Avoid artificial sweeteners and enriched flour, etc.

Sarah, one of my old classmates who was also born on the VERY SAME DAY as me, asked about artificial sweeteners and about organic foods. I have done tons of research on these topics and I can tell you some good resources to get you started on your own research. However, I will tell you that the best thing you can do is identify some good principals that you can stick to so you won't feel defeated or overwhelmed. (I know I am wordy so if you can't read the whole post, then grab onto my rules of thumb in BOLD below.)

Many of the resources I will give you are very hard line when it comes to sweeteners, organic foods and everything else. They believe you should only be shopping at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe's or any other organic food store. I think this is nice, in principal, but very hard to adopt on a daily basis...especially if you have small children.

First, I will answer Sarah's questions. I have read a lot about aspartame(aka Nutra Sweet) and Splenda. I even took a sample of my hair about three weeks ago and sent it in for testing to see what types of chemical residue is lingering in my body...results should be coming in the mail soon. What I have found out is this...if you can avoid these artificial sweeteners, then DO IT. It is hard for some of us to give up our diet soda (me included), but the truth is that there is not a lot of healthy things going on in a "low fat" or "reduced fat" world. Most likely, Splenda or Aspartame are being used to reduce the calories, yet these foods also can make your body more acidic and make you crave more acidic foods and promote inflammation and create problems.

My resource that I use on Aspartame and Splenda is hard line on all these issues, but she has a right to be. She had a brain tumor that she healed by detoxing her body from Aspartame. Bizarre, but true. She also has a PhD in Nutrition and is a chemical expert. Her name is Janet Starr Hull and I will attach her web site. I am using myself as a guinea pig with her chemical testings so that I can share it with you all. Plus, I am testing her credibility a little...I am always a skeptic.

Also, if you can cut or reduce "Enriched Flour" from your world, you will be doing yourself a favor. You might get discouraged if you start reading labels because you may find Aspartame, Splenda or Enriched Flour in the first five ingredients. However, I have found that the key to cutting these things out of my world is finding some good replacements. This is why most people recommend organic food stores because they put so much thought into each product on the shelf. Unfortunately, the truth is that there is some merit to the Food Pyramid and good old fashioned thoughtful food preparation is very important.

It is hard to keep it all together and go to the organic food store and feed your kids in a healthy fashion, but there are healthy substitutes. And, there are many organic products at a regular food store. My rules of thumb are to try to avoid artificial sweetener and enriched flour, buy organic veggies, buy cage-free or organic eggs, buy non-hormone fed meats and reduce processed foods. However, if my kids want dinosaur chicken nuggets, I give them to them. It has been very hard for me to be thoughtful and stick to this while on chemo because my energy has been low and I haven't been interested in food at all.

However, I try to apply these principals whenever I can and throw myself some grace/forgiveness when I can't. I need to get back to my kiddos, but I will attach some links to the web site later tonight and I will write more about ways to transition to a healthy diet without get grumpy people in your family...including yourself!

Blessings,
Lolo

Eleanor Roosevelt said...

I believe anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of success behind him.

Hiya!

So, here is a picture of Jacky...growing up and taking Tae Kwon Do. Morgan's uniform came in late so we will have some pix of her on the blog soon. Jack has really taken to Tae Kwon Do. His older cousin, Thatcher, also takes classes with him and Thatch takes the classes seriously. Jack is still a squirrelly little four year old, but he is coming along.

As for me and my sports, I have elected to put myself on the bench this week. This is because I got a fever on Sunday and have had a fever on and off all week. It doesn't get any higher than 100.2 so it is not an infection. It may just be related to me overextending myself. I did walk 12 miles in training last thursday, then I had chemo Friday, then I rode my bike...or barely rode it on Saturday. I tried to ride, but my lack of energy made it pretty difficult.

I knew on Friday that my hemoglobin was low. I am not sure of all of the ramifications of this, but I know my energy is low when this happens. I am not used to low energy. I am used to dealing with high energy, but my body is absolutely out of wack from the medicines so I shouldn't expect anything to be normal. There is no normal in Chemo-world.

It is hard for me to take a break from the world that I am really beginning to love. I had to cancel on my teaching stint for Vacation Bible Camp this week, which was a bummer but my co-teachers were totally understanding. I look at my bike, but that is all I can do. I told my sister that I wouldn't do any training for the 3 day walk until next week when i feel better.

I assume if i give myself a break from working out and if I get off the chemo soon, that my body will bounce back. It is pretty resilient in this way. I keep forgetting that I have toxic meds running through my body. I keep forgetting that we are six weeks into this regimen so the fatigue has built up. But, I know it is working and I think we will be onto new meds over the next three weeks and life will get back to a new normal.

