Every Little Thing She Does is Magic - Sting

I can't believe it has been a month since my last post. Well, yes I can. Sans treatment life is busy and active. I am back to work (part-time). I am playing with Canyon, cleaning, cooking, doing the whole household thing. Although things are a bit different, I continue to find ways to become healthy and stay healthy without become a fanatic or going crazy. My nerves are starting to say hello and become louder each day. Why you ask? Well my first follow-up PET scan is in 2 weeks, ugh. It is great to have survived chemo and radiation and enter into the land of recovery/survivorship. However, there is still this underlying fear that flares up when these scans are on the horizon. So the big question is how do I keep my cool. How do I keep my self in check, so I don't freak out? I am not promoting suppressing my feelings but having some boundaries around them so they don't rule the next two weeks of my life. At my last follow-up appointment, which was good by the way, I was so nervous my heart rate was up to 98 just walking into the exam room. Now, I am starting the lovely cycle where I look for signs via songs on the radio that everything will work out and be alright. (that sentence is a good reminder: listen to more Bob Marley). I guess that is partly why I have songs associated with each blog entry.

Yes, I am a freak, but I have learned a lot on my cancer journey. Here are three things I especially like:

1. I am not afraid to say what is on my mind.
2. What have I got to lose
3. Not really concerned about what people think, I am what I am.

Okay, so back to business. At my last follow-up my oncologist said the two most important things I can do to help with my healing are: get your sleep and keep stress at a low level in your life. And then my husband says: good thing you are married to me (stress) and have a 16 month old (lack of sleep). Life is funny. Thanks Murphy and your silly laws.

I am trying to improve my health and I could go crazy trying to do this I realize (or become obsessed). For now I am trying a lot of different healing modalities to see what I like. In my pursuit for health and healing I have quite a list of health enhancing practices. It may seem a little insane but I am at a point where I am exercising my wisdom above: #1,2 & 3. Here is my list of healthy practices:

FOOD:
No sweets or candy (4 days in the past 6 weeks I have needed a little sweetness)
lots of veges/ juicing everyday
eating more whole foods
no red meat
white meat at the most every 1-2x per week
working on Ayruvedic diet (decreasing Pitta)
no dairy
no night shades
decreasing wheat
lots of tea- nettle/holy basil/triphala/licorice/ginger/tumeric
Working on an anti-inflammation diet

SUPPLEMENTS:
flax oil
vitamin E
Vitamin D3
Multi Vitamin
calcium
probiotic
Triphala
curcumin
green tea (occasionally)

EXERCISE/BODY-MIND
daily yoga
daily chanting
daily meditating
baths 2x per week
daily dry brushing
and daily sesame oil body massage
pranayama (breathing) techniques to balance kapha and vata
walking
early to bed
dancing around the house
singing loudly when possible

Looking at the list it looks insane, but so far it isn't driving my crazy or creating too much more stress. My goal is to try this stuff out until my scan and then rethink it. Hopefully my scan will be clean and all will be well. They key is to feel good and healthy in my body. To enjoy life and FEEL ALIVE.