It’s the First of the Month!

You know what that means, right? It’s time for your monthly self breast exam.

I never thought that after having a double mastectomy, there would still be a need to do a monthly self breast exam. Because there is no guarantee that 100% of the breast tissue can be removed, there is a chance of recurrence and self breast exams are more important than ever.

Since my mastectomy I have actually found two lumps that sent me back for a mammogram followed with an ultrasound. Such a stressful experience but I have received an incredible amount of support from my breast surgeon for staying on top of my self breast exams and knowing my body. One lump ended up being a small cyst that feels like a hard pea, (it’s still there and honestly it kinda freaks me out) and the other one ended up being fat necrosis (dead fat), common after breast reconstruction surgery. The important thing is….I know my body because I continue the practice of self breast exams. Once you have a regular routine of doing a self breast exam, you will become familiar with your body. If anything ever feels different, you will know and can schedule an appointment with your doctor to have things checked out.

Lots of self care chat in todays post.

First….November recap

It has felt so good to get back to blogging regularly. This blog is my journal. Not a fancy place to come for recipes or “how to” videos. It’s just my journal out there for all to read. Hopefully you feel inspired to schedule a physical, do a self breast exam, take a walk, try a new project. Maybe you get a giggle in and thats great for our health too! For me it is a great accountability tool and I can not express how much I appreciate you reading, taking the time to comment or send me a personal email.

This little space here has become so much more for me than a journal. It has evolved into a safe space for me to share.

THANK YOU ALL!!

I’m feeling really proud of myself for having completed one month with the personal trainer. Looking forward to see what she has in store for me in December.

Taking the time to Gift Myself something daily in November was a great exercise! I highly recommend it. Moving forward, I know I will be much more aware of taking time each day to appreciate something about the day.

How about you? Do you take time each day to express gratitude? Treat yourself?

Self care

Yesterday I had my annual physical. My birthday month always seem to be a good time to do that. When do you schedule your annual physical? Do you need to get that scheduled?

We chatted about several things yesterday.

• My new workout routine and the benefit of hiring a personal trainer for strength training.
• How lack of estrogen coincides with decreased muscle mass. I DID NOT KNOW THAT!
• My decision to eliminate alcohol and see how it impacts the way I feel.
• My mild sleep apnea.
• The flu shot.
• Scheduling a shingles vaccine.

Strength Training

One of the first things we discussed was my decision to hire a personal trainer. I made that decision because I want to build muscle in hopes that it will help with my joint pain. I did not know that as estrogen declines, muscle mass also declines. Maybe I’d heard that, but didn’t absorb the information fully. Muscle burns fat, so the less muscle, the less fat your body burns, which is one of the reasons it can be more difficult to lose weight as we get older. Lots of great info at yesterdays appointment.

The decision to hire a personal trainer has been great for my mood and energy. I like the schedule, the routine, the accountability and the way she is willing to mix up my workouts and give me a variety. She reached out to me recently and we did a video chat so she could check out my form and answer any questions I had. I really appreciated the extra time she spent with me. After hearing this, my doc asked for the company name to share with patients looking for a workout they could do at home. I continue to be impressed with this company and will continue to update you all on my progress and share my experience with my trainer Julie Marie and the company, Kickoff. This is not a paid post.

I checked with my family doctor and my rheumatologist before taking this for joint pain, and although they both said it does seem to help some people, there is no guarantee. They both also said that it couldn’t hurt, so I began taking this two weeks ago.

It is always recommended to check with your doctor before trying a new workout or taking medication or supplements.

Thank you to so many of you that recommend different things for me to try as I maneuver through this joint pain in hopes of improving it.

Eliminating Alcohol

Why? I just don’t feel great. I’m trying to break down all of the things I’m putting into my body and looking at where I can make changes. I’ve always enjoyed my beer and wine. The only time I’ve given it up for a long period of time was thirty years ago, when I was pregnant.

While I am not looking to eliminate it from my life completely, I needed to cut way back and look at a glass of wine or a beer as a special occasion treat rather than a daily consumption.

Alcohol produces estrogen, which I am trying to reduce as much as possible to prevent a breast cancer recurrence since my breast cancer was estrogen fed. I’ve known this for four years now and put reducing my alcohol intake on the back burner. I’m not proud of this. It’s actually embarrassing that it has taken me so long to make this decision.

As my body continues to change so much and the pain increases, I know I need to continue to make changes in hopes of feeling better. Feeling stronger. Feeling healthier.

Two months with no alcohol has boosted my confidence merely in the fact that I am doing it.

I did have a real beer on Thanksgiving and realized I like my fake beer just as much as a real one. Good to know!

Honestly, I was hoping two months in, I’d feel a ton better and I don’t. But, I know for me this is a healthy decision and I’m hopeful after six months, I will be able to tell a difference in how my body feels.

Sleep Apnea

While visiting all of the doctors in September to get some answers and make a plan to move forward, I had a sleep apnea test and was told that I had mild sleep apnea.

I was told that I could first try a dental implant before committing to a CPAP machine. Great! After going to my appointment for that and receiving the insane price ticket attached, I declined and put sleep apnea on the back burner.

After visiting with my doctor yesterday and talking about my recent lack of sleep, she suggested I move forward with meeting with a pulmonary specialist and looking at the different mask available for the CPAP machine. I decided it was a good idea. I know sleep can greatly effect overall health. Mood. Energy levels. My sleep has not been great the last few weeks and I suppose it’s time to move forward on this. I’ve talked to so many WW Member‘s and friends that say after getting a diagnosis of sleep apnea, and getting a CPAP machine, their sleep improved and their quality of life improved. I’m on it.

The Flu Shot

I’ve only had the flu one time, really bad, a few years ago. I’ve never had the flu shot and I don’t know why. Yesterday, I got the shot. So far, no side effects.

Shingles vaccine

I asked about this yesterday for the first time. Every time I see an ad for it, I think I should ask about that the next time I see the doc. My doctor told me yesterday she has seen a significant increase in shingles over the last couple of years. I know people that have had it and it can be extremely painful so I added shingles vaccine to the calendar.

That’s a wrap on the physical. I hope you’re all taking great care of yourself!

Activity

While I’m enjoying the strength training, I also got outside yesterday for a short 1.5 mile walk. Even on a dreary day, a walk does boost my mood!

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Breakfast

Black Coffee

Lunch

Whole Foods hot bar. Just veggies.

I haven’t had anything from the hot or cold bar at Whole Foods in a long time. Always so many great choices, but kinda pricey. This worked for me yesterday as I was on the go and everything tasted great!

Dinner

Caesar Salad with Blackened Salmon

Trying to get back to some sort of a schedule this week with no real luck. Making the best choices possible while eating out.

Go feel your boobs.

“love the life you live, live the life you love”