Category: HEALTH

OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and my birthday month.  Is there a correlation?  Probably just for me, but the irony is NOT wasted on me.  At this age many people just say, it’s another day, oh well.  For me, I look forward to it like a small child.  Not because of cake and presents, but because I’m alive to celebrate it. In a few months I will have my 6 year check up, an event fairly rare with this type of cancer, so I’m ecstatic to be having another birthday that puts me that much closer to being labeled cancer free AGAIN! I have vowed to tell my story every year in hopes of raising awareness.  My story was not just pure luck.  In today’s world it’s hard work to stay on top of awareness, healthy eating and a positive lifestyle, but it is also SOOOOO worth it!  BE AWARE. BE VIGILANT. BE HEALTHY. BE POSITIVE.

SEPTEMBER IS OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

I’ve always been a good girl and gotten my yearly well woman exams. I know my own body.  I started getting my mammograms at a very early age because of a serious family history of breast cancer.  I have a degree in the health field.  I am aware, yet imagine my surprise at my well woman appointment when they said they thought I might have a serious problem – Merry Christmas (December 2010) to me!  Imagine my shock a few weeks later when it was confirmed.

Are you aware of your body?  
Do you get regular check ups?  
Do you get timely cancer screenings.   
Don’t neglect any little pain or irregularity.

  Take control of your health and reduce your cancer risk.

Despite getting my yearly well woman exams I had been having a few pains  here and there for several months before my scheduled appointment, but ignored them because they “mimicked” my chronic appendix of many, many years.  I ignored them and it almost killed me.  Are YOU ignoring something that you should be having a doctor check?  Think twice and make an appointment 1st thing tomorrow.

Ovarian cancer has an ugly step sister too, breast cancer.  If you have any family history please get tested for BRCA also.  You have probably heard about it with a few celebrities having chosen to remove their breasts after testing positive.  It’s a simple blood test and can give you a world of relief to know the answer and if by chance it’s not relief, then your are armed to save your life with positive choices.  You can learn more about it here. Because of my family history I not only got BRCA done, but I was ready to act on it f necessary.  Being prepared mentally is one of the best things to do fo yourself.  I cannot say it enough:

Are you aware of your body?  
Do you get regular check ups?  
Do you get timely cancer screenings.   
Don’t neglect any little pain or irregularity.

Everyday Steps to Help Lower Your Cancer Risk can be found here. 

Go check these out NOW!  
Here are a few other tips to get you started.
  • Stay away from tobacco.

  • Stay at a healthy weight.

  • Get moving with regular physical activity.

  • Eat healthy with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

  • Limit how much alcohol you drink (if you drink at all).

  • Protect your skin.

  • Know yourself, your family history, and your risks.

  • Have regular check-ups and cancer screening tests.

  • For information on how to reduce your cancer risk and other questions about cancer, please call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit THEM online at www.cancer.org.

NEW LIFE to an old KITCHENAID

Back in 1994 we lived in Northridge, California. On January 16, 1994 I spent the day setting up banquet tables in my dining room and living room so I could empty out EVERY kitchen cabinet and drawer of dishes, food (including 6 dozen freshly made jars of jam) and cooking utensils onto those tables to prepare for a complete kitchen overhaul.  It was a tough job and in all honesty some things were stacked a bit precariously, but I made it ALL fit onto the tables.

After I accomplished that tiresome job I removed all the cabinet doors and had them stacked and ready for stripping and painting the next day.  I was exhausted, but I was ready for the next day full of painting. Or so I thought.

What I didn’t know when I planned that project was that the 6.9 Northridge earthquake was going to strike at 4:31 the next morning, only a few short hours after I called it a day from the prep work for the kitchen the previous day.  Long story short we lost 95% of EVERYTHING in the house and garage including my car.

It took a FULL month plus to pick up, bag up, box up and haul everything out to the curb to throw away the broken pieces of our life including furniture, walls and the jam mashed into the carpet.  We had no food except what was in the freezer.  We had a 2 week long block party with the neighbors all taking turns at cooking on BBQ’s in the street.   No electricity, no stores, no banks, no phones (the days before everyone having a cell phone)… life came to a grinding halt.

But, when the dust had settled, the insurance inventories had been submitted, insurance checks began to arrive and when we had caught our breath we began rebuilding.

