Two Year Up-Date

We have hit another celebratory marker. It has officially been TWO YEARS since my last  breast cancer  treatment of  radiation in Kelowna in February 2011.

If it weren't for the scars on my side, one would never know I had traveled the cancer causeway. The scars on the breast do not plague me, it's the scar beneath my natural arm-pit that leaves a lingering soreness. I've stopped trying to do chin-ups as where the lymph node mining occurred, it's still feeling slightly swollen and tires easily.  I'm told that may never change. I am regularly swimming and bouncing on the rebounder to keep the puffy-feeling at a minimum.

My post-treatment meds have changed a few times trying to find a lesser of the symptom-evils. I was started on the Taxoxifen and Zoladex until they were sure I was into full menopause. Worried about the side-effect of possible uterine cancer, I had my doctor switch me to Letrozole. Same symptoms with aching joints like you have arthritis, constant hunger and no libido. Not happy with that, I switched to another drug called Aromasin, but the symptoms felt worse than before, so I switched back. The aching I can handle, we will have to live for three more years with the libido issue I am sorry to say. Yes, we're having sex as often as before, but with less enthusiasm on one side. I count ceiling tiles a lot. But, the two years flew by fast enough to surprise me when the day came and went. There's hope.

 I have a surgery date for breast reconstruction in May 2013. Dr. Kurz of Prince George is going to replace over a half cup of missing breast with a silicone implant. My bras keep unhooking mid-sentence which my face must reflect. It's funnier to see than to experience. Try re-attaching your bra from beneath your shirt while in the drivers seat trying to pretend like  nothing is going on. Now try it with a sore side.

As for the rest, I feel like I am back!My hair is thick and shiny, including the hair on my legs and unfortunately my face. I am healthy and still exercising faithfully, although I am still at only 90% of me. I think that's because I'm finding I don't care as much anymore. I  am at my goal weight and there's no need to try and get any "fitter" at this stage. I have learned to slow down. That's what cancer did for me.

My non-fiction memoir has morphed through half a dozen titles, the latest being RUNNING FROM CANCER. It has been professionally edited and now goes to a line and copy editor for fact checking, libel issues, and final proof-reading. I had a publisher interested but have heard from other authors that the company is over-extended. Meaning I wouldn't be getting the full value of the marketing necessary to expose this book nationwide. Their largest print run was well below what I want to see. I either need a larger publishing house, impossible to reach without an agent, or I can self-publish. Seeing as I've paid for a content editor and then a copy edit, it is starting to look like I should go the self publishing route. I'm not 100 % sure though and have letters out to two agents at the moment. If they want to run with it, I could keep writing the latest book called Running From ADD. It would be so handy if we could see the future and know which road to take.

Writing the cancer memoir was almost as hard a journey as the dilemma was. It was therapeutic in the sense that I released the locked-up  poison with rehashing the painful memories. It also served to remind me of  the joys of love and acceptance, of having to get to the bottom of me before I could rise up out of the mess.Of all the people that enrich my life.

The next step after the editing will be book jacket design and copy for that as well. The words on the outside of the book far outweigh the ones inside in degree of importance  And as author Maggie DeVries told me, "be prepared to defend every word of your book." I am already finding that to be true.

It's a long process, getting  a book published. Besides,I never did do any-thing the easy way. It just wouldn't be my style.

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Sinful Chocolate Macaroon recipe

Attention to Coconut Fans!

Heads up- there's a new recipe under the Healthier Options on my blog site at www.debilynsmith.com.

It's called Sinless Chocolate Macaroons. Nice and chocolaty,  chewy and sweet by using dates not sugar, these gems are made without flours or fats. Simple and delicious, not funny tasting or fall aparts.

I dare you to try and eat just one!

Zeolites and Anti-Cancer

I popped in the words "anti-cancer_ and the letter "Z" and was shocked at what came up.

