I can clearly remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach one year ago today. all the pre-op was done, scans, biopsies, MRI, blood tests and all I was doing was waiting for a part of me to be removed, actually taken away from me forever...yes they can always be reconstructed and have very perky breasts for a long time, but they wouldn't be mine. the feeling that I was not in control and that cancer had consumed me and my thoughts. I remember my husband and family all there with me, waiting for me to be wheeled in for surgery and praying that they would successfully take all the cancer out. I remember being in the operating room and my doctor spoke to me and tried to reassure me that all was going to go well, and then it was lights out, 3 hours later I woke up in the recovery room very groggy and very sore. I remember thinking, this is done and now I can breath a little better, I saw my husband as they wheeled me out of the recovery room and he had a sigh of relief on his face and yet we knew the battle was ahead of us. I remember the doctor announcing that all the cancer was removed and that there were no surrounding markers, 11 lymph nodes were removed and that I would be ok, every other treatment from there on would be as precaution and prevention. Everything still seems so raw in my mind and maybe it always will or maybe it will fade with time, but I believe that some life experiences stay with you forever.
Today one year later, I am back to the road of recovery from a 10 month battle. I knew that it was not going to be easy and that I would go through many emotions. As I said throughout many of my posts, I was ready to fight this with everything I had, I was not ready or willing to let cancer beat me. In the 10 months all I could think of was that I have a young daughter who needs me and a husband who adores me and that was my will to fight.
So, I went through double mastectomy, 15 rounds of chemotherapy, 25 rounds of radiation and now 10 years of Tamoxifen, but I did it, I beat cancer and hope and pray everyday that it never comes back.
Today February 12, 2017 is a great day, it is a date that I will remember and cherish forever, my doctor told me to celebrate and not worry about the what if's of life....they will always be there. one year ago I was not sure I was going to be here today celebrating life, my life as a cancer survivor,
I am beyond happy to be able to say that I am 1 YEAR CANCER FREE.
Thank you to my husband for being by my side every step of the way, to my daughter for coping with all the change the best way she could, my mom for all her help love and strength and to all my family and friends who were always there for us and always ready to help in any way they could. Lastly my followers (friends) thank you for all of your prayers and good wishes, it made my journey a little easier.
So today I ask that each and everyone you appreciate your life, at times difficult and stressful but you are alive and healthy, that is the most precious gift that your life can give you.
Celebrate life 💞💞💞💞
Franca
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
30 Day Cleanse Completed
When I completed my treatments in October 2016 I had decided that it was time for a change and a cleanup of all the toxins that entered my body throughout the past 10 months. It takes great motivation and the will to start and complete anything in life. Like many people, I am sure we have all started something and somewhere along the way we steered ourselves in a different direction. Throughout my breast cancer journey I gained 20 pounds and did not feel comfortable, I knew that most of it was water retention and lots of swelling, my feet were so swollen towards the end of my chemo that I could not fit into my shoes, I would wear my husbands flip-flops. I knew that I had to do something to eliminate all of the weight gain, but not only to loose the weight but to rid my body of the toxins. Chemo therapy kills your immune system and sets it to a reset, so since I was in reset mode I decided to reset it properly.
My husbands cousin has a great naturopath/herbalist whom she has been seeing when needed for the last 10 years. She often spoke to me about him and that I should maybe consider seeing him, so I decided to take her up on it. In mid-December we went to see this wonderful older gentleman whom I was very impressed by...to long to go into details, I really liked him.
My goal at the time of my visit with him was that 1) I needed to clean out my intestines (badly), kidneys and liver 2) help with the pain and fatigue from my Fibromyalgia. Like any doctor he could've sold me a whole bunch of products and 600$ later no results. That was not the case, he agrees that all of my concerns should be met, but one step at a time. The first and most important was to detox my body, by doing so it called for a strict regime over 30 days. Given it was prior to the holidays and I wanted to enjoy the food, I started on January 2, 2017.
