Tag: cancer

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6/30/14

TeamKLB

Today is day 13 in the first chemo cycle. Many of you have asked how I’ve been doing. The answer is surprisingly well. I’ve had very little nausea and as long as eat small meals frequently, I’m okay. My main symptom is exhaustion and it’s like nothing that I’ve ever felt before. Just sitting and talking with people wears me out. OUT. But the good news is that I’ve had more energy the past few days. During days 15-21, I should feel more like myself. YES!! I also had the most painful aches in my bones on days 7-8. It was the strangest feeling and nothing made it better except Tylenol. Thank heavens for Tylenol. This was likely due to the Neulasta shot that I got on day 2. This shot boosts your white blood cells since the chemo effects them. (white blood cells are produced in the bones, which I’m sure you all know, but the teacher in me…)  I’m also susceptible to infection since I have low white blood cell counts and my body can’t fight off infection as well as it normally does (so if you plan to visit me and are sick, please reschedule! 🙂

I have also started losing my hair 🙁 They said it would happen around day 21, so I plan to shave it on day 20. Hopefully it will last me until my hair shaving. Which brings me to the hair shaving party. Anyone that would like to come see the new bald me and the new me with wigs, is welcome to come over next Tuesday 7/8. Feel free to bring snacks or drinks. 6:00 at our place. Be forewarned: I will cry. But it’s okay to cry. Jim and I are handling this well, but that doesn’t mean we (me) don’t get emotional at times. It’s a part of the process. He is my rock and I am his. Thank you all for support through all of this because you are making it easier on Jim and I. Last, but not least, my next chemo is scheduled for July 10th and if you’d like you can join me in wearing some pink that day! 🙂

Thank you all again. From the bottom of my heart.

xoxoxoxo,

Katie

Posted on

6/17/14

TeamKLB

We had our chemo class today and learned all about side effects, etc. My first chemo is scheduled for tomorrow from 10:30-1:30. Feel free to send out cancer killing vibes during those hours :). Chemo will be every three weeks. I expect to feel okay for the first few days after chemo and then blech on days 4-5 afterwards. The second full week I’m also not supposed to be feeling well because my blood counts will be down. Week three I should feel decent again and then it starts all over. My hair should fall out around day 21. I have plans to shave it and get a wig/scarf. Thank you all for your offers of support thus far. It makes this journey easier. I’ll keep you updated here as I know more.

xoxo <3,

Katie

Posted on

6/14/14

TeamKLB

The MRI came back last week and showed that the left breast was clear. Good news. They found a second tumor in the right breast – 8.5 cm. The first tumor measured 3.5 cm. The first tumor is classified as invasive ductal carcinoma and this newly discovered tumor is classified as ductal carcinoma in situ. Basically the second tumor is contained within the duct and the first tumor is invading the surrounding tissue. There was also a suspicious lymph node. The surgeon expressed concern to possibly biopsy the lymph node first which would delay chemo by up to 2 weeks. This was a concern of mine and after presenting my case to the tumor board the surgeon called tell me that the tumor board unanimously agreed to start chemo because of the aggressive nature of the cancer.

I have chemo class scheduled for Tuesday and I’m hoping to start chemo ASAP after that.

Thanks for all of your texts, calls, emails, messages, flowers, etc. I am doing okay. This is scary and effed up but I’ve got a positive attitude and the BEST support network out there.

<3,

Katie

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The 52 New Foods Challenge – Cherry Tomatoes

It’s no secret, I’m not a fan of raw tomatoes. I’ve never liked them. In fact, I’m the black sheep of the family in regards to my dislike of tomatoes. With that being said, I believe that one day I will love raw tomatoes [growth mindset]. I do like cooked tomatoes of all kinds (except ketchup, yuck!). I am starting to like heirloom tomatoes in a caprese salad. I think the reason I don’t really like tomatoes is because of their strong flavor – it totally changes the taste of a burger, sandwich, or salad. Jennifer Tyler Lee and I are kindred spirits in this way. 🙂 The other fact that helps me feel justified in not liking raw tomatoes is that unless it’s summer, tomatoes are either grown in greenhouses or internationally, or are grown in Florida (Florida’s “soil” is actually just sand and is void of nutrients). So unless they are garden tomatoes or farmer’s market tomatoes, they are often mealy and are picked when green. The book Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit is fascinating. Highly recommended! Anywho… Jennifer Tyler Lee recommends roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato pops! I recently made a cherry tomato chutney at a Sur la Table cooking class – it was delicious!

Food Facts:

  • They are technically a fruit!
  • Tomatoes belong to the nightshade family (along with potatoes, eggplant, peppers- all kinds, and some spices). Nightshades are known to be inflammatory. Nightshades are commonly removed during a 5-R Protocol to determine food intolerances.
  • There are over a THOUSAND different types of tomatoes and can be a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.cherry-tom-with-logo-1000px
  • Native to South America.
  • The leaves of the tomato are toxic. It was long believed that tomatoes were poisonous because they belong to the nightshade family which houses other poisonous plants (poisonous nightshade and black henbane).
  • Great source of vitamins B6, C, and K, carotenes (especially lycopene), beta-carotene, biotin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, niacin, and fiber.
  • Lycopene content is FIVE times greater in cooked tomatoes because cooking causes the cell walls to burst and “free” the lycopene. Also, the redder and riper the tomato, the more lycopene content.
  • Lycopene in particular has been shown to protect against cancers of the breast, colon, lung, skin, and prostate. Additionally, it has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, cataracts, and macular degeneration.
  • Highest levels of vitamin C can be obtained from raw tomatoes.
  • Fully ripe tomatoes cannot be shipped long distances. Therefore they are picked when underripe and then gassed with ethylene. You probably know what I’m going to say here….buy them at a local farmer’s market, CSA, or grown your own!
  • Cherry tomatoes have more lycopene per ounce and are sweeter and more flavorful than their larger counterparts. Smaller is better!

From The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipesby Jennifer Tyler Lee, Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Healthby Jo Robinson, Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planetby Tonia Reinhard, and Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planetby Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno.

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July 2014 Book of the Month – AntiCancer

July’s Clean Eating book of the the month: Anticancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PHD. In the wake of my Breast Cancer diagnosis in 2014, I read as many books on cancer as I could get my hands on. I’m sure I’m not alone here. Anticancer was by far my favorite.  In this *five strawberry* book, Servan-SchreibScreen Shot 2016-06-24 at 5.28.40 PMer tells readers what they can do to help keep cancer at bay, keep it from coming back, or to surpass a not-so-optimistic prognosis.

Dr. Servan-Schreiber helps to bridge the gap between what the oncologists are telling patients and what they aren’t telling patients – like what cancer patients can do to help themselves. This is what people diagnosed with a disease want desperately to hear – give them some control and power when they feel like they have no control and no power over this situation. He is an MD and a PHD and a two-time brain cancer survivor– so this isn’t quackery here!

In Anticancer, Dr. Servan-Schreiber details his cancer story (or stories, I should say), studies about patients, and several main recommendations. Those recommendations are: 1) eat a diet that includes lots of plants, high-quality meats, low in sugar, low in refined carbs, and low in poor-quality fats, 2) supporting a healthy state of mind through meditation, 3) avoiding the fear hamster wheel by attending support groups, and lastly 4) getting enough exercise.
Servan-Schreiber tells readers that “[c]ancer lies dormant in all of us. Like all living organisms, our bodies are making defective cells all the time. That’s how tumors are born. But our bodies are also equipped with a number of mechanisms that detect and keep such cells in check.” This quote instills a bit a fear in me, knowing that cancer can be happening to all of us, all the time, BUT it also inspires hope because it empowers each of us to know that we have the power to make changes in our bodies and our futures.

A great read for anyone working to avoid cancer in their lifetime, anyone with cancer, cancer survivors, or caregivers. Anticancer gives readers the feeling of some control and power in battling this disease. Highly recommended for everyone!

Want to know what else I’m loving (not loving)?? Let’s connect on Goodreads!