One of the first things I bought was a new mixer.  I had decided that I was going to splurge and so I bought a top of the line (for the time) 6 qt. professional Kitchenaid.  At the time you couldn’t get all the designer colors so I got a simple white.

In early 2007 I couldn’t stand how it looked after so many years of use, but it is a work horse and I love it so I decided to paint it.  No since in spending money just for a prettier mixer so I chose a hammered copper paint which was popular for the time. 

Now, lmost 10 years later it was time again.  This time I chose a teal color to keep with the color theme I have chosen for this house.  Teal is my new favorite color since it’s the awareness color for Ovarian Cancer.  A day doesn’t go by that I don’t thank God for surviving Ovarian Cancer so choosing the teal is a happy reminder that I’m here and healthy. I got a little carried away and started painted a lot of things.

 Of course it began to thunder and sprinkle then rain so I had to move everything inside to finish drying.

All finished! A great 22 1/2 year old KitchenAid professional workhorse in a new custom color.

SEPTEMBER IS OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and my birthday month.  Is there a correlation?  Probably just for me, but the irony is NOT wasted.  At this age many people just say, it’s another day, oh well.  For me, I look forward to it like a small child.  Not because of cake and presents, but because I’m alive to celebrate it. In a few months I will have my 5 year check up, an event fairly rare with this type of cancer, so I’m ecstatic to be having another birthday that puts me that much closer to being labeled cancer free! I have vowed to tell my story every year in hopes of raising awareness.  My story was not just pure luck.  In today’s world it’s hard work to stay on top of awareness, healthy eating and a positive lifestyle, but it is also SOOOOO worth it!  BE AWARE. BE VIGILANT. BE HEALTHY. BE POSITIVE.

SEPTEMBER IS OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

I’ve always been a good girl and gotten my yearly well woman exams. I know my own body.  I started getting my mammograms at a very early age because of a serious family history.  I have a degree in the health field.  I am aware, yet imagine my surprise at my well woman appointment when they said they thought I might have a serious problem – Merry Christmas (December 2010) to me!  Imagine my shock a few weeks later when it was confirmed.

Are you aware of your body?  
Do you get regular check ups?  
Do you get timely cancer screenings.   
Don’t neglect any little pain or irregularity.

  Take control of your health and reduce your cancer risk.

Despite getting my yearly well woman exams I had been having a few pains  here and there for several months before my scheduled appointment, but ignored them because they “mimicked” my chronic appendix of many, many years.  I ignored them and it almost killed me.  Are YOU ignoring something that you should be having a doctor check?  Think twice and make an appointment 1st thing tomorrow.

Ovarian cancer has an ugly step sister too, breast cancer.  If you have any family history please get tested for BRCA also.  You have probably heard about it with a few celebrities having chosen to remove their breasts after testing positive.  It’s a simple blood test and can give you a world of relief to know the answer and if by chance it’s not relief, then your are armed to save your life with positive choices.  You can learn more about it here.

Everyday Steps to Help Lower Your Cancer Risk can be found here. 

Go check these out NOW!  
Here are a few other tips to get you started.
  • Stay away from tobacco.

  • Stay at a healthy weight.

  • Get moving with regular physical activity.

  • Eat healthy with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

  • Limit how much alcohol you drink (if you drink at all).

  • Protect your skin.

  • Know yourself, your family history, and your risks.

  • Have regular check-ups and cancer screening tests.

  • For information on how to reduce your cancer risk and other questions about cancer, please call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit us online at www.cancer.org.

ONE YEAR CLOSER TO COMPLETE REMISSION & THE ELEPHANT IS ALWAYS IN THE ROOM

Four years ago today my life was forever changed when I woke up after my “Cancer” surgery. I will NEVER forget that day or all the support and love that my family and friends provided during my journey. The doctors, nurses and fellow cancer patients I met and have bonded with has been an amazing gift. I will always worry about my cancer coming back but right now I am so thankful and blessed to be here today. Thank you everyone for your love and support!!!
1464 days ago they told me they got it all.  Well to be honest I was out of it for the first 3 days after surgery so I didn’t hear them until 1461 days ago.  But, my family knew and was relieved.   I am always waiting for the other shoe to fall and the elephant is ALWAYS in the room.  They learn new nuances every day, but no one knows for sure why one person gets cancer and another doesn’t when there is no direct link nor when or if it will come back.
Every bite of food I take, every prescription, every breath of air, every time I’m around fertilizer, clean the bathroom or use kitchen spray cleaner remind me that I don’t know how I got this horrible cancer and that there is is still the risk of repeating itself.  My oncologist tells me that having Systemic Lupus may have saved my life because it changed my life all those years ago forcing me to eat cleaner, give up “regular” junk food and just be more aware and vigilant in day to day life.

