Dis Breast Cancer Survivors - GAGWTA!

[Pea-n-Me]

Whoa, trying to catch up here, you guys are quick!

Ongoing prayers for Beth, Laura, and Kelly. You too, Chris, hope you get some answers soon and thanks for the cruise thoughts. Cute story about Janie, she sounds like a true Survivor!

German Disneynut, welcome and thank you so much for posting your sister's story for Beth. It is so important to hear these good stories! Glad your sister's doing well and hope you come by often.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

OK, since you asked, I'm going to tell you a bit about my experience with the nutritionist. I'll try to keep it short but if I get wordy, you can blame snappy and Merry.

And I am not going to tell all the secrets because I'd like to see you go yourselves.

Let's face it, we all know what we're "supposed" to do. It's just that actually doing it's the hard part. But here's what I think made the difference for us this time: one word - visuals.

Her office was crammed with visual educational tools. One was a plate with plastic food on it. A small piece of chicken (3oz), a small serving of rice (1/3 cup) and a small serving of string beans (1/2 cup). Note I used the word small several times. BINGO! Seeing it made complete sense! It's really no wonder we are a nation of overweight people when you think of what we're supposed to eat in relation to what we actually eat.

What I also liked was a whole bunch of vials of salt which showed how much was in certain foods. One about the size of a small lipstick showed the amount of salt that's in one hot dog and two tbsp of ketchup (which of course my son loves). I kind of felt sick looking at it. She said they have done it with fat in vials too, and when you look at the amount of fat and salt in one hot dog you wouldn't believe, there is next to no meat in there. Sadly, there were other, bigger vials for other foods but I was kind of shocked by the hot dog vial and had seen enough.

When she looked at my diet we realized that I eat a lot of foods that, although "healthy", are high in salt. For example, soup, pickles, cottage cheese, cold cut turkey breast, salted almonds, etc. She said I'd feel better and be able to see the scale go down more if I would be more conscious of reducing my salt intake. So she suggested a few things, e.g. I like cottage cheese with fruit so now I have to buy one salt free and one regular (low fat) and mix the two together since the salt free has no taste. She also suggested instead of cold cuts we buy roasts and use them not only for dinners but for sandwiches during the week, a lot healthier than cold cuts. Almonds without salt. And oh yes, I should only have 1/2 sandwich, not a whole unless I use a small pita bread, and I can enjoy my favorite provolone cheese just once a week. Nuts are great, but only a handful; eggs - one, not more than three times a week. On and on. DH and I were re-enlightened, to say the least, LOL. And of course, if you eat like this, you will lose weight! (Now I'm really worried about next week).

I liked this particular nutritionist because she was reality based. My DH told her I bought him some oatmeal to bring to work. She asked him how it was working, to which he replied "I hate it". So she told me "well, that will last about a week, let's look and see how we can get him to eat a bit healthier with the things he'd normally eat". I liked that and so did DH. She wrote out meal examples for both of us paying close attention to carbs (besides his blood sugar being high, I have PCOS). As I said before, I try to eat healthy foods but I probably have been eating too many carbs at once (as a lot of us do). She had me cut carbs and add protein to my meals (but just a small amount, LOL) and I can even add in a 100 calorie snack later on if I get hungry.

The other thing she discussed of course is the benefits of exercise, how it pushes the blood sugar out of your bloodstream and into your cells. And that it allows you to be able to eat more. We do exercise but there's always room for more. I workout and DH has been walking the dog on the beach (too cold for me but he enjoys it).

So, there you have it. DH and I were Weight Watchers for years and of course I have studied nutrition and teach dietary guidelines to patients myself, but seeing those visuals made a world of difference to us and helped get us back on track to healthy eating. You'll appreciate this. Last January we were one of the first to use the MYW Dining Plan and in fact I started a thread about it that went on here for months. But even at the time I told DH this is an insane amount of food, we're not doing this again and he agreed. I gained 7 lbs after that trip, no lie (we just aren't used to eating that much food), and although it was fun to try different restaurants it was just way too much. So I blame MYW. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. (P.S. I hope to say two weeks from now that I did not gain any weight while we were away - think I can do it?)

