Every now and then I get a reminder that I am tainted, if you will. I have a cancer gene that most people live in fear of once they find out they have it. There are websites and support groups dedicated to “my kind”. Because of my diet and the scientific research on plant based living, I have been able to put the results on the shelf for the better part of the last four years. Only every now and then does the thought or fear of what could be bother me.
I received a phone call from Huntsman Cancer Institute about 3 weeks ago offering me a free mammogram because they had extra funding from The Susan G Komen foundation. I usually decline the kind offer, but this time I felt like it would probably be good to just go in. My last mammogram was actually 6 years ago when I first got my BRCA positive test results. I have since had twins, (you can’t do mammos when pregnant or nursing) then read about a whole food plant based lifestyle, and put off the idea that I would need such heavy screening. Back to the story, I said yes and scheduled my screening. With that, all the thoughts and fears started to creep back in… I wondered have I been taking proper care of myself? Would I be surprised if the results are positive? How would I fight it if the results are positive? Do I know enough about natural remedies to feel confident? and on and on. I came to the conclusion that I would not be surprised if the results of my mammo showed some signs of cancer. I felt like I had put myself on the back burner and even though I eat healthy compared to most, there is more I can do to take care of me. I take on more stress than I should and probably don’t get the proper amount of rest my body needs. So I braced myself for bad results or some sort of scare. This may sound silly to most of you, but for those who have been in my shoes in some form or another this is very typical… right?
At my appointment they told me, if get a call from them within three days it will be because they want you back in, otherwise you will get a letter in the mail in a couple of weeks…
To my gut wrenching surprise, I received a letter from Huntsman only three days after my test. It was not a call nor had it been a couple of weeks. I prepared for the worst. Then I opened the letter to read that the results were normal and there had been no significant changes since my first mammo six years ago. There was no cause for alarm and see ya next year.
I finally exhaled deeply, realizing I had been holding my breath. It’s done, so simple. That letter had the power to change me in so many ways and it’s just done. No big deal. It caused me to evaluate where I am and what I want to be doing. I do not ever want to allow my mind to wander to the possible positive result because I am not doing all in my power to prevent.
My wake up call was a simple, I am lucky for that. So I sat and pondered what would I need to do to bring back the peace of mind and allow the fear to leave me once again. I decided to pick five things to do for ME everyday!
I know as busy moms we hear “if you don’t put yourself first your whole family will suffer” or something similar. I have heard that for 10 years, but now it has finally makes sense to me. I came up with a simple plan to follow. There are so many things I could and should be doing everyday to be perfect, but I know I cannot do them all. I decided I needed to pick a few things that will give me good foundation. I have picked my five things that are important for me to do each day. The grand total of time it will take is about one hour, I can make it longer on days when I have more free time. This is a very easy list to write out and just putting it down on paper makes me feel lighter and more empowered. I encourage you to grab a notebook and pen to write down your list. Make time for you. You are so important.
Would you like to know my five?
1. Ten minutes of reading, writing, prayer, and/or meditating (whatever is needed most that day)
2. Warm water with lemon and chia seeds
3. Green kale juice or super green smoothie (any one of our smoothie recipes boosted with kale)
4. YOGA! (even a ten minute sun salutation series at home will help balance me)
5. Sleep 7 hours or more. (getting to bed early is the key!)
These are very simple, and if I can follow my list I know that the fear will slip away and quickly be replaced with peace. Time to get back on track and allow peace to give me back my balance. Consider this your wake up call, learn from my mistake of allowing myself to slip onto the back burner, so to speak~Take care of your mind, body, and spirit!
Happy list writing,
~Newbie Mommy
Source: WFM 1-10