After surgery I was poked, prodded and put through every possible test to double check their findings because they couldn’t believe they got it all.  The tumor was large (volleyball size) but contained – unheard of for this type of cancer so I got a new label – rare and uncommon gynecological tumor which spark a new round of tests.  

I dread the waiting between check-ups every few months.  I’m always afraid that I might not get a clean bill of health with every blood test and check up.  In 365 days I can claim complete remission, but even then there are no guarantees.  While I know I am one really lucky girl, I am always vigilant.  

BUCKET LIST UPDATE

TODAY I AM CELEBRATING 
LIFE AS IT HAPPENS EACH & EVERY DAY.
On 12-29-2010 my life changed forever with a cancer diagnosis so of course I made a BUCKET LIST.  No, not because I’m dying, but because I’m living. I’m doing well and getting close to being able say complete remission.

Miracles DO happen 

Then life kinda got out of control and I forgot about the list.  It is time to start thinking about it again make some fun plans.

There are so many things I want to do before I do die, but there never seems to be enough time, money or energy so I’m making a list as I go and changing that.  I’m fortunate that I have already done so many things, but there are so many more yet to do!  I no longer stress out over the small things and they were right, they are all small things! 
  • – Eat a hangover burger – 12-28-11
  • – Go to a PRO football game
  • – Go to a PRO hockey game
  • – Learn a new hobby
  • – Finish my novels
  • – Finish my cookbooks
  • – Get published
  • – Go to Vermont/New England and see the changing colors in the fall
  • – Go to Disneyworld/Epcot Center
  • – Go to an Olympics
  • – Get a postcard series of pictures published
  • – Go white water rafting
  • – Go Deep Sea Fishing (if only for the pictures)
  • – Go Parasailing
  • – Design and publish a quilt pattern
  • – Travel 1st Class (sort of) 10-7-14 (trip post to follow)
  • – Move to a new part of the country and start afresh learning new local history
  • – …
Every time I update this list I will change to the current date to show my progress.

My birthday is in September, but with the weather so hot during that month we waited until October to take a trip for my birthday, not that the weather was that much better.  In the “old” days we would take a little trip for each of our birthdays.  That all changed with hubby’s last alert, activation and eventual deployment.  With the fall out of the VA after that, then my cancer and 5 surgeries we never seemed to get back to the trip around my birthday – something ALWAYS came up.  Well, this year we made it.
So for my birthday present from hubby we spent 3 days and 2 nights aboard the historic Queen Mary living in a harbor view first class luxury stateroom with a trip to the Aquarium.  I promise a post and lots of pictures soon!

CANCER – ARE YOU SCREENING?

SEPTEMBER IS OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

I’ve always been a good girl and gotten my yearly well woman exams. I know my own body.  I started getting my mammograms at a very early age because of a serious family history.  I have a degree in the health field.  I am aware, yet imagine my surprise at my well woman appointment when they said they thought I might have a serious problem – Merry Christmas to me!  Imagine my shock a few weeks later when it was confirmed.

Are you aware of your body?  
Do you get regular check ups?  
Do you get timely cancer screenings.   
Don’t neglect any little pain or irregularity.


 Take control of your health and reduce your cancer risk.

Despite getting my yearly well woman exams I had been having a few pains  here and there for several months before my scheduled appointment, but ignored them because they “mimicked” my chronic appendix of many, many years.  I ignored them and it almost killed me.  Are YOU ignoring something that you should be having a doctor check?  Think twice and make an appointment 1st thing tomorrow.

Ovarian cancer has an ugly step sister too, breast cancer.  If you have any family history please get tested for BRCA also.  You have probably heard about it with a few celebrities having chosen to remove their breasts after testing positive.  It’s a simple blood test and can give you a world of relief to know the answer and if by chance it’s not relief, then your are armed to save your life with positive choices.  You can learn more about it here.

Everyday Steps to Help Lower Your Cancer Risk can be found here. 

Go check these out NOW!  
Here are a few other tips to get you started.
  • Stay away from tobacco.

  • Stay at a healthy weight.

  • Get moving with regular physical activity.