My regime consisted of NO Sugars, NO Carbs, NO Fruits, NO Dairy, NO Coffee, and plenty more...basically I have never eaten so healthy in all my life. My food intake consisted of plenty of vegetables, lots of salads, grain fed white meat, almond butter, almond milk (which I have come to enjoy), quinoa is now a staple food in my pantry, kaput and buckwheat bread, spelt and brown rice pasta, flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pecans and almonds. It may not sound like much but I got creative at times and ate well and never felt hungry. So for 30 days my poor husband tried to follow along with me, I must say I am very proud of him, he didn't follow at 100% but for him to eliminate junk food, chocolate and chips is FANTASTIC. During this process I also has very specific teas to drink. I have come to enjoy Ginger and Turmeric very much, I steep in in boiling water everyday with Lemon (Thanks Jackie)
In the meantime today is Day 30 of my detox cleanse and I am proud to say that I DID IT and I did not cheat once and oh yeah I lost 10 pounds, I am so happy with the results. I can feel a difference in my body, in my skin and in how I feel. I don't feel bloated or swollen anymore, I can start fit into my clothes again, another 10 pounds to go.
This experience has taught me so much about the food that we choose to eat, the food that is sold and how it is chemically grown and how eating healthier just makes you feel better over all. I am not saying that I will never touch anything ever again, but I will be careful with my choices of what goes into my body. I knew from the beginning that my cancer was a great admirer of sugar and therefore that alone will make me think twice and choose wisely what I put into my body.
Sometimes in life we have to go through a bad experience to make better choices...this is what I learned from this.
I will continue to drink my teas on an off as recommended for the next 3 months and then I will return to see him for the next step, in helping me with my Fibromyalgia.
Keep well and Keep healthy
Love you all
Franca
ps...don't forget to #FEELITONTHEFIRST
My husbands cousin has a great naturopath/herbalist whom she has been seeing when needed for the last 10 years. She often spoke to me about him and that I should maybe consider seeing him, so I decided to take her up on it. In mid-December we went to see this wonderful older gentleman whom I was very impressed by...to long to go into details, I really liked him.
My goal at the time of my visit with him was that 1) I needed to clean out my intestines (badly), kidneys and liver 2) help with the pain and fatigue from my Fibromyalgia. Like any doctor he could've sold me a whole bunch of products and 600$ later no results. That was not the case, he agrees that all of my concerns should be met, but one step at a time. The first and most important was to detox my body, by doing so it called for a strict regime over 30 days. Given it was prior to the holidays and I wanted to enjoy the food, I started on January 2, 2017.
My regime consisted of NO Sugars, NO Carbs, NO Fruits, NO Dairy, NO Coffee, and plenty more...basically I have never eaten so healthy in all my life. My food intake consisted of plenty of vegetables, lots of salads, grain fed white meat, almond butter, almond milk (which I have come to enjoy), quinoa is now a staple food in my pantry, kaput and buckwheat bread, spelt and brown rice pasta, flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pecans and almonds. It may not sound like much but I got creative at times and ate well and never felt hungry. So for 30 days my poor husband tried to follow along with me, I must say I am very proud of him, he didn't follow at 100% but for him to eliminate junk food, chocolate and chips is FANTASTIC. During this process I also has very specific teas to drink. I have come to enjoy Ginger and Turmeric very much, I steep in in boiling water everyday with Lemon (Thanks Jackie)
In the meantime today is Day 30 of my detox cleanse and I am proud to say that I DID IT and I did not cheat once and oh yeah I lost 10 pounds, I am so happy with the results. I can feel a difference in my body, in my skin and in how I feel. I don't feel bloated or swollen anymore, I can start fit into my clothes again, another 10 pounds to go.
This experience has taught me so much about the food that we choose to eat, the food that is sold and how it is chemically grown and how eating healthier just makes you feel better over all. I am not saying that I will never touch anything ever again, but I will be careful with my choices of what goes into my body. I knew from the beginning that my cancer was a great admirer of sugar and therefore that alone will make me think twice and choose wisely what I put into my body.
Sometimes in life we have to go through a bad experience to make better choices...this is what I learned from this.
I will continue to drink my teas on an off as recommended for the next 3 months and then I will return to see him for the next step, in helping me with my Fibromyalgia.
Keep well and Keep healthy
Love you all
Franca
ps...don't forget to #FEELITONTHEFIRST
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