. I made a conscious decision to become as synthetic chemical-free as possible. These products are made with essential oils, and herbs. They make great gifts, for everyone....including yourself! Everything is USDA certified organic, vegan/vegetarian, chemical-free, cruelty-free, free from synthetic fragrances and dyes; and some products are also gluten-free!  I get a small commission, when you use this Aff...