 

[German Disneynut]

Thank you for your kind, welcoming words, they made me feel a lot better!

First of all I have to admit, that I made a mistake with the dates - forgot that we already live in the year 2006. Tina's lung cancer operation was in June 2004 - so she is already a 1 1/2 year survivor in that case , the breast cancer operation was in 1996.

One thing I would like to tell you - I love to read this thread, 'cause it gives me hope! Tina is not only my sister but also my best friend - and there are quite some times, when I am deathly afraid. But when I come here and read your often so uplifting stories, I feel a lot better.

And please allow me to mention one thing - you are all in my prayers and extra prayers always go out to those who are in treatment, having tests or wait for results (we waited so often and sometimes so long for Tina's results, I know what a horrible, horrible burden that is and my heart always goes out to the person who has to go through that, too!).

 

[laurabelle]

~~~***GAGWTA sistas***~~~

Beth- I hope you hear something soon...

Kelly- I know what you mean sista...

Birgit- Thank you...

Linda- It is an eye opener, isn't it!?! I met with nutritionists when I was pregnant, both times I had gestational diabetes. The diet was really how most people should eat, and yeah, the portion size is the big thing! (pun intented I guess!) I'm glad she's not too strict though. It helps if you ease into dietary changes, or else you'll be ready to jump ship before you get started!
I've been somewhat following the Joe Dillon diet, a friend of mine told me about it, it's supposed to be a cancer fighter, plus a friend of her's got alot of relief from her G.I. symptoms with it. I eat small meals throughout the day, 4-5 times. I try to avoid unhealthy fats, though they aren't totally out of my diet. I don't cook in oil as a rule, I use non-stick pans, and grill or bake, I very rarely eat red meat (only once in a while I'll have a really good steak out at a restaurant) for protien I eat chicken, turkey, fish and eggs. I eat good fats, which I usually add after foods are cooked. I use olive oil, avocado, raw almonds. Fat free cheeses used sparingly. Whole grains, in pasta and breads. And of course veggies, some fruits. The goal is to eat a healthy protien, carb and fat in every meal. I use lots of herbs and spices when I cook, and use garlic almost daily. I only drink water, teas (green and herbal) and wine. I avoid artificial sweeteners, if I want a sweet, I eat the real thing, it's more satisfying anyway. I do love my chocolates though, I couldn't give those up!
I agree with you about the MYW Dining...

 

[mickeymost]

Hi Everyone

Just wanted to fill you in. Well, I met with the plastic surg and he says I can't do the lat flap. Not enough skin to go around. He suggested putting and expander in my back to grow enough skin, but the surgeon does not want to wait another 3 weeks to remove the tumor. So, I now have to have a TRAM. It's not actually reconstruction, but coverage of the area. The surgeon wants to remove all the scarred area, the area where the new cancer is and all the area in my armpit and the little fat flab that's near my armpit. He suggested to do skin grafts, but I'm not too keen on that either. So, it's TRAM. I'm quite nervous about this one. It's major surgery. I'll be in the hospital for a week or so. The surgery is scheduled for the 20th. I still have no results from my scans, but I actually think I'll wait until Tues when I see the oncologist to get the results instead of calling. I don't know that I want them right now. It's alot to process in such a short time.

I always thought you were supposed to fall apart after 40. I still have 1 1/2 years to go yet. Although by the time I get there, I won't have too many body parts to go wrong

I'll keep you posted after my scan results

Kelly

 

[snappy]

Oh man, I lost a post from earlier. Oh well. I'll try to recreate it later.

Kelly, I am sorry the surgery is more than you bargained for. Will the surgeon and the plastic surgeon operate together? I assume by flap you mean a flap will come from your abdomen?

It is so hard to wait for your results. You just have to take one day at a time.
Please vent whenever here if that helps at all. You know we are all rooting for you, sista.

Birgit, I understand how you feel about posting. I joined the DIS back in 2002 when I was trying to plan a WDW trip and needed info. I got a wealth of info about the parks, the tickets, WDW restaurants, even about renting houses offsite through VRBO. I just never posted. I guess I was a little intimidated with it all. We took 4 family trips in 2002-2003 and I took my mom once as well. Fastforward to 2004 and my cancer diagnosis, no vacations for awhile. We ended up with a trip last February during Mardi Gras, I got brave and posted to find out about renting DVC points and about the Terry Schiavo situation. Mostly I post on this thread now although I do read other DIS threads, just don't post much.