Liquid zeolites are food supplements typically used for the purpose of removing heavy metal or other toxic materials safely from the human body. They can be found in liquid form in health food stores and are considered to be a supplement and not a drug.

In our daily lives we can become exposed to various toxins that if ignored, can be harmful to our health. Some of the metals include mercury, cadmium, arsenic, lead, or aluminum. These toxins get inside of us via water, air, food, or skin.

The problem is, once in the body, the metals attach themselves to molecules and proteins. This can disrupt normal cell functioning. These metals can also lead to free radicals. Normally, the body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur. Of particular importance is that free radical damage accumulates with age. 

Damage to various parts of the body, such as the joints, bones, arteries, kidneys, and brain can also occur. The liquid zeolites help remove toxins from the body and deactivate free radicals so the toxins cannot do as much harm and the immune system function can do its job keeping you healthy"

For more information, check out this website:

http://www.healthbooksummaries.com/20_Things_You_Need_to_Know_About_Zeolites.html

YOGA and Your Well Being

Stress increases susceptibility to disease, so part of a great anti-cancer strategy is to find outlets that release stress even if only for a moment from your life.

That includes taking time for yourself in a hot bubble bath, having tea and relaxing with someone you love or learning to meditate or do yoga. Anything to slow down and soothe the inner you.

Through the ancient practice of yoga and meditation, cancer patients and survivors have  learned how to manage stress, enhance immune function and feel better overall. Restoring energy, improving joint movement, alleviating joint pain while instilling a sense of calm and connection…these are all possible through yoga.Therapeutic yoga poses can help establish a true sense of well-being and vitality in a balanced manner. According to The Therapeutic Yoga Kit  by Cheri Clampett and Biff Mithoefer, our neurological relaxation response is activated during a relaxing yoga or meditation session. This leads to a host of documented benefits including the reduction of our stress hormone production, a decrease in blood pressure and muscle tension, and an increase in immune function and activity.

Using simple breathing techniques, guided meditation, restorative poses and stretches with gentle movement, yoga can be extremely helpful in managing the stress and the side effects of cancer. If you are currently going through treatment or recovering, yoga class can offer variations of poses and movement to adapt to what you need. Overall, you may feel calmer and yet have more energy than before. Most importantly, you will have given yourself the opportunity to nourish your mind, body and spirit.

  Through gentle yoga poses and breathing exercises, toxins accrued during treatment can be cleared out more effectively, blood circulates better, and the lymphatic system is enhanced thus leading to the increase in immune function.  

Even if you've never had cancer, learning to relax for a few minutes a day is as important in the anti-cancer process as eating ground flax seeds and drinking green tea.




find ways to reduce stress in your life (yoga, meditate, time for friends).

Excessive X Rays

As discussed in November 2012 in the blog: Radiation Exposed, we learned that  x- rays can save your life with valuable information needed by your physician, but an excessive amount of x-rays can cause cancer. For every x-ray you receive, an amount of radiation is stored inside your body, compounding with other sources of radiation.

The risk of cancer  increases with the number of diagnostic x-rays a patient is given and the radiation dose per x-ray.

Dr. Oz advises if you are under 180 pounds you can require a test with less radiation, a fact not well-known even by physicians.

By avoiding x-rays that aren’t medically needed, you avoid the risks, and you can also avoid unnecessary medical costs. You may now be asking, “How many x-ray exams are safe?” There’s really no answer to this question. There is no number that is definitely safe, just as there is no number that is definitely dangerous. Every x-ray can involve some tiny risk. If the x-ray is needed to find out about a medical problem, then that small risk is certainly worth taking.

Here's what you can do:

ASK HOW IT WILL HELP to find out what’s wrong. How will it help determine your treatment? Feel free to talk with your doctor; you have a right to understand why an x-ray is suggested.

DON’T REFUSE AN X-RAY if the doctor explains why it is medically needed. Remember, the risk of not having a needed x-ray is greater than the tiny risk from the radiation.

DON’T INSIST ON AN X-RAY. Sometimes doctors give in to people who ask for an x-ray, even if it isn’t medically needed.

