Surviving childhood cancer

During today’s workout, enjoying the “let’s-all-get-a-haircut-together” atmosphere, I overheard two women discussing childhood cancer. One woman’s daughter had been diagnosed as a young child, the other woman’s son as an infant. Both children survived and have families of their own.

Progressing through our circuit—which is set up in close quarters, so I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping…truly—the conversation became almost competitive. One child’s cancer journey provided much of the current knowledge regarding her specific cancer. As her mother proudly announced this fact, the other mom quickly stated that her son had undergone experimental procedures also, providing helpful medical knowledge regarding his cancer.

I found myself thinking, “What a strange thing to make a point about.” Then I realized, maybe that was the point. Maybe when you’ve been through something so terrible regarding your child’s life, you need justification for yourself and the world. Justification that something good came from the fear, worry, pain, anger. Knowing your child beat the odds and helped others must provide a sense of power over a disease that made you feel powerless.

My heart went out to these women—I morphed from inwardly smiling about their competition to applauding their inner strength. I was humbled by the journey they’d struggled through and honored to overhear their tales of triumph.

Staying in shape and learning life lessons at the same time...who knew working out was so good for the soul?

Sleep and Solstice

Mother Nature came through for the Solstice, it’s beautiful today. Sun has been a rare commodity for the past, oh I don’t know, NINE MONTHS. Oregonians would never survive on solar power…we’d be in the dark most of the year.

My carpets look amazing…www.likenewcarpetcare.com…check them out. The Beasts’ trail of drool is gone from the stairs—you can’t even tell animals live here! The carpets are so stunning that I need to scrub walls and baseboards now…there’s always a downside, isn’t there??

I have good news regarding my sleep issues though. Sharing what I’ve learned may help others avoid similar problems, otherwise, I’d spare you the details :)

I wear a bite guard at night—not very romantic, but it eliminates teeth clenching by slightly altering lower-jaw placement. It’s not even uncomfortable—I’ve been sleeping better than I have in years. I have less neck tension too, which means fewer headaches—clenching starts a domino effect of upper body aches… I haven’t been to the sleep clinic yet—they're inundated by sleepless people…

Now that you're caught up on the important things in life...Happy Solstice!

Sleep disorders can be serious...really

Doctors have a tendency to chastise me…and I deserve it. However, I doubt I’m the only mom who forgets to make personal health-care appointments. Taking a leap of faith, I bet many moms put their families before themselves—we all need to remedy that… If any of the following scenarios fit your profile, please see your doctor!

The last time I visited my doctor, he held me hostage until I had a physical, pap smear, mammogram and copious blood work. I wanted to go home and watch my children grow up, so I complied. The stirrups were cold, my breasts were flattened, and my heart suffered undue stress. The only real problem was my cholesterol—genetics stink.

My last dental appointment led to more chastising and a referral to a TMD clinic. I fiercely clench my jaw at night…and during the day. I have every permanent tooth except one, even my wisdom teeth—what more do these doctors want??

I found out yesterday, when a TMD specialist grilled me about every aspect of my life. I left his office with a mouth guard on order and referrals to physical therapists and a sleep clinic. I’ve been tired for more years than I can remember--I've always blamed parenthood :) But, as hard as this is to admit, I snore and sometimes stop breathing at night. Did you know that’s not normal? I suspected but hoped it would go away…talk about denial…

The doctor zeroed in on that behavior—he told me death was a possibility with undiagnosed sleep apnea. He was pleased by my visible fear—I’d be annoyed if he wasn’t so superiorly right. The reason for lurking death? Heart stress…combine that with genetic tendency toward arteriosclerosis and I’m forked (I’ve developed a real fondness for that phrase!).

So, one night soon, I’ll be sleeping under observation, in a bed that’s definitely not my own. I’m a little nervous, but hope my chronic exhaustion has a solution. It would be kind of cool to have energy and a reliable memory again…plus, I’d really like to avoid the death thing :)

On a positive note, did I mention my eyebrow is growing back?!

Not your mother's menopause

Thank goodness for hot flashes so I can rule out a brain tumor. This morning, I momentarily forgot one of my student’s names…what she looked like…and the fact that she’s in my class… I drew a total blank for about 30 seconds—my coworkers stared at me in alarm.

I could actually feel my brain fizzing and popping—it was quite interesting. Then, I literally felt a knob turn, and my thoughts focused. All of this was quickly followed by a hot flash, and I assured my coworkers I was qualified to teach.

Midlife changes are the most unnatural, "natural" experiences I’ve endured—I think most women would agree. I wish men could share the joy, although they would swear they already do. Cringing because we’re a little moody doesn’t count guys, you need to suffer the physical changes too.

I became aware of perimenopause when I was 38…far too young in my mind. I remember standing barefoot in the snow when we lived in Colorado, drenched in sweat, scared I was going crazy. I did some research, gathered family history and realized I was headed toward menopause. My doctor didn’t agree, assuring me I was too young.

Eight years later, doctors are more aware, and I’ve learned that perimenopause takes its own sweet time. There’s no rhyme or reason to this process. Some years are better than others, sometimes I have few symptoms for months on end.

I don’t know when I’ll actually reach menopause, nor do I care. There are no benefits, my health risks increase and I’ll continue having hot flashes. But, thank goodness I don’t have a brain tumor…

Appendicitis...the third thing

Does bad luck come in threes??? Apparently so in my household… I joked about it in a blog last week, but now bow down to the wives’-tale syndicate.

Late Tuesday evening, my oldest son complained about pain in his lower right side. He’d had abdominal pain off and on for a week, but Tuesday night it became localized and unending. We have an HMO, I called the advice line and a nurse advised waiting…my mom antenna was flinging back and forth…I should have listened.

By Wednesday morning, my son’s pain increased dramatically. I called the advice line, told them to notify our local hospital and took my son to the emergency room. A few hours and one ultrasound later, we learned that my son had a swollen appendix and needed surgery.

Did I mention the HