6.75 on Litmus test

I have been working on my diet and tweaking my supplements as my body still struggles to be alkaline. I have decided to take my greens supplement (Green Vibrance) in pill form because the texture of the liquid drink made me want to gag. This was detering me from taking the supplement. So, now I am taking the capsules which has the green substance enclosed. This ensure that I will take it everyday and am already starting to see some results. I continue to test myself and the ideal range on on the acid-alkaline scale is between 6.5 and 7.0. So, I am right in the middle...around 6.75. I am going to continue to take the supplements while increasing juicing.

What is juicing? This is where you take your veggies in juice form. The theory behind this is that if you take your veggies in juice form, it will be easier for your body to absorb the nutrients because it will not have to break down the food for digestion. You are also getting more of the enzymes in the food, which helps in decreasing the possibility of inflammation. Because most of us are not getting the actual enzymes we need in our food, juicing can actually help get us there.

Many cancer survivors have used juicing to transform their live...change their situations from terminal to remission. It also helps with other auto-immune disorders because these are normally caused and/or promoted by inflammation. Inflammation is a cause...cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis are some of the effects.

I am not sure why this cancer happened to me or why it wants to stay around, but I am convinced that if I promote an alkaline environment and increase oxygenation at the cellular level...that over time, the tumors will subside. It has happened for others and I believe it will happen for me.

Blessings to all of you...be well!
Lolo

The Year of Still Here...

So, in our effort to start enjoying life a little more...Michael and I went to see Jimmy Buffett in St. Louis, Missouri this last Thursday. For those of you who snub Jimmy Buffett like I probably would have done years before, I just want you to know that he is a very smart guy. His philosophies in his songs are very simple, but they ring true. He knows who he is. He remembers the value of his family. He values his good friends. He appreciates a good day. He reads good books and loves Mark Twain and Ann Morrow Lindbergh, as writers. I could not agree more with his choice of authors.

I must admit it took me a while to get used to his music, but I realized that the value of a good day is priceless. Jimmy Buffett has life figured out. I have read one-and-a-half of his books and, at heart, he is a good old southern boy. But, he knows his limits and he knows his strengths. I wish most of us could recognize this wisdom and feel the value of who we are. I did not do this until I got sick.

I am thankful for Buffett's perspective. Being at his concert was like many things I have experienced over the past couple of years...a dream come true. Life is a dream come true for me. I am sure without the assistance of good medicinces, good physicians and the women who have come before me...that I would not even be here. I appreciate the simplicity of a good day. It no longer needs to be a perfect day in order for me to accept it. I no longer need to be perfect in order for me to love ME. I love me exactly as I am, FLAWS AND ALL. I plan on being here for a long time. I am blessed.

We went to the concert with our friends, Phil and Angel. They have been Parrotheads for quite some time and they wanted to help us, and there St. Louis friends, become accustomed to the ways of Jimmy. It was a very fun experience. I got to put my FINS UP! And, I got to hear about Jimmy's love of Mark Twain. He was extremely appreciative of his Missouri-born band-mates and overall, he seemed to have a great time...just like we did. He sang lots of his favorite songs and a couple of new ones. He honored Bob Dylan and Van Morrison.

His theme for this concert series is THE YEAR OF STILL HERE. I thought this was a perfect concert theme for me to be a part of. I often wonder if people think I will be here for long because I am a stage IV girl, but I plan on being here for a long time. I feel blessed, honored, to have access to medicines and physicians...to feel that my cancer is manageable and to be a part of my medical team. This is the year of still here for me....I plan on having a multitude of these types of years!

I have many people who love me and take care of me. I am appreciative of them every day!

I hope each of you are aware of the people who love you! I hope you feel that love ever day...

Blessings,
Lolo

Pass It On!

Here is a picture of me, Heather, Terri and Amy. These are the girls I am walking with in the Chicago Three Day Walk for Breast Cancer. Our team name is Pass It On!, which is the same as my foundation. Terri had these t-shirts made up and promoted a Think Pink Day in our hometown of Excelsior Springs. At a soccer game, both the Excelsior team and the Kearney team wore the shirts along with many other people. Terri raised a lot of money for our team. But, don't worry if you want a shirt! My big sis(Heather) and I are looking into getting shirts made for people who donate to our team in the future. I am hoping to have both pink shirts and black..and kid's shirts also. The logo on the front of these shirts was designed by ME!

I will keep you all posted when we finalize our donation letters and when the t-shirts are available to order.

Blessings,
Lolo

How blessed am I?

So, the weather here in Overland Park has been amazing the past couple of days. We went to the park Sunday and Jack spent the majority of today in the park with either my mom and dad or me! Morgan got to go to soccer practice with Michael! It was very sweet. I can not explain how fortunate we are...we don't take any moment for granted. We have been through so much with our experience with cancer, however, we have learned to appreciate the every day...the NOW! I hope that all of you are able to do the same!

Blessings,
Lolo

Went to the park yesterday..

It was such a nice day yesterday that Michael and I took Jack and Mo to the park after church. I will down load some pictures of them in their KC Royals outfits. Too cute! I also got a 19 mile bike ride in last night. It was a productive day. I hope all of you were able to get out of your homes and shake the cob webs off...and enjoy the sun! It adds to your health and your happiness.

Blessings,
Lolo

Yoga, anyone?