  • Eat healthy with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

  • Limit how much alcohol you drink (if you drink at all).

  • Protect your skin.

  • Know yourself, your family history, and your risks.

  • Have regular check-ups and cancer screening tests.

  • For information on how to reduce your cancer risk and other questions about cancer, please call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit us online at www.cancer.org.

    REMEMBER THAT YOUR BODY TRULY IS A TEMPLE or THAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT BALANCE

    I know many of us would like this to be the way we take care of ourselves, on a regular basis, but since this isn’t really all that realistic, let’s look at some other ways.

    One of the best things you can do for yourself is to create a balance in your life. Being a perfectionist Virgo I’m a list maker by nature, but I also find that those lists help me to stay organized and balanced. Both of which are crucial in my situation. I don’t share this with many, but for the sake of argument I will today.

    To look at me today you would think I was the healthiest person you’d met recently. But, I have Systemic Lupus as well as Fibromyalgia and Raynuad’s syndrome. I was only 24 when diagnosed and was so sick I was unable to participate in my own life. I was being eaten alive from the inside. After the first few months with the help of my Rhuematologist and a serious change of habits coupled with an open mind I was able to participate in my own life again. So creating that balance is one of the most important things you can do to take care of yourself.

    You’ll notice that rest and play are about 3/4’s of that pie chart. I was a workaholic sometimes pulling allnighters to get everything done. But, when I started getting more rest (a fact my body would no longer allow me to ignore) and spending some down time for myself, I was able to get more “WORK” done in a shorter time because my attitude was in the right place and my energy had been replenished.

    The other area that I had to seriously address was eating. I was a college student working on my credentials and holding down 2 jobs so meals were on the run as well as hit and miss. But, foods and their components as well as their preparation became a crucial part of keeping me well.

    Many of us grew up during the “convenience” years. You know when mom opened a can or a box and just added another can of something and there was dinner. Then as a society we began consuming more and more fast food (prepared who knows how) as well as consuming more and more soft drinks and “diet” foods.

    Guess what though? Despite being told these are all okay, they really aren’t. The first thing my Rheumatologist did was take me off of ALL foods containing sacchrin, nutrasweet and/or any other preservative like you’d find in a box product or pre-prepared food. Like she pointed out, a little of a natural thing like real sugar or butter go a long way. You know what else? Within just a few weeks of changing my eating habits alone I was feeling tons better.

    I cannot emphasize how important it is to think about what you put in your body. As my rheumatologist pointed out our bodies do not have receptors for chemically altered or created “foods” forcing anything like that through your kidneys and liver overworking your body. While I do not advocate any one diet (other than plain healthy eating) there are a few things to consider. Some of the healthiest things you can put into your body grow naturally (fruits and vegetables) while some of the other things we eat like shrimp who are bottom feeders and pigs who will eat anything are not so good for you. As she pointed out a little thought and common sense can guide us well.

    Another crucial area is your dental health. I cannot emphasize how important this is. What may be hiding in your teeth and gums may be making you less than healthy. Daily flossing as well as multiple brushings could change your life. Make that dental appointment today!


    I ran across the book above tonight at Jamba Juice and wished I’d had the time to research it better, but it looked quite interesting.

    I have not read this book below, but loved the title and intend to seek it out also. More than anything else I want to emphasize that if you are not taking care of yourself, you will be of little value to others whether that is your children spouse or elders.

    MAY THE MOTIVATION BE WITH YOU TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Change those bad habits, get more rest, play a little more and make those appointments today! I’m living a “normal” life today because I did.

    The Big “C” and perspective

    Many years ago when I first met my Rhuematologist, she refused to provide me with support groups for SLE (Systemic Lupus).  I was only 25 when I was diagnosed and quite honestly scared to death by the literature I had been reading.  I was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Raynuad’s Syndrome. In the blink of an eye I went from jogging 5 days a week, playing raquetball 2-3 times a week and living a carefree life to taking multiple prescriptions and cutting out most activity because of the pain it brought on and all just so I could make it from one day to the next.  This all seemed a lot to deal with and I thought wow, maybe a support a support group would help.  My doctor disagreed.  She believed my positive outlook would carry me farther than others sob stories and pity parties.  I didn’t listen to her and sought out a support group anyway.  It didn’t take me long into the meeting to realize that while it was nice to meet others with the same condition, the outcomes really depended on internal strengths and weaknesses and that my doctor was right, I needed to focus on the positives.

    Shortly after my visit to the support group, I walked into her office and held out my hand.  In it was an entire day’s worth of medications, something like 30 pills.  I told her I refused to live the rest of my life like this – taking all these pills each day and enduring not only the symptoms of the disease, but also the side affects of the medication, especially because they predicted it wouldn’t be a long life.  I anticipated her telling me that it was just what it was and to learn to live with it.

    I was wrong, she jumped at the chance to help me change my life, lifestyle and overall perspective!  My college training and background is medical in nature which makes for an unusual patient.  One that understands – sometimes too much or just enough to scare yourself because you anticipate what comes next.  

    Ultimately, perspective and attitude travel hand in hand no matter the diagnosis.  Along with that culture, age and personality play into every attitude.  But, attitudes can be changed and updated, it’s entirely up to us.
    To refresh your memory these are the 5 stages:
    The 5 stages of grief or acceptance:
    DENIAL – “this can’t be happening to me”. Not accepting or even acknowledging the loss.
    ANGER – “why me?”, feelings of wanting to fight back or get even with spouse of divorce, for death, anger at the deceased, blaming them for leaving.
    BARGAINING – bargaining often takes place before the loss. Attempting to make deals with the spouse who is leaving, or attempting to make deals with God to stop or change the loss. Begging, wishing, praying for them to come back.
    DEPRESSION – overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, frustration, bitterness, self pity, mourning loss of person as well as the hopes, dreams and plans for the future. Feeling lack of control, feeling numb. Perhaps feeling suicidal.
    ACCEPTANCE – there is a difference between resignation and acceptance. You have to accept the change or loss, not just try to bear it quietly. Realization that it takes two to make or break a marriage. Realization that the person is gone (in death) that it is not their fault, they didn’t leave you on purpose. (even in cases of suicide, often the deceased person, was not in their right frame of mind) Finding the good that can come out of the pain of loss, finding comfort and healing. Our goals should turn toward personal growth.

    Get help. You will survive. You will heal (at least emotionally), even if you cannot believe that now, just know that it is true. To feel pain after loss (loss can also be a chronic illness or even a situation where we do not have control) is normal. It proves that we are alive, human. But we can’t stop living. We have to become stronger. Helping others through something we have experienced is a wonderful way to facilitate our healing and bring good out of something tragic.

    YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE ~ THE ABC’s OF HEALTHY EATING

    Many of you know about the ongoing struggle I have been having after being diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer.  Even before the cancer, I struggled with living a clean eating and healthy lifestyle to cope with the aspects of Systemic Lupus.  Now sandwiched right before the cancer diagnosis was also a a diagnosis of Systemic Scleroderma which now labels me with a “mixed connective tissue disease” label.  Oh and by the way none of them have cures.  This makes want to find a way to live even more healthy so I’ll be around for the cures!
    Without going into a long story, many years ago after the Systemic Lupus diagnosis when I was in college and after 6 months of taking Progesterone and various other drugs, I went to my Rheumatologist (a fortunate recent referral and a truly great doctor and caring woman after several other doctors who really had no clue) and said I can’t live like this!  The Progesterone had put almost 60 pounds on me, I could no longer play racquetball (something I did 3-4 times a week) or jog (something I did 5-7 times a week after being a cross country runner in high school). It took me years just to take off that weight.   LOL at least I was a 90 pound weakling prior to the steroids!
    This great and caring doctor sighed with relief and asked me to sit down so we could talk!  Really, she just wanted to chat and chat we did for an hour and a half.  I truly believe that she changed my life forever!
    The first thing she did was refuse me a support group – I know that sounds strange, but she truly felt I was better off with my positive attitude working through the steps with guidance.  Step 1 was to change my eating habits.  Remember I was in college, always eating on the run from whatever vending machine was close and diet everything to keep from putting on any more weight.  So, she had me write down my diet for a week and guess what?  When you see it in writing you realize how much all those “a little here” and “a little there” things add up! After that realization was Step 2 – eliminate the “non food” items from my diet.  She qualified these “non food” items as anything that didn’t have a direct receptor in the body.  This included saccharin, aspartame, splenda, anything processed with ingredients the average person can’t pronounce and preserved in a box or a can.  Below is the new food pyramid in an easy to read and follow format.

    And here is an easy to follow breakdown!

    It is a personal choice, but she also asked me to stay away from pork and shellfish – you know the bottom feeders of the world that will eat anything!  As she put it, garbage in, garbage out via your kidneys and liver!