Thanks for the nutrition stuff, Linda. I was surprized how much sodium is in various items since I have been watching my blood pressure. I guess I did not realize it is also a factor in weight management. I like cheese too, I find swiss cheese has less salt. I really like Swiss Lorraine that I can find mostly at Target. I also do well with tomato puree when making red gravy (I'm part Italian), although it is not as tasty. My son prefers me to make my gravy with Classico, I use the tomato and basil flavor, for some reason is is a bit lower in sodium.

My DH has dropped some weight lately after gaining alot right after the hurricanes. He is really trying. He rides our stationery bike whenever possible and is eating either instant oatmeal or Orowheat Health Nut bread. I try to have salad for us every night, if it is in a bowl, he will eat it. I noticed no one ate any salad while DD10 and I went to WDW.

If there is any other nutrition info you care to share, please do. I love the visual aids idea.

Laura, I had gestational diabetes with DD10 too. I did not have it with the first two (I was tested for it), but then I was 42 while pregnant with DD10.
It was borderline though, so no insulin, just a diet and the nurse at work tested it for me weekly. I just gained 20 pounds so I felt good that I had it under control.

 

[NHAnn]

Birgit..thank you for posting and welcome!! I hope you join us often here!

Kelly

DH and I are headed out tomorrow for a long weekend...be back Tuesday.
I'll miss you all...and I'm keeping you all close in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[snappy]

Enjoy your time with your DH, Ann.


Have fun!!

 

[Cruise04]

Hi guys. And thanks - I think I will PM Christine. There is a girl on the WISH board too who had her thyroid removed at a young age and she actually had an appointment today and she asked her doc about a good website and pm'd me with it.

Nutritionists are great. I went with my daughter to one and she was wonderful. I will tell you some things that I have found that I really like to eat -

Wonder Light bread - 80 cal for 2 slices. So you can have a whole sandwich. And it has 5 grams of fiber - fiber can be your friend

Oscar Mayer has 98% fat free meats and they are very good.

Kraft has fat free mayo that actually has some taste - again pretty good.

If you like toast and something on it I found Smuckers has a Low Sugar preserve (Strawberry is what I've tried and it's good) and is only 25 cals per TBSP.

Weighing and measuring at first is a big plus. It does really help. It's amazing when you start spreading the jelly and peanut butter and butter out how much a TBSP really is.

I like Brummel and Brown spread as a subsitute for butter/margarine. I haven't grown to like those other ones yet - Smart Balance, etc.

If you don't drink more than 64 ounces of water a day you need to do that also, it really does help flush out the salt. And that's my guage telling me when I've had too much salt - if I don't go to the bathroom more than 3 times in 4 hours then I have too much salt in my body and need to increase my water.

Our nutritionist told us Alpine Lace is good cheese to eat. Maybe you can find some provolone by them that might work for you.

The frustrating part for me is when people don't have nutrition information available - like restaurants and bakery's. I know some of the stuff is bad for you but it would be nice to know how much baked bread is what.

Oh another thing we like is Blue Bunny products - I like the Fat Free Frozen Yogurt - Vanilla is great and Brownie Fudge Fantasy is good too - nice and chocolaty.

Also because I need some chocolate on most days and I love 3 Musketeers and Almond Joy and Reese's Peanut Butter cups that I get the 10 pak ones from WalMart (like 97 cents here) and keep them in the freezer. Then when I make my food for work I take one out and by the afternoon it's thawed. For me with them being in the freezer it helps stay away from them and not having more than one a day. I just make sure I plan for it. I also love the 100 calorie packs from Nabisco and Keebler. Keebler now has 100 calorie packs of the Fudge Strips - oh so good!!!!

Good luck to those that are wanting help in the watching what you are eating and getting/staying healthy. I have lost 52 pounds so far with help from these things and the nutritionist.

Try to have a good weekend everyone!
Chris

 

[laurabelle]