Hi all,

Sorry I have not written since Sunday. My laptop computer cord is messed up and will not boot up. I am able to use the family computer to write the blog, but that is about all the functionality I have at this point. Michael is going to get me a new cord tonight so all should be back to normal tomorrow.

I am going to write a little about my breast cancer campaign on my next post, but for now, I just wanted to write a brief post about yoga. I went to a yoga class last night with one of my good friends. The class was so amazing. Although I am relatively flexible, I found myself sweating and really concentrating on the poses in order to get everything right. It was so cathartic. I felt so peaceful and happy after the class. It doesn't take much to make me happy...but even so, it was a wonderful experience.

Today is a little different. I am sore and tired, but I am reminded that this is how things are when you start a new health activity. Yoga, like any sport, can be intimidating when you first start it. Certainly since I have had breast reconstruction using my transverse abdominal muscle, I was not sure my abdominal wall could take yoga.

I was wrong. Anyone can do yoga. My instructor yesterday was a breast cancer survivor herself and has had the very same surgery as me. So, I guess my point is if I can take on this task with all my "limitations"...that you can do the very same. Consider adding exercise to your daily routine...even a 20 minute walk will go a long way. Yoga is great because it makes you focus on your breathing, it helps remind me to breathe even though there are many times when I am anxious that my breathe is not rhythmic. It is a natural response of our body to do this. Just think about the last time you got injured, you may not realize it...but the stress probably caused you to stop breathing for a little bit. Even a second or two of that anxious energy is a stressor in our bodies. I am really working on understanding breathing so that I can maximize oxygen at the cellular level.

If you don't alreayd "work out", don't be intimidated by the thought of taking on a new challenge. Consider things that you like to do and that will fit into your lifestyle...such as a brisk walk, walking the dog, riding a bike, walking the kids to a local park instead of driving. If group exercise is a motivator, then take a class...but remember, that everyone was a newbie at one time. Give yourself the freedom to make mistakes, that is the only way you really learn. Stretch your limits....you never know what you can do until you try.

Next up: the power of juicing...and more on my breast cancer campaign (Pass It On!)

Blessings,
Lolo

Live what you like. Like what you do.

So, I have been working on my book.  Though I am going to be published in a short-story anthology this year, I am still working on some proposals for the book.  I mapped out some chapters tonight and it was interesting.  It brought me back to what I like to call, The Year of Chemo.  It was not quite a year, but it was ten months...which is more than most. 

If I had gone with traditional thought, I would have done two months of chemo...lost my hair..and gotten back to normal.  By now, I would be in the fight for my life.  I am thankful that I am not traditional.  I can only attribute this to the grace of God for helping me recognize the signs for when one physician was not right for me.  I realize that all of you may have different spiritual viewpoints and I totally respect them.  FULLY.  So, I always promise  not to preach, yet I feel compelled to mention that faith has played more than one hand in my healing.

My cancer has given me a privileged perspective, as I have mentioned before.  I read Lance Armstrong's book, It's Not About the Bike, early on in my diagnosis.  He talks of hearing about this privileged perspective.  It was hard to hear that in the beginning, yet I knew that that he was right.  Somehow my life, although in principle was good, had somehow gotten off track.  I am not sure how this works.  It is the same way that very successful and "perfect" people can be lonely.  It is just the way life works.

I had it all, yet I was lonely.  I wasn't fulfilled and my health suffered.  I don't blame anyone else for this.  I believe we all are responsible for our own happiness, whether married or single.  I also don't blame me for this disease.  I just know that I am okay and that I am made to be whole.  So what did I do.  I hit rock bottom with cancer and then started to rebuild.  Thankfully, I had a good structure with family and friends.  Though I have had to make some alterations with close friends since then, I understand that all people can not deal with the "center stage" intensity of my disease.  I don't blame them. I don't know that I can on most days, yet I just press forward because that is what life demands of me.  It is the hand that I have been dealt and I must deal with it.:)

I was talking to one of my best friends last week about how life is meant to be purposeful, how it takes guts to put ourselves out there and make good on what we are made for.  The shirt I was wearing was a "Life is Good." shirt.  I love this company!  Morgan carries a Life Is Good backpack to school and I carry one to workouts.  I love the fact that they spread positivity.  If I could spend the rest of my days spreading positivity like this, I would consider myself a lucky person.  Michael bought me this shirt because the front says "I love to ride my bicycle!" as I do.  

But, in a small box on the front of the shirt it says "Live what you like.  Like what you do."  The simplicity of the message is amazing, yet the purity is hard to deny.  I think we all search for this purity. We search for redemption, validation and purpose.  It appears to be our human condition.  What would we be without this challenge.  I think it is our privilege.

Regardless, I posted a couple of pictures of Morgan and me while I was in chemo.  You can view me, as I actually was. No eyebrows.  Hair barely growing in, yet my pure face and blue eyes are still there.  The essence of me was never pulverized by cancer or the chemo.  I believe in the power of the human spirit.  I hope that you can believe in you.  Morgan, of course, is her beautiful self!  She was five then and her daddy had just taken her to a pizza night after preschool.  She was able to get her face painted as a butterfly.  She insisted that she not wash it off...so she could wear it the next day.  A funky kid...so we honored her spirit and let her be a butterfly the next day.

Blessingsl!

Lolo

Food cravings may not be your friend.

So this is the lovely face of the doubting Morgan Plunkett.  I get this skeptical face all the time.  Most of the time I don't mind because we start laughing afterward.  She is a thirty-year-old in the body of a seven-year-old.  She keeps us all honest and good.

