Organic/Vegan Main meal ideas
Just want to invite people to share meal ideas/ recepies that work for them. Many of us have families with children and transitioning to this new life style is very difficult while adapting to many other aspects that come with being diagnosed with breast cancer. I thought we could start separate one for breakfast and lunch too. I find breakfast and lunches need to be quick and easy to keep them up in the long term. I have a family that loves flavour,eat large meals and like variety so this has certainly been a challenge to me. I find people start off on the vegan lifestyle very eager but struggle after about 1 month. This is a good reference to refer people to when they are starting out, or getting bored with their routine. Please be detailed with each idea so those of us not familiar will know how to prepare it from the entry.
Stable - schmable...
Hi pink ladies, Clinic today - basically the disease is stable - schmable. I'm pretty down about it. I have had all of my hopes pinned on remission. It is unlikely that this will happen. So I have to get my head in the space that stable is a good result. The CT cannot tell what is active and what is scar tissue but basically since I started my weekly treatment 19 weeks ago, the lung mets have barely changed and none of them are gone - yes they are small but they are very numerous and even the tiny ones are still there. The axilla node is 50% reduced in size and the skin met is about 50% smaller too. I still wonder if the lung "things" are actually mets - especially as they do not seem to be reducing but am not willing to have the invasive surgery to biopsy them. We just have to assume that they are as the skin met was positive. So I keep going on the treatment as so far nothing is growing and that is a good thing. I've decided that I need to take a break from the cancer world a little - disengage from it as much as I can despite having advanced cancer and weekly treatment. I need to get on with life. I don't want to talk about cancer anymore, I don't want to read about cancer anymore (hell I don't even want to have it anymore - can anyone arrange that?). I am getting back into exercise - yoga, pilates and bike riding; back into my photography; very into xmas and new year and life with my beautiful little family while I feel extremely well. Who knows - miracles happen - so one might just happen to me - but it is not worth sitting around waiting - I just have get on with living. Love and light to all of you. You are angels. Amanda xxGetting on with Life
Good afternoon ladies It's been a little while but I'm still around :-) My nails are under control - look a treat but at least they are no longer oozing - blurgh! Of course the range of antibiotics given to me then resulted in me getting a bowel infection so I am on AB's to control that now! You have to laugh really. It's all good though - I feel well. My latest scans have shown a partial response - the node in my axilla is still shrinking while the stubborn lung mets are about the same - so stable (c'mon guys - get with the program!) The skin met is also shrinking. I am hopeful next scan will show reduction everywhere again. I was down in the dumps about the lung mets until it was pointed out to me that nothing new is growing and it's all stable and I have no symptoms and am tolerating the treatment and the next scan may very well show further reduction - I pulled out of my funk and thought "geez girl - live while you are alive!" - it is something that can be said for all of us - cancer or no cancer - the cancer bit just messes with your head a little more. I was wondering how I was going to get through Pinktober - the thought of survivor stories, stories of early detection and treatment success and then stories of recurrence and how that was going to get to me. Am I still a "survivor"? Am I still part of the "sisterhood" - the quiet minority with ABC/Stage 4? Well, the initial stories got me down - Stage 4 stories of accepting the "inevitable" got me in a funk, EBC success stories saw my little green man come out full of envy. Wasted emotion - other women's stories - not mine - I'm writing the book on that one - planning on it being a long book full of fun and exciting chapters - grandchildren anyone? So I thought to start Pinktober I would occasionally post positive quotes to my FB page - no statistics allowed. Then my friend and I have got together to organise a Pinktober Breakfast - see link below - if you are in Melbourne and would like to come please message me (we need to have a rough numbers guide for catering). http://fundraise.pinkribbonbreakfast.org.au/bernadette_burnes I have to say gettng involved in this has me pumping again. I feel alive and like I am doing something worthwhile. I just hope that more of the money goes to ABC research. I know early detection is best but it didn't help me (a little selfish I suppose) and a hell of a lot of other women. Then of course there is the whole PBS palaver and issues for rural women - it quite simply is not good enough! I am still attending the Gawler program and learning a lot with the lovely Leonor and Augustin. I am not merely a sponge but am learning with a critical eye to ask more and investigate more. I am still receiving counselling which is of enormous benefit. I still see my shrink - also beneficial. I am still eating a plant based diet with fish and no dairy or other animal products (aside from fish) - want to lose weight anyone? I am still meditating and love the inner peace it gives me. I am still having regular accupuncture and chinese medicine and believe this is helping me manage the weekly chemo better. I am still on the search for a naturopath to work with. I have hair growing back and went without headwear in public today - most wouldn't but I don't care! We have had a lovely beach holiday on the Gold Coast where I returned midway for treatment. The kids and B had a relaxing time - it was nice to be back in my home state, see old friends and relax. I love the surf and the beach - it is my special safe place and hearing the ocean daily warmed my soul. You know what? I might have ABC but I'm still a SURVIVOR and I'm living for now (and still hoping - not worrying - for tomorrow) Much love and light to all SURVIVORS. Amanda xxx