I can relate my cancer experience to that of when I have had my babies. Like with babies, each new medical treatment or surgery helps me get more comfortable with my body and requires me to become acclimated to a new ME...an awakened me. It is like I know what works and I know what doesn't. I should be pinching myself on most days because I probably wouldn't be alive without some of the meds I am on...THAT is how good they are. But, I just keep pushing forward because the meds keep getting better and keep saving lives of girls like me.

When I got diagnosed, I promised myself I would do everything possible so I wouldn't feel as though this disease was chasing me down. I didn't know I was stage IV when I made this decision, I thought I was stage I or stage II. However, my resolve was already set so I take the medicines with no regrets and I don't look back. I only look at today because I have some pretty amazing little people in my life who are conquering their own demons...so I will do the same.

Blessings,
Lolo

I can't believe I am going to do this...

I said earlier that I wouldn't post pictures of me bald, but after looking through all the pictures of the kids and me and our shaving party...it just seems natural to show the one of me along with them. I am the finished product, so to speak. Jack wasn't quite sure if he should put the hair on his own head or hold it out to show Dad. Eventually, he scrapped the hair for a miniature snowman that was standing around.

Doing this blog is a growth process for me. I create this space filled with words from my experience so people won't fear cancer if it happens to them. Or if you all see someone that is bald when you are out that you might give them a smile or a kind look. Many of us don't realize that we probably view differences in an awkward fashion, or at least this is how I feel. Because of my cancer, I now try to say hi or talk to people who are bald or look different...just treat them like you and me.

I know, as a survivor, people treat me in all sorts of ways. Sometimes, people even disappear from my life. I am sure this is more out of people not knowing what to say or how to act. The truth is there is no gracious way to bridge the gap between someone going through an illness and the regular world. However, if you take a step toward them in any direction, I bet you will find they will welcome the company.

Please know that for the most part, people have been so gracious and kind to me. Unfortunately, cancer is affecting so many lives and there are many of you who have already had loved ones and family members who have gone through this fight. i just don't want anyone to be afraid if they have the cancer fight to take on. So, I am posting my bald head and as the hair grows back in...I will post that as well.

To describe the actual process, I didn't really lose all of my hair. There was some hair left, but it wasn't really filling up my scalp anymore. I went through a two-week shedding process where I would comb the hair out each morning and evening. When we shaved it, i was left with a prickly scalp. It hurts less than before because the weight is gone, but at times, it is a bit awkward.

Though I have a cute wig, since it is the summer and I am casual, I really prefer wearing do rags and hats. They are more comfortable, if you ask me. The scalp is funny without hair. I notice that my head seems a lot smaller in the do rag now and I keep having to retie it because there is little hair to keep it in place. An interesting part of this journey.

Depending on how our plan for treatment changes over the next couple of weeks, my hair could start to grow back immediately. It would take about a month for it to be visible on my scalp. I will keep you all posted regarding our treatment plan once I know more in a couple of weeks.

Blessings,
Lolo

Sixteen Candles...

So, for those of us who grew up in the 80's, we all know the movie "Sixteen Candles" with Molly Ringwald. This is the movie where her parents forget her sixteenth birthday because her big sis Ginnie is getting married the same weekend as her birthday. Though there are many hilarious scenes in the movie, one that I have always found funny was with Caroline, the beatiful girlfriend of Molly Ringwald's love interest, and her girlfriends.

Caroline was very drunk and had just proven herself as a careless and self-absorbed girl who was only interested in status. Her boyfriend, Jake, was forced to throw a party for friends because Caroline asked everyone over. During this process, Jake gets sick of her and slams the door on her. Part of her beautiful blonde hair gets stuck in the door.

Jake would not open the door so her drunk friends (including Jamie Gertz) decide to get some scissors and cut her hair from the door. She has a huge chunk of hair GONE. Caroline was relieved...grateful, in fact, that her friends had relieved her from this burden of being stuck at the door. I have seen this movie thousands of times and every time this scene comes up, I always laugh because it is absurd that she thanks her friends for doing this when, in fact, the door could have just been opened.

This feeling of relief is something that I can now relate to because I have had my head shaved three times for chemo-related alopecia. Each time that Michael and/or the kids shave it, I am thankful and I remember the moment in "Sixteen Candles" where Caroline keeps saying "thank you" to her friends. The aches and awkwardness that come from losing my hair usually subside when we shave it.

So, last night, I had been fed up with the pain and decided it was time to shave it. Michael began the process and the kids followed. I was grateful that it was over. Though it is a surreal situation to have your head shaved, as an adult woman, it is all just part of the process. It is part of purging this cancer from me, of the purification. I am strangely thankful that it is shaved. I hate it, at times, yet I just try to push through the frustration because I know it is a necessary evil.