She, of anyone in the family, has always asked me to quit drinking diet soda.  She is a perceptive little thing.  For years, I have been hooked on either diet coke or diet dr. pepper....like majorly hooked.  I had lots of energy issues before being diagnosed with cancer.  I believe this is because my body was fighting so hard against this disease.

Regardless of my amateur theories, my body was energy-deprived and I used diet soda to prop me up.  It didn't really work, at all.  It just kept me drinking more soda.  This was really my one and only indulgence so I justified it.  I had cut most sugar out of my idea, have added a lot of vegetarian principles to my eating, bought a juicer, added supplements that help me with alkalinity...yet I did not want to give up diet soda.  It had an undeniable hold on me.

Then, because of Morgan's pushing and my inability to let a topic go without neurotic research, I found the web site: www.sweetpoison.com.  It was alarming information about aspartame, which is a major artificial sweetener put in most diet sodas, gum, candy, etc.  I had read the emails going around about ten years ago about aspartame causing brain tumors, but I did not think it was factual.  I thought it was a bit hokey and there was no medical basis for the email.  

Then I read this extremely professional web site (www.sweetpoison.com) pulled together by a woman who has a PhD in nutrition and has worked with toxic chemicals.  She got a brain tumor several years ago and had enough knowledge to consider removing aspartame from her diet.  So she did and she detoxed and her tumor went away.  She fully attributes her problems with health because of aspartame.

Now, I don't want you all to think that I am a crazy person who just buys into theories about everything now that I have had cancer.  I research every theory, thoroughly.  I try to back up each source with at least tw other references.  I do think that diet soda was an unusual problem for me.  I have never been addicted to anything, did not have my first drink of alcohol until the age of 25, am not a smoker, have never done recreational drugs.  I have tried to adopt clean living all my life, yet I got this disease.

DId I mention that I don't have any risks for the disease or family history?  I am not an ideal candidate for breast cancer, but no one is ideal for any cancer.  It just happens.  All that being said, my only major indulgence in life has been this diet soda problem.  So, I let it go.  The taste of the carbonation is not worth any new tumors or any new growth...even if it isn't a problem.  The truth is there is absolutely no health benefit in soda, period.  

Don't get me wrong, I miss it.  I craved it at first, but that was only my body's way of looking for a false source of energy...so I have replaced soda with other things.  If I need a boost, I drink some tea.  I buy carbonated water that is fruit-flavored to get that carbonation kick.  (I chase down my green vibrance drink with this because the greens drink are not always fun to drink.) I work on my energy through proactive exercise and diet, as opposed to a short-term quick fix.

Sometimes I drink coffee, but I try to limit it because coffee is highly acidic.  My body is so used to being acidic that it takes a lot of effort and monitoring on my part to keep it alkaline.  I can tell you that since my drop of soda, I feel so much better.  I don't expect each of you to quit soda, all the way.  I just think taking this information into consideration is a good thing.  

I also want you to think about the things your body craves and if the cravings aren't healthy, try to replace the cravings with healthy sources of food.  If you crave sugar, your body wants a quick fix of protein so keep some protein around your office that is just as easy as going to the vending machine and getting a Snicker's bar.  Nuts are a great source of protein.  Protein bars aren't always exceptional, yet they are better than eating a candy bar for snack.

I have so much more to say on nutrition.  I am working on getting a detox kit for aspartame so that I can fully get it out of my system.  I will keep you posted on how that goes.  It is a six week process, but I am willing to be a guinea pic for my family and for all of you.  After all, I am the one with all the drama of cancer. :)

I am also looking into taking cooking classes over the summer that would help me better develop menus for our family.  Anything that I learn, I can make available to you...either on the blog...or through other ways...

Will keep you posted!

Lolo

Always kiss me goodnight!

Okay, so here is the deal.  I am sitting here watching my cancer mentor, Randy Pausch, lay out some amazing rules for living a charmed life on Primetime ABC.  And I wonder, what should I say to all of you?  What "nugget of wisdom" could I share with you...that would help you understand that life is amazing.  Each moment should be purposeful, cherished.

So here it is.  Cancer is not fair.  No health issue is.  Life is not easy.  The lessons are hard, but they are worth it.  Most days are good, but bad things happen.  People live through them, sometimes thrive through them.  Try to view each day as a gift.   Love and acceptance doesn't happen very often...so when it does, EMBRACE IT!  Don't push it away.  Believe that "the heart of life is good", as John Mayer says.  I don't know if I have quoted that song before on this blog, but I believe in the principle.  Fully.  I have seen much good in my journey back to complete restored health.  I am amazed by the love of others.

I have lived through the removal and reconstruction of breast tissue, the resection of part of my liver and a removal of one lobe of my right lung and some additional lung tissue.  I have had five tumors removed.  I am still here, not only surviving, but thriving.  I am considered stable by the medical community, a B grade...but this former A student will accept it because I am not flunking.  I am extremely fortunate, that my disease has always been limited to small tumors that might be considered more of a nuisance if they weren't on major organs.  

I have always had choices and made the tough choices when it mattered.  But, don't get me wrong...I am fortunate to have choices...to have slowed my growth with modern medicines.  I plan on being here for a long time.  I am privileged to speak confidently about this option.  My situation could be so much worse.  It would be way worse if it had not been for the women who came before me.   For Susan G. Komen, it was far worse and she chose to make a difference, she asked her sister, Nancy Brinker, to make a difference for her because her time was limited.