TELL THE DOCTOR IF YOU ARE, OR THINK YOU MIGHT BE PREGNANT before having an x-ray of your abdomen or lower back. Because the unborn baby is growing so quickly, it can be more easily affected by radiation than a grownup. If you need an abdominal x-ray during your pregnancy, remember that the chance of harm to the unborn baby is very tiny. But be sure to talk with your doctor.

KEEP UP ON NEW MAMMOGRAPHY INFORMATION. There is agreement that mammography (breast x-rays) is important in the fight against breast cancer. But scientific information is still growing on the proper role of mammography. Right now it is believed that women more likely to need mammography are those with symptoms, or those past menopause, or those with a personal or family history of breast cancer. Talk with your doctor about the value of breast x-rays in your particular case.

ASK IF A GONAD SHIELD CAN BE USED if you or your children are to have x-rays of the lower back, abdomen, or near the sex organs. A lead shield over the sex organs can keep x-rays from reaching your reproductive cells, thereby protecting future generations. Gonad shielding should be considered if the patient might have children in the future. But remember, a shield can’t always be used, particularly over the female ovaries, because it may hide what the doctor needs to see on the x-ray.

KEEP AN X-RAY RECORD CARD. Cut out the X-Ray Record Card and keep it in your wallet. When an x-ray is taken, have the date, the type of exam, and where the x-ray is kept, filled out on the card. Then, if another doctor suggests an x-ray of the same part of your body, you can tell him or her about the previous x-ray. Sometimes the doctor can use the previous x-ray instead of taking a new one. Or, if a new x-ray is needed, the previous one might help show any change in your medical problem. Keep a record card for everyone in your family.

(borrowed from http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/radquip/Documents/X-rayCardInformation.htm)

Warning Signs of Breast cancer

The Warning Signs or Symptoms of Breast Cancer

• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm that persists through the menstrual cycle 
• A mass or lump, which may feel as small as a pea 
• A change in the size, shape, or contour of the breast 
• A blood-stained or clear fluid discharge from the nipple 
• A change in the feel or appearance of the skin on the breast or nipple (dimpled, puckered, scaly, or inflamed) 
• Redness of the skin on the breast or nipple 
• An area that is distinctly different from any other area on either breast 
• A marble-like hardened area under the skin 

These changes may be found during a breast self-exam.For instruction on how to do a self exam go to www.checkyourboobies.org


On a personal note, I remember being extremely tired the months preceding my BC diagnosis. My routine and diet had not changed but my energy level was remarkably less. I found a hard pea lump through self-examination of the left breast, which turned out to be benign (no cancer). The right breast however had a shadow seen through an ultrasound which later disclosed a cancerous growth by an MRI and a biopsy.


Go figure? This is not an uncommon occurrence either.

Eat More Vegetables

Great Tips on Getting More Vegis into Your Daily Diet:

-buy ready-made for instant snacks. Cherry tomatoes, mini carrots, snow and snap peas are great examples.

-buy frozen vegis for maximum nutritional content. These are packaged when the vegetables are at their prime and don't lose their goodness travelling long distances to get to your table. They are also quick to heat and serve.

-buy seasonal fruits and vegetables within a 100 mile radius for freshness and best prices. Freeze them cut, cleaned and ready to serve.

-double everything. Do you usually eat four  asparagus spears or Brussels sprouts? Try doubling that each meal.

-cover half your plate in vegetables, one quarter in meat and one quarter in brown rice or other wholesome carb like quinoa.

-  pick up pre-washed bags of salad greens and add baby carrots or grape tomatoes for a salad in minutes

  - vary your veggie choices to keep meals interesting.

  -   try crunchy vegetables, raw or lightly steamed

  - make kale or lettuce smoothies with banana, chocolate whey powder and ice. Look for vegi smoothie recipes on line and find one you love.

-have a vegi stir fry twice a week varying meats and vegis