“TREE OF HOPE” Breast Cancer Survivor Tree
I found out I had breast cancer on June 11th 2014. I had a double mastectomy on July 3rd 2014. I am 4 months out from surgery and I am feeling great. However, as you might imagine, it was no walk in the park. Lots of emotional upheaval. Lots of physical difficulty. But with great support from friends, family and good health care workers I’m doing very well.
Over the last 4 months I have spent most of my free time learning about cancer and in particular breast cancer, what causes it and what cures it. Before my diagnosis, it never crossed my mind that I would get breast cancer. Ridiculous! I was healthy, I exercised, and I ate really pretty good. But I got breast cancer. Why,why, why? That was the big question! I think I figured out what caused it. It wasn’t just one thing. It was likely multiple factors. Low vitamin D, xeno-estrogen exposure, unclean water in my youth, chronic emotional stress, poor diet during my formative years. Add that to maybe I was a little more susceptible than the average woman (maybe? who knows?) and add that the breast, being a gland, is very sensitive to carcinogens, all add up to why I believe got breast cancer at age 46.
So why am I writing about this today? I want to share with you the information I wish I had known 10-20 years ago because maybe I could have prevented getting cancer in the first place. I believe YOU can take this information and do just that! You don’t have to get breast cancer. You don’t have to have that low level anxiety about when it might happen to you. You can take action starting today to control the kind of future you want to have.
I’ve put together a list of things you can do to prevent breast cancer in 4 areas: Physical, Spiritual, Exercise, and Diet. All of these factors listed here are important. There’s no one magic bullet that causes or cures breast cancer. That’s why it’s so hard to communicate about how to avoid it. It doesn’t fit into a sound bite.
But I wish I had had the knowledge I now have. I wish I’d had the opportunity to follow this “prescription” so I will share it today for anyone who is interested.
It’s not easy. There may be things you’re not willing to change. But, do your best. Just try changing one thing per week or even per month. Over time if you stick with it you will have made many changes that will greatly improve your health.
The most important things to do are:
- Find some joy each day regardless of your circumstances. (It’s always there if you look.)
- Make sure you have enough Vitamin D.
- Eat lots of a wide variety of veggies.
- Avoid toxins that are right under your nose!
- Move your body daily (exercise) but don’t overtax yourself.
And by the way, I’m still learning how to do all these things, especially the emotional ones. So this is more a coaching sheet for myself, things I don’t want to forget, and not a sermon to others. I hope you find this helpful. Continue Reading →