Because of Susan Komen and her sis, attention has been brought to breast cancer and I am fortunate.  These women, and others that are unnamed, have altered my prognosis and changed my life.  I have the privilege of being on modern medicines to help me.  I have the understanding of knowing that MY LIFE is prolonged because others have come before and made a difference for ME.   I am honored.  Randy Pausch is paving the way for pancreatic cancer, like the Komens have done for me.  I hope you have time to consider his life lessons.

Because of this work that others have done to help me, I feel compelled to make a difference with my knowledge.  I have no choice.  It is who I am.  I am working on a website for my non-profit campaign (Pass It On!) so I can explain more.  I also added a link to my bike ride...another breast cancer campaign that I now have the compassion and GUTS to  be a part of.  (Check it out...to the right.)

I am not sure if I am a great athlete, all I know is that I try hard and that I am willing.  Willingness and dedication are two parts of the combination that make a huge difference in this world.  Please try to make a difference in your world, it will make you happy.  Also, know that I am as healthy as ever.  I will have full body scans at the end of April and for the first time I am excited to have them...because I am going to be able to share that experience with all of YOU.  I want you to understand that knowing your health situation is way better than not knowing.  Avoidance only prolongs treatment of any issue...and most likely, you will have no issues.

I enclosed a picture of Jack making a funny pose with his fingers, at the age of three.  Please know that I have a picture of his dad, Michael, at age three doing the same interesting pose. I did not force Jack to do this, he just did what came natural and I took a picture.  I realized later why the picture was so familiar to me...because when Michael's grandma passed away, we all got to take an item of choice from the house.  Once the blood relatives got through choosing, I got to choose.  I chose a picture frame that included a picture of Michael, making this pose. 

So amazing that his son would choose to make the same pose awkward pose just 35 years later.  Life is no accident.  I am sure of it.  I promised not to preach, but I ensure you that God doesn't make accidents.  I am no accident.  Neither are you.  My cancer is something I will push through and survive and thrive.  It is no accident and I will be better for it.  I have the absolute privilege of surviving through it.  I hope you can understand that and I encourage you to make each day a blessing! 

I bought some fun things for the house this week.  I have avoided this because I hate spending money as we are always bracing ourselves for the next medical procedure we might have to factor into our financial equation.  However, as an act of trust in our future and in my health, I purchased some decorations from Target that say positive things, affirmations and warm sentiments because we are a warm and fun house!   One of them says "Always kiss me goodnight."  it is framed in black and written on cream parchment paper.  It is lovely, a wonderful sentiment...something I am going to try to implement with all my Plunketts.  Just think about it...living with others is not an easy task, but you can't be mad at someone once you kiss them.  Affection replaces anger...so consider it!

On the horizon:  more posts on nutrition and exercise!  Spring is here...you gotta get out of the house and exercise.  Kids are no excuse.  I have two!  Your heart matters, it needs some work.   I will continue to encourage you to find your own motivators for exercise and staying healthy.

Blessings, friends!

Lolo

Cat nap?

So, one of my friends called me last week to coordinate a playdate with his kids.  I was mid-nap time when he called.  He was shocked that I was actually slowing down and trying to take a break because I am so high-energy most of the time.

The truth is I don't really sleep very well.  I have difficulty sleeping at night without a glass of wine to relax me.  Once, I am asleep, I get that high quality REM stage of sleep we are all searching for...I know this because I have intense dreams that I often remember.

I appreciated the joking of this friend because it made me realize that people think my "ON" switch is flipped all of the time.  The truth is that it used to be, pre-cancer, I was extremely competitive in work and in my personal life.  I tried to hide this side of me as best I could, but it ruled me

In college, I tried to be the best student with the best grades.  I had a full time internship while going to college because that was what I was supposed to do.  I wanted be the top recruit and build a resume that was chock full with as many activities as possible.  For the most part, I was able to make these things happen, but I wasn't happy.  I had little sleep and didn't eat well.  I had what I like to call, a joyless existence.

Along the way, I got some exceptional professional training by working at a great accounting firm.  I also learned that I was responsible for navigating my own path in life.  I also met Michael, an extremely well-grounded force in my life.  However,  my happiness was replaced by busyness.

I had two kids, a girl and a boy.  A perfect life, right? I got to quit my job and work at their preschool, which was like taking my kids to DisneyWorld every day.  It was a wonderful place.  I slowed down a little, but I didn't know how to be happy...that my happiness was my responsibility.  Then, I got cancer, and I finally figured some things out...

I realized it was okay for me to have flaws, that flaws can actually be "sexy".  I found my voice in life, decided to stop hiding behind my mom or my sister or Michael and just be myself.  I went through some pretty hard medicines and pushed through two life-threatening infections.  I had multiple surgeries, but I am still here...better than ever.  Truly better than ever!

I found balance through this awkward disease.  I retired from work altogether after my year of chemo in 2005.  This was not because I didn't have the stamina anymore.  If I could have made it through chemo and work, then I could have done it for the rest of my life.  But quitting was my choice so that I could focus on the things that matter: Michael, Morgan and Jack.

Please don't get me wrong, I don't think families that are dual-income should stop being dual income to have balance.  Many can't.  I can fully appreciate that from my upbringing...so I am  not making a commentary on working parents.  I fully respect everyone's families and homes.   Balance can be achieved inside and outside of work.  For me, my choice meant learning from my cancer experience and making an active choice in my life, not just accepting what life gave me.   