    Step 3 was to get regular exercise, proper rest and meditation to care for my whole being.  Oh and to avoid stress – yeah right, not easy in this world.  Sound advice for anyone, healthy or not!
    .

    So, the bottom line is that you were given only one body and despite popular belief, it cannot be easily replaced and does require the proper fuel and rest to work properly.  The easiest way is to start with a good diet.

    BUCKET LIST ~PLANS FOR THIS WEEK… BUCKET LIST

    PLANS FOR THIS WEEK…  NOT MANY!
    YOU SEE,
    TODAY I AM CELEBRATING LIFE.

    On 12-29-2010 my life changed forever with a cancer diagnosis so of course I made a BUCKET LIST.  No, not because I’m dying, but because I’m living. I’m doing well and recovering. Miracles DO happen.  Then life kinda got out of control and I forgot about it.  It is time to start thinking about it again make some fun plans.
    There are so many things I want to do before I do die, but there never seems to be enough time, money or energy so I’m making a list as I go and changing that.  I’m fortunate that I have already done so many things, but there are so many more yet to do!  I no longer stress out over the small things and they were right, they are all small things! 
    • #  1 – eat a hangover burger – 12-28-11
    • #  2 – go to a PRO football game
    • #  3 – go to a PRO hockey game
    • #  4 – finish my novels
    • #  5 – finish my cookbooks
    • #  6 – get published
    • #  7 – Go to Vermont/New England and see the changing colors in the fall
    • #  8 – Go to Disneyworld/Epcot Center
    • #  9 – Go to an Olympics
    • #10 – Get a postcard series of pictures published
    • #11 – Go white water rafting
    • #12 – Go Deep Sea Fishing (if only for the pictures)
    • #13 – Design and publish a quilt pattern
    • #14 – Travel 1st Class
    • #15 – …
    Every time I update this list I will change to the current date to show my progress.

    POSITIVE ATTITUDE IS A MUST!

    I originally ran this post back on July 18th, 2008 over at 3 Sides of Crazy. I ran it again at my recipe blog Always Eat on the Good China to remind myself why I named that blog what I did and that I always have something to look forward to.  I run it here to remind myself that I was on the right path to a positive attitude even before I knew I had Ovarian Cancer and just how surreal all these realizations became later on.


    When I asked Am to unload the dishwasher today, she told me how pretty a glass she was unloading was.

    I told her it was a Princess House Heritage Crystal Glass and she immediately put it down and backed away from it like it was Uranium or something. I asked her what was wrong and she said she was afraid she’d break it, so she better not touch it. I laughed and said don’t worry about it, we use them every day. We even break them now and again.

    Then I asked her to put the beans in the oven and she looked at the bowl and said, “You really want this pretty bowl in the oven”? Again I laughed and said yes.

    So I asked her if she had ever heard of Erma Bombeck and she said no. I had to share this with her.

    See many, no, most of you know me as just a fellow blogger with a positive attitude and generally friendly demeanor. What you don’t know is that I too suffer from a terrible debilitating disease that requires constant maintenance, positive attitude and a stress free life as well as a preservative free diet to stay even close to healthy. To look at me you would never know I was sick, but for that all I can say is thank you as I have worked hard to maintain that appearance and attitude, because it wasn’t always that way and it was hard work to get this healthy. I also know though how tenuous life is and how quickly it can change so for that reason I post this tribute to Erma Bombeck as a reminder to us all to burn the pink candle, use the pretty bowl and crystal glasses for everyday.

    If I Had My Life To Live Over by Erma Bombeck

    The following was written by the late Erma Bombeck after she found out she had a fatal disease.

    If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.

    I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

    I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

    I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

    I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

    I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

    I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

    I would have cried and laughed less while watching television – and more while watching life.

    I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

    I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

    I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

    Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

    When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”

    There would have been more “I love you’s”.. More “I’m sorrys” …

    But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute… look at it and really see it … live it…and never give it back.

    THE DREADED BIG “C”

    Three years ago today my life was forever changed with a phone call saying I had “Cancer”. I will NEVER forget this day or all the support and love that my family and friends provided during my journey. The doctors, nurses and fellow cancer patients I met and have bonded with has been an amazing gift. I will always worry about my cancer coming back but right now I am so thankful and blessed to be here today. Thank you everyone for your love and support!!!