New Year, New Attitude

As I look back on the years we have been dealing with my cancer, I have to honestly admit that there is one area that has really been lacking - my personal responsibility for my own health. I am completely confident that God can handle this situation, but I feel He is telling me I need to start doing my part, too. God has given each of us a wonderful, miraculous machine that is our body and I have been bombarded with messages lately that I need to take much better care of it. (OK, I know it is the new year and those messages are EVERYWHERE, but I am talking about specific information from strange places - like someone my husband works with ordering a CD set and having it mail overnight so he could get it to me ASAP).

Over the past several years I have fallen into several traps that could very well have been set by the enemy. Although the fatigue from various cancer-fighting activities is very real, I have used that as an excuse to lie around rather than exercise and to go for the "quick" fix instead of creating a truly nutritious snack or meal - especially for breakfast. Same for dealing with the nausea - just put something in rather than choosing the very best fuel for the body.

As a result, I am making some small changes that I anticipate will become larger changes. Nutrient-dense smoothies for breakfast, a variety of salads for lunch made the night before, and a dinner that consists mostly of vegetables. The absolute hardest thing for me to give up will be nachos. I have been making great veggie nachos for years, but I don't know how to get around the chips!

I have also started walking daily. It's good for me and it's good for the dogs. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day (after a rainy weekend) and the perfect temperature for a walk in shorts and a sweatshirt. I think we walked for 45 minutes meandering around the neighborhood down to the lake and back. Kids were everywhere - laughing and screaming, big boys were playing football, dogs were barking and birds were singing. It was great just to breath and be alive.

As I walked today, talking to God and meditating, I think I reached a decision to just take some time and BE - to quit worrying about what I should and should not be doing, to quit thinking about all the "what if's" in life. Just be. Live in the moment. Don't think about all the other things I should be doing and be THERE in the moment. Breathe.

We'll see how it goes...

Go back for CT scan on Jan 29 (Connor's b-day) to see if chemo is working. Should know something on the following Monday. Love to all! Kelli