It felt good to actually make a choice.  Let me be clear, I DID NOT retire because I think my time is limited.  This is the furthest thing from my mind.  I just know the value of love now and I want to share that with everyone.  I have four jobs now anyway, one of which is taking care of my health and addressing balance in our home. (The other three are Mom, writer and breast cancer advocate.)

It was a huge financial adjustment for us, but Michael and I have done just fine.  We feel privileged that I get to be here for my kids during the day...and have a more balanced focus on our home and him.  I have accepted that I might be a pretty good mom and a decent homemaker.  I still struggle with being boxed into the role of homemaker, but I don't accept any box that someone puts me into.  That is my stubborn nature.:)

I seek out balance as best I can.  I found yet another wonderful book called, "A Pace of Grace" by Linda Kavelin Popov.  The subtitle is "The Virtues of a Sustainable Life".  Even though grace is in the title, it is not a religious book, though it holds many spiritual principles.  The reason I love this book is she gives people like me...the intense ones...the steps to build a life with balance.  She talks about health, nutrition, accepting yourself, etc.

She has a whole chapter on NAPPING!  She calls it proactive resting and talks about the importance of resting before you get depleted and tired.  So this is what I do, I cat nap twice a day for about 20 minutes.  I put no expectations on myself to actually "sleep" because I usually can't.  Instead, I give myself the freedom to pull back from the day, restore my energy and redirect myself to the positive side of the day.  

She indicates that this can be done anywhere and really addresses the importance of self-discipline and balance in her book...a life built on virtues and how personal joy can come from that.  It is not a hokey self-help book.  I have seen many of those, but I am really selective in terms of the books I buy.  She helps you to find little successes every day, to see what you have accomplished as opposed to what you didn't.

So, feel free to take a cat nap.  I do!  And consider adding balance to your day, in little ways.  I will talk more about this book in the future.  I think Linda is very wise and soulful.  She has many nuggets of wisdom.

Blessings,

Lolo

Randy Pausch is going to be on ABC this Wednesday.

He will be talking with Diane Sawyer about his book, The Last Lecture.  He spreads the message of positivity when it comes to cancer...and life.  He is a terminal patient who is truly living his life to the fullest.  I wrote about him in yesterday's post and how he has helped me be more vocal about my cancer, helped me to share with each of you.

I have added links to his various web sites to the right.  I will not be missing his appearance this Wednesday.  If you ever wonder how or why people live with cancer gracefully, please watch Randy.  He will help you understand and alter your perspective for the better.

He is a role model for me, his wisdom and intelligence are what he shares with the world.  He is able to articulate, with ease,  what I try to convey with awkwardness.  He is graceful about it and will have you hanging on his every word.

Please don't miss the wisdom he can share with you!  You will learn a lot about health and about living.:)

Blessings,

Lolo

Randy Pausch...one of my inspirations, one of the reasons I blog.

So, not long after I got diagnosed with breast cancer (in January, 2005), I started hearing the word "inspiration" ascribed to me.  It was very difficult for me to hear this.  You may not be able to believe this, but I don't really like being the center of attention.  I despise it, but I feel like I have no choice with this cancer.  I feel compelled to share so that others can learn from my experience and not be afraid.  

I am not really sure why people think I am an inspiration...to this day.  I don't think I am one.  The only reason I can figure out is that I was dealt some bad cards with cancer and I am not willing to accept that they will dictate my life.  When it comes to the "fight or flight" reflex with me, it is all FIGHT.  My husband has described me as tenacious...and reminds me of that when I do feel emotionally down.   I am not sure where it comes from, I always say these things come from my parents.  We are all just a bunch of stubborn Irish people in my family, but regardless, this will to fight is deep within me...

Regardless, please know I do not ascribe this wonderful and powerful word of "inspiration" to myself.  That is not what this post is about.  What I do want is to share one of my inspirations, Professor Randy Pausch.  I saw him on Oprah about eight months ago.  I am sure many of you saw him.  He is famous for his Last Lecture he gave at Carnegie Mellon.  He is a computer science professor, extremely bright.  In a lot of ways, he reminds me of my husband, Michael.  He is brilliant, a wonderful dad, a giving mind and has a true understanding of where his values are in life.  He lives out his values every day, just like Michael does.

Randy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer more than a year ago.  He left his job a little over six months ago and has written a book, advocates for pancreatic cancer, and spends as much time with his family as possible.  He has a great wife, Jai, and three young kids.  He doesn't let people pity him and he will tell you for the most part, he is healthier than other people.  Though I have retired from my work, spend as much time with my family as possible, am working on a book and am actively getting treatment for breast cancer, Randy's situation is VERY different.  

Pancreatic cancer is a far more deadly disease that breast cancer with little funding and little medicines.  Though he rides a bike daily, his meds interrupt his life way more than mine and he takes it like a true CHAMP.  (Please know, even though I am a math lover, I don't believe in statistics when it comes to the survival of one strong-willed person.  He has outlived his given time-frame to live by months so far...) 

I follow Randy's blog and am truly "inspired" by someone who faces down their disease with such tenacity and fight.  I can relate to his perspective in many ways.  I always think people visualize me laying down all the time or in a hospital bed.  Don't get me wrong, I know I have been in the hospital more than most and have had to take some powerful medicines, but I am doing just fine.  I fill our days with fun activities, focus on my health in a positive way...and believe in my body's power to heal.  I am fortunate.