Depending on when we stop chemo, which could be in a couple of weeks, it will take a little while after that for hair to start to grow back in. My hair is not fully gone at this point so it just feels like a prickly scalp. But, over time, much of the remaining pieces of hair will fall out. I guess the loss of hair still doesn't change that I am me. Though I feel like a different person, I am still just Laura Plunkett.

I am going to download pix of the kids after they shaved my head. They both have handfuls of hair in their hands. They were proud to be part of the process. Kids are so resilient!

Blessings,
Lolo

This road I am on...

Hi everyone,

It has been a couple of days since I last wrote and things have been hopping at the Plunkett house. Besides Morgan and Jack starting Tae Kwon Do yesterday(pix to follow in another post), I rode 11.5 miles on my bike last night and walked about 12 today in training for the Komen 3 day walk in August (in Chicago). My sister and I are training on a small team in our home town. All this riding and walking was cathartic for me...helped me to feel normal in my own skin, but it allowed a lot of time for thinking.

Sometimes I wonder why I am on this road called cancer and why the disease doesn't want to give me up, but then I remember its all about the journey. Before I got diagnosed, I wasn't confident enough to ride a bike. I had forgotten I was an athlete. I was too shy to make myself vulnerable to people on the web via a blog and I didn't know how to not to sweat the small stuff.

Now, during the day I find myself indulging in hugging with Jack or Morgan... and I am content. I smile and I laugh so much more than I used to. I think I am growing up, maybe? I leave most of our family calendar relatively open so that we can see where the day takes us. This is especially true of the weekend. It doesn't always work, but this is what I strive for. There is the old saying "Life is what happens while you are planning". This strikes me as an honest point. I always want to get out my calendar and plan the day away, but there is a real day to be enjoyed. NOW. I try to tell myself that all of the time, yet I can forget.

Don't get me wrong, cancer is not easy road. There are some days when the side effects kick in that I wish I weren't on it, that I feel like I did when I was a child and my sister told me a bug was on me. All I wanted to do was scream, "Get it off of me. Get it off of me." That is such a natural reaction, I know. But, for some reason my journey is more complicated than just getting it out of me. I find that I am truly balanced between the love of my friends and family and my own faith. These are the things that prop me up, the glue that holds me together. I am privileged. I still make lots of mistakes, but I am still growing up so I allow myself some room to be clutzy. Many of you have had family members and friends directly affected by this disease and so many of their stories have deeply impacted me for very long time. They have helped me in more ways than I even know. Their courage has given me courage.

I know some of my dreams have been swept away by this disease, yet I have found that those dreams weren't as important as I once thought they were. It is only the perception of what I thought I wanted that has dissolved. The real life is still here...right in front of me. So, I try not to worry about tomorrow and only think about today. I try to live today with genuineness and integrity and I try to heal. My health is one of my jobs, I take it seriously. When we have a setback, I feel the disappointment more than I ever will admit. But I know many good things are happening to my body as a result of this hard-hitting chemo. I believe the medicines are doing their work and I trust in that. Beyond those basics, I am trying not to think about all the "what-ifs". I try to just accept that my disease will stabilize and that I am healing. I will condition myself for the journey and let the road lead me.

Blessings to each of you! I am honored to have you read my blog and share in this wacky journey!
Lolo

If I can do it, so can you!:)

(Me in my cycling gear. I didn't smile on this one, was trying to look serious.:)
So, I am training for the Komen three day walk in Chicago. This is a 60 mile walk, three days at 20 miles a piece. My sister and I started seriously training this week although we still have to take it relatively easy because of my endurance being shot. We were able to walk about 6 miles yesterday which was very exciting. We are behind in our training due to my chemo, but we are slowly but surely working on catching up. The walk is at the beginning of August in Chicago. Don't worry, I will be sending donation letters your way or you can click on the link to the right for donations.

I am also riding in the MS150 in September. This is a 150+ bike ride over two days to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis. I have not put the link up to that site because I want to get donations for the walk first. However, I love riding the bike. I feel at home on the bike. I rode the slowest 6.5 miles I have ever ridden on the bike today and I am counting it a victory. Two weeks ago, I wasn't able to do any working out on this chemo. My body is not only adapting to the chemo, but I think it is adapting to less tumor burden because the chemo is working.

Our ETA on finishing this chemo is in a couple of weeks. However, there are many admin things to do to make sure that the cancer is going away and that we can move forward with the clinical trial we want to get on. That being said, I never know if I will have to do chemo longer than anticipated. I pray that my meds are working, I feel them working on my body...yet I must accept that I am still in fighting cancer mode and I may need to do more chemo. If so, that may get in the way of my other training for the bike ride I wanted to do in New York for the young survival coalition. We will see.

For now, I am just thankful for each day and I try not to worry about tomorrow. I know we are winning my battle against cancer and before long, all my medicines will keep the cancer stable for good.

Blessings,
Lolo