~~~***GAGWTA sistas***~~~

Kelly- I'm sorry you didn't get the news you were hoping for with the surgery. I know alot of people who've had the tram and I only know two who had trouble (both with infections, which were resolved) but everyone else didn't have any trouble at all. It is a big surgery, sprung on you without alot of time to think about it. I guess the good points are it will bring in fresh tissue and you'll get a nice flat tummy out of it! I think it's ok to wait to find out about your scans until Tues. One thing at a time sista...

Chris- I think measuring is a great idea for those just figuring out the portion sizes. Something I learned is that a protien portion is about the size and thickness of the palm of your hand, a veggie portion is about the size of a loose fist and a carb portion is about the size of a tight fist.

Laurie- I was borderline too and didn't need insulin either. I gained a bunch of weight both times though...thankfully breastfeeding helped take care of that!

Ann- I hope you have a wonderful time!

We're finally supposedly getting some snow this weekend...the first time since early Dec.! 8-14" here, should be fun!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

GAGWTA!

Kelly, lots of prayers for you, hang in there.

Chris, great post! And congratulations on such a fantastic weight loss!

I also had diet controlled gestational diabetes. Have diabetes in my family, big time. PCOS is a metabolic syndrome of insulin resistance so I take medication to keep my insulin levels down even though I am not diabetic, and I have to watch carbs as if I were.

This time next week I will be boarding Disney Magic.

Wishing everyone a nice weekend. We will be here - a blizzard's on the way tomorrow!

 

[snappy]

One week!! How exciting, Linda!!

And this is not your first Disney cruise either, you lucky thing.

I hope you post a full report when you return.

Hope the night at Pop is good too.

What a coincidence that you, Laura and I all had gestational diabetes.
That one floors me. I really had not thought about it in ages. I do remember my high risk preg. New Orleans Doc warning me to watch my weight throughout my life to avoid Type II. Have not gotten it yet, though I do get screened regularly (every time I go in to have the thyroid levels checked by my endicrinologist).

 