From a medical perspective, Randy's time appears limited...but I am a believer in the power of the human spirit.  So is he.  I don't read his blog to see how much time he has, I read his blog to make sure he is doing well with the meds and see how someone is making a success out of cancer.  This is because I want to do the same.  

He doesn't whine or make a big deal about his situation.  That is how his wife and he have chosen to deal with it, but he knows exactly what is going on with his body.  He is an empowering speaker and a wonderful educator, someone who has chosen to use his gifts to share the knowledge and wisdom he has gained from his backstage pass access to the concert of Cancer!

My medicines can and do get in the way of my life sometimes.  I don't really talk about it because it is just part of our life, but that doesn't mean I don't know exactly what is going on in my little body.  If you ever wonder why I don't cry....or crumble, I encourage you to view the ABC video(see below) with Diane Sawyer and Randy.  It will help you understand my perspective.  I do this blog so that I won't have to "talk" about myself all the time, because I am more interested in hearing about you than talking about me. :)

That doesn't mean I don't take my job of fighting cancer very seriously, it is one of my full-time jobs, in fact.  It is not the one I envisioned when in college, but that is okay.  I still perform the tasks with integrity and intention.  I never really felt the "Why me's?", which I consider a blessing.  I just decided to get in and fight so that I can be here for my husband and my kids for years to come....so that I can be a voice to help others be unafraid of cancer.

The truth is some days are bad and some days are good.  My lows might be a little lower than most people's, but the highs are pretty great too.  I give myself the grace to feel bad when I am tired or feel icky, and then I move on.  Fortunately, my husband and kids accept when I feel bad and know it is okay.  As Randy says, these things are "a small price to pay for walking around."  He is taking advantage of every opportunity to live a full and productive DAY, I encourage you to do the same!

If you can get over the fear of reading about pancreatic cancer, I encourage you to google his last lecture and watch it all.  ABC's web site (http://abcnews.go.com/gma/lastlecture)has a great shortened version of it.  It is not about cancer...it is about learning to really live your childhood dreams.  He is funny, witty, athletic, bright, etc.  It is a reminder of all the things we know we need to do, but we forget.

I have this privileged perspective of cancer, just like Randy.  That is what I so desperately want to share with you.  Please know my intentions are always pure, never about fear...just about educating you to love yourself by taking care of yourself.  I do take on every day with true tenacity so that I can be here for a very long time.

Randy Pausch has it going ON... he knows how to live.  Please indulge yourself, for his tips!  He will also have a book out soon with Jeffrey Zaslow (http://thelastlecture.com).  I am enclosing a link to that as well.

He is a continual inspiration to me.

Blessings,

Lolo

Comments, made easier

Hi all, just wanted to let you know I have done a couple of things to make the commenting aspect easier on the blog.  The main thing I did was to authorize all users, anonymous or registered, to make comments.  This was a default setting that I didn't realize was on.

I appreciate al the emails and discussions I hear about the blog.  It spurs me on to write more, or to better tailor what I am writing to you all.  However, I don't want the comment function on the web site to limit your ability to make actual comments on the blog.  

You all are asking such great questions and giving me wonderful feedback.  I just want you to feel that you have a voice in the process if you want to make comments on the site.  No worries if you don't...as the blog is for YOU.

Blessings,

Lolo

Pass It On!

Pass It On! is my breast cancer foundation that I started my year of diagnosis, 2005.  The immediate focus of the foundation was to provide awareness documentation to friends and family regarding doing breast self-exams.  (In case you didn't know...I found my own cancer. Kinda crazy, but it can happen.)

It has been three years since diagnosis, and three years since the campaign started.  What I have noticed recently is that the campaign either needs to evolve into something more than it is, or that it needs to roll into another organization.  Let me be clear in stating that I only want to dedicate my business experience, writing talent and time away from my family to a program that would meet your needs!  My experience is partially valid to me because I might be able to help others.

I have been meeting with various breast cancer advocates throughout Kansas City to gather marketing information pertaining to breast cancer advocacy and awareness .  I want to go where the needs are and fill that void.  I am still working on those meetings, but what I am finding out is that regardless of what the campaign has done, women are still mildly intimidated by doing self-exams.  This helps me understand where the campaign needs to go...I have to help women be okay "knowing" their body.

Doing self-exams not only helped me know my breasts so when something was actually wrong, I could move quickly....but, it was a major step for me to start advocating for myself.  I was a shy girl, very modest.  I would not change clothes around other girls in the gym and I wouldn't even let my big sis stay in my changing room when I tried on wedding dresses.  I love my big sis, we grew up in a small house and spent most of our formative years in the same bedroom.  (Above is a picture of my big sis, Heather, and me on Halloween of 2007.) But, something happens to us when we hit puberty and become women.  We start to become uncomfortable with our bodies.

I am sure, if you are a girl or woman, you are probably like I was.  We are and were raised to be good girls, to tow the line and follow the rules.  So, I did.  I didn't even talk about my body, let alone acknowledge it before diagnosis.  I never uttered the word "breast" either.  Yet, because my primary care physician taught me how to do self-exams, I did them!

So what is this babble leading to...well, I am designing some speaking events that would allow for regular people and health professionals to come together and understand the importance of self-exams.   The purpose will be to demystify this process of knowing ourselves and help us understand health issues.  The old adage that "knowledge is power" actually means something...I want it to have meaning to all of you.  Knowing what is going on in your body, can only help you deal with it.  Avoidance does not mean the issues are not there, it just means that you may be hindering treatment.  I will keep you posted on what happens with these speaking events.  

I am also wanting to expand the actual mailing of self-exam cards.  This has been the mainline program for "Pass It On!" since its inception.  If you are not currently receiving this information, please feel free to email me at lplunkett@kc.rr.com.  Just tell me that you read the blog and are interested in getting a packet in the Fall.  You can also send me addresses of friends and family.  The packet is light and fun, like the blog.  It is not meant to scare and I work really hard to only mail to a "willing" audience.  I don't believe you will get cancer because I got cancer.  In fact, I am an anomoly..more on that later.  Be sure to tell people you have added them to the list so they won't throw the "Pass It On!" envelope away. :)  It is my pleasure to do this for you so PLEASE add yourself to the list.  It could change your life for the better!

Last week, I met with my friend and President of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation (GKCCF), Laura McKnight.  I am working with them to help me organize the administrative piece of the foundation (e.g. become a non-profit, develop a budget and strategic plans, etc).  They are a great organization that does a lot of good for our community.

Over the next three months, I will continue to have data-gathering meetings, work with GKCCF to gain non-profit status, work on a web site and design speaking events.   At some point, I will have to do fund-raising as well, but I will deal with that after all this admin stuff is set up.  I also want to do informal surveys so if you have been a part of the mailing and want to provide any input...let me know.  I will GLADLY make you part of this process.  Additionally, if you have a target area (e.g. business, church, sorority, school) that you might want us to come and speak, please feel free to let me know as well.  

This is all very exciting.  As I said, it is my pleasure (and calling) to transform my health issue into a positive awareness for each of you. 

Be well!

Lolo

Angiogenesis, huh?

So, here is a picture of Jack at one of my treatments.  Kids can totally handle their parents health issues.  It all needs to be dealt with in a tasteful and balanced fashion, but they want to be included and know we are okay.  Jack has made girlfriends of all the nurses and has developed a reputation around the treatment center.  We have our own private room there and go in once a week on Fridays.  Very doable!

Before I get into "angiogenesis" let me reiterate that I am not a genetic scientist.  I did kick some serious butt in Chemistry in high school and college, but that is only a piece of the scientific puzzle.  I am just a person who got cancer and likes to study.  What I am about to tell you is yet another piece of cellular division and growth that is part of YOUR biology...in all cells in your body (meaning, not just breast cells:).  But form your own opinions...this blog is only to help you start that process of educating yourself on cancer as it relates to your body.  Prevention is the purpose.

Angiogenesis is a powerful word.  Per Dr. Susan Love in "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book" explains that "angio" means "vessels" and "genesis means "growth". So what does that mean?  Well, blood vessel growth through the process of angiogenesis is one mechanism for cancer cells to grow.  Dr. Love explains that a cancer cell can not grow beyond 2 millimeters without its own blood supply through blood vessels.  Under a microscope, cancer cells will have far more blood vessels than that of a normal cell.  This is how tumors grow to become invasive.

I spent a lot of time talking to my oncology pharmacist, Ken, last week about angiogenesis and what it means.  I really try to understand my cells and the meds that are going to attack them!  He explained what Dr. Love also clarified...that cancerous cells secrete a protein called vascular endothelial cell growth factor or veg-f.   This protein can then sit in a hormone receptor or the her-2-neu receptor and tell them to make more.

It is hard to tell whether veg-f is an indicator that cancer will grow and develop outside of its primary source.  However, for me, this was the case.  I fully believe that my body divides and grows cells quickly and because of this, it moved cancer throughout my body quickly. 

My tumors were too small to normally have growth in a lymph node, the liver and the lungs....without some outstanding factors coming into play.  I believe her-2-neu and an active cell replication process were part of these factors.  This opinion is fully coming from me, not my doctors or my pharamacist.

But, remember, I have done a lot of research.  I have a quick metabolism and a solid heart.   I had no breast cancer risks or family history.  I have low blood pressure and minimal scarring, beyond those provided by cancer.  I am extremely athletic, with doing intense exercise at least four times a week.  I have never broken a bone, and am killer-good when it comes to recovering from surgery. So, my point is that I am HEALTHY, beyond the cancer that want to grow inside of me.  I am working to change that process over time and believe I can do it!

Because of these factors, I believe I can speak with integrity when it comes to my cell replication process and the integrity of my body otherwise.  Please take this research and opinion into mind and develop your own healthy opinions.  That is all I want for YOU. :)

All this being said, one of the new medicines I am on is Avastin.  It is another monoclonal antibody that works to suppress the blood vessel supply on cancer cells.  Avastin, along with some of the other meds I have been on, is used in other cancers as well.  Lung cancer is one of them.  Knowledge in relation to one cancer can directly translate to another.

I hope this makes sense and I appreciate that all of you are reading...though most of you are not making comments.  That is okay because I know you are there!

Blessings,

Lolo

How did my cancer grow?

Just like "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" in the Old English Nursery Rhyme, people wanted to know how her garden grew.  I am sure you have wondered how a "healthy and athletic" woman like myself grew cancer.  Not only do you wonder how I got it, but more importantly, how I grew it.  At least, these are the things I would wonder if I was you....so that I could figure out how not to get it.  