[laurabelle]

~~~***GAGWTA sistas***~~~

Laurie- Yeah, my docs told me the same thing, but thankfully it's never been an issue. When I was hospitalized and on high dose steroids they kept checking my blood sugar but it was fine. Other than that, it's not been followed.

Linda- I'm so excited for you! So you're going to WDW first? Where are you staying after POP?

We got our snow! It's still coming down like crazy and the wind has really picked up so there should be some nice drifts! Both my girls won their basketball tournament games yesterday! My youngest (who's team remains undefeated!!! ) was set to play a half-time game with another rec league team during a local college women's basketball game today. I'm not sure if it will happen though, we'll have to see if they end up closing...

I had a bad day Friday and spent the day in bed. It really helped though because I rallied and was able to make it to my girls' games yesterday. You all know how much it stinks to miss stuff, especially when it comes to our kids. I did end up getting an appt. for my scope tomorrow morning. I'll let you guys know what he says...

 

[laurabelle]

A friend of mine from my online group is making a quilt for a BC charity event and it has to have inspirational quotes on it, so we're sharing some with her. I thought you all might enjoy reading some of them...

If I had to pick just one quote that really helps me it's:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me - Phillipians 4:13

I'm also reminded of something Mylette (a dear bc sista who is an angel now) read in "O" magazine right after she found out she had mets. It's way too long to use it as a quote though...but I thought I'd share it anyway.

Every challenge we take on has the power to shake us—to knock us to our knees. And yet, what's even more disconcerting than the jolt itself is our fear that we won't withstand it. When we feel the ground beneath us shifting, we panic. We forget everything we know, and allow fear to freeze us. Just the thought of what could happen is enough to throw us off-balance.

What I know for sure is that the only way to endure the quake is to adjust your stance. You can't avoid the daily tremors. They come with being alive. These experiences are really gifts that force us to step to the right or left in search of a new center of gravity. Don't fight them. Just find a different way to stand.

Balance lives in the present. The surest way to lose your footing is to focus on what dreadful things might happen. When you feel the Earth moving, bring yourself back to the now. You'll handle whatever shake-up the next moment brings when you get to it. In this moment, you're still breathing. In this moment, you've survived. In this moment, you've found a new place to move your feet so you can step onto higher ground.

~Oprah April 2003

"Pain is temporary ... quitting is forever" - Lance Armstrong
His mom said “there are no obstacles, only opportunities” He had only about a 20% chance of living, and had been told to make his funeral arrangements. Now look at him!

God doesn't bring us to the deep waters to drown us but to
baptize us.

 

[snappy]

Lovely, Laura, thanks for posting those. A great thing to wake up to this morning.

My mom and I went to a quilt auction back in the fall. The proceeds benefitted Encore, the YWCA program to raise money for mammorgrams for
underserved women. There were many beautiful quilts of all sizes, but none with inspirational quotes. I think your online friend's quilt will do well. Only one even had a pink ribbon on it. I guess they were trying to make the quilts more "main stream." I bought a simple one and an art bra (we are Siamese twins if you please). My sister got a big charge out of it (it was one of my Christmas presents to her.)

Cold here for us, no smow of course.

DH and I saw The Green Mile with Tom Hanks last night on ABC. Good movie, although he would not let me watch a couple of scenes. Not sure why they can't just suggest certain things rather than play em up. I was glad DH had already seen it.

Have a great Sunday everyone. Bless you all.

Glad you were able to make the basketball games, Laura. You were so smart to rest up Friday. It stinks but you did not let it make you miss what counts.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

GAGWTA!

Thank you for posting the quotes, Laura. I like things like that, you never know what's going to stick in your head and help you through those rough times. So sorry you're still feeling yuccky. Nice the girls won their tournaments. My DS's basketball team has been winning, too. It's the first team of any sport he's ever been on that actually wins, LOL, so he's happy about that. I can't always make all the games if I've worked the night before so he hooks up with friends. Hey, we do the best we can do, right?

Well I'm looking out the window here and it's kind of scary. Blizzard conditions. Last night we ran to get some errands and it was bitter cold, I could barely stand it. Hard to believe we'll be in the warmth of the sun later this week. We are leaving Wednesday afternoon, staying at Pop for 3 nights, then boarding Magic Saturday morning for a 7 night cruise. We are meeting up with our Dis group at 3pm Saturday afternoon on the ship, everyone's really excited. My DD8 has had a penpal with another Dis DD her age and it has been adorable. You ought to see the PMs, they're a riot - lots and lots of these.