Please know, I don't have cooties.  I am not contagious and I didn't do anything wrong to get this disease.  I just lived my life, like the rest of the world.  Cancer just happens.  We have to learn to deal with it better as a society.  Hopefully, if you indulge me by reading this post, you will understand that this information about breast cancer translates to all other cancers.  Those cancers have different names and are fueled by different things as mine, yet the principles are the same.  Understanding cancer doesn't mean you will get it...in fact, this knowledge can help you prevent cancer.

In my journey, I have learned so much.  But, I don't want you to have to go through what I have in order to avoid cancer.  So, the one lesson I would want you all to take from this post is to help your immune system not be friendly to cancer so that it can identify and destroy it early on.  As much as I would love to give you a full lesson on genetics, I don't have the capability.  Though, I voraciously read everything I can on genetics.  I will give you the best 20,000 foot level lesson on this subject.  That is probably the best I can do.:)

As we discussed before, when cancer happens...a bad cell grows and divides out of control.  This is how a tumor forms.  The actual accumulation of these cells is usually fueled by something.  Each cancer is different.  Not only are there several types of breast cancer, but there are several types of EVERY cancer.  This is because a cancer is typically named based on where the initial tumor grew and developed before it became "invasive".  Only pathologists can really determine this information under a microscope.  

That is the trick with cancer, the tissue needs to be evaluated under a microscope in order for cancer to be confirmed.  A biopsy is the type of surgery that is used to either fully remove the tumor or remove a sample of the tissue from the patient.  There are even different types of pathologies!  Cancer is a very complicated topic.   There are some ways cysts or benign tumors can be excluded without a biopsy, however, solid masses can only usually be confirmed or excluded as a cancer under the microscope.

I will explain the types of breast cancer under another post.  But for now, just know the most common type of breast cancer is invasive ductal carcinoma.  The name is based on the cancer originating in the breast "duct".  This is my type of cancer.

With breast cancer, there are typically three characteristics that a pathologist will test your tissue for...these are estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and her-2-neu.  These fuel cancer.  There are also unknown characteristics, meaning some people don't test positive for any of these characteristics.  Estrogen and progesterone receptors are hormone receptors that sit on a cancer cell and fuel its growth.  I will spend another post on the importance of estrogen in cancer risks and growth, but this post is about my cancer so I will focus on her-2-neu.

Even though I got diagnosed when Jack was nine months old, I had no hormone receptors.  Meaning, the influx of hormones associated with my pregnancies did not make my cancer grow.  Ironic, huh?  My cancer was totally fueled by her-2-neu (her2).  What does all of this mean?  Through all I have read, it seems that cancer, itself, is a difficult process to eliminate from our bodies.  However, the way it can be destroyed or limited is through bolstering our immune system and addressing these receptors and/or proteins that make cancer growth.  Brilliant chemists and other scientists use to these receptors/proteins to develop sophisticated medicines.

If you have hormone receptors, your doctor might want you to remove your ovaries (a large source of estrogen) and/or take maintenance meds like Tamoxifen for five years after treatment.  Since I did not have those receptors, I dealt solely with her2.  You usually receive a pathology report in piecemeal fashion because a pathologist performs various tests of a period of time.  They give you what they can as the test results unfold.

All I knew at my diagnosis was that her2 was the most aggressive of cancers and that I had IT. What I didn't know was that science was catching up with my aggressive form of breast cancer.  Herceptin is a drug that is called a monoclonal antibody.  These are the newest and most sophisticated of cancer drugs.  They only target cancer cells, unlike chemotherapy, which just targets fast-growing cells.  Herceptin targets this her2 protein, but tries to help your body's immune system to destroy the cancer cells and/or stop the cell division and growth.  

Her2 is considered an oncogene.  Wikipedia describes an oncogene as a gene in the DNA sequence that makes cancer grow.  Her 2 is a protein that is present in all breast cells and helps the normal cells grow and divide.  On cancer cells, the her2 protein is abnormally high in amount, or amplified.  This has helped scientists understand that her2 aids in the process of cancer cell growth.  There are a couple of tests that will tell a scientist how abundant your her2 protein is, mine was extremely high.

Basically, something went wrong in my DNA...so that not only did I get cancer, but my immune system did not recognize the cells as foreign.  Just as my personality is friendly to the strangest of strangers, so was my body.  I take Herceptin and Avastin to help stave off new growth of tumors.  I have been on Herceptin  off and on for almost three years.  I fully believe it has assisted in limiting tumor growth by helping  my body to abolish the small cancer cells that may want to grow.  This doesn't mean I haven't gotten other tumors, it just means it has helped to limit them.  My goal is to give my immune system some help so that over time my own body will recognize and destroy a cancer cell...and the meds will just bolster what MY body can do.

Now, ask me why I got cancer on a lymph node or my liver or the lungs?  That will have to be another post, friends....I still need to break down the chemistry of Avastin.  Just know that bolstering your own immune system by eating healthy, exercising and taking supplements can and does help.

After reading and re-editing this post a lot, I have finally given up on it!  I hope this make sense.  I am sure I have left a lot of things out, so let me know how I can help.  More on Avastin in another post.

Let me know if you have questions.

Believe in the power of your and my body to be self-restorative.  That is how we are made!

Lolo

P.S.  The above information about Herceptin and her-2-neu was obtained from www.herceptin.com.  A great site!