snappy, this is our third Disney cruise but our first time on Magic. My breast cancer experience was sandwiched between our first two times on Wonder - I was diagnosed 12 days before the first cruise and the second was my post-treatment cruise. Wonder was the happy place I went to in my mind all during treatment, so it truly holds a special place in my heart. I know I'm going to be emotional upon first glimpse of Magic. Driving up to the port is one of the most amazing parts of the the cruise - seeing the majestic ship in port and realizing how BIG it is, it blows you away. I am looking forward to seeing the amazement on our friend's faces. Last night we went out to dinner with them for last minute cruise talk and boy, what a fun time we had just talking about what we're looking forward to doing on the ship (and drinking Pina Coladas, LOL). We did a roundtable discussion, including all the kids, and it was so cute to hear thier expecations. Now, hopefully this snow will taper down and we can actually make it there this week!!

 

[snappy]

I hope the weather in Orlando is just perfect for you, Linda., so you can try out the hippy dippy pool or the bowling pin pool. We tried back in January, DD10 sam, but I just stayed on the sideline. Are you going to try to ride Expedition Everest if it is in sneak preview?

Hope you get a great room location.

Is the Magic newer or bigger than the wonder? What a great thing to share with your children. Even more fun meeting up with a group. Will you be seated together for dinner? I bet those pms are histerical.

This is something I rreally dream of doing. I went on a 4 night Carnival cruise with Mom, my sister and her husband, my brother from New York, and my mom's neighbor and her mom, on the Sensation out of New Orleans last March. It was fun, but I was not feeling too well at the time. My sister too was not able to walk very well. We are both better now. I wish we had waited, but you know, if you wait, you might lose out. I don't think any of us will cruise on Carnival again, it wasn't our cup of tea so to speak.

A Disney cruise would be wonderful. Maybe I could get the whole family interested. Not this year thought. Too much stuff.

I talked to the youth director at DS's confirmation reception the other night about where to get the rest of the stuff for DD15's youth group ski trip (he's one of the ones in charge of the thing). He suggested Academy Sports. I hit the place the next day and got the rest of the stuff she needed for half price. The ski pants fit, and she and I are both happy campers. Now I feel like I can relax, at least about that stuff.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The sister ships are almost exactly the same except for some decorative differences inside and of course, itineraries. Magic is one year older. There is a "behind the scenes" special on The Travel Channel on DCL - if you're thinking of taking a Disney Cruise you should try to catch it, it's what got us hooked. They show Magic being built in Italy in two different shipyards, then each half sailing to meet the other and bingo, they hooked up perfectly (hope the screws aren't rusted, LOL). You can also order the cruise planning DVD on the DCL website.

If you want to see some great photos of the ships and Castaway Cay, look here: www.yourmagicaljourneys.com (there are also some nice resort photos, too). If and when you decide to book, let me know, I can share some of the secrets to booking that I've learned which can save a bit of $$ and make for a more enjoyable cruise.

Here is a photo (looks like Magic is in front):

And a beautiful sunrise shot:

P.S. Yes, we will be seated with our friends (and her parents) for dinners. We are also doing both the Palo brunch and the dinner with them.

 

[MerryPoppins]

I'm jealous Linda. I've been on two Magic cruises and they have been my favorite vacations ever. I hate to admit it, but I like cruising on the Magic much more that going to WDW. We're doing the parks this spring break, but DH (knowing how much I love it) is already talking about our next trip on the Magic. Have a wonderful, Magical time.

 

[MinnieM3]

Hello to you all,

I feel very nervous posting here - been lurking since a long time and think you are all amazing women. Sorry for my english, hope I can express myself clearly.

My sister Tina is a Breastcancer survivor for almost 10 years now (mastectomie, chemo and radiation), she is like you, always very open and positive.

I write this, 'cause I want to tell MinnieM3 - Tina was doing very well up until last year in May. Then a spot on her lung was found, well - it was a new cancer. B U T : She had an operation, they were able to take out everything, no lymphnodes, only the very small tumor stage 1 - so no radiation or chemo. And she is doing wonderfully again. The operation was in June and in August she was already able to enjoy a wonderful vacation at WDW including a 7 night cruise.

Please stay strong, it can be defeated again!

Hope I did not offend anybody - I am quite nervous to post. But this was on my heart!

I wish all of you all the best, you are an inspiration!

Oh Birgit, thank you SO much for sharing this story. It gives me so much hope for the future. It's hard to face the "beast" again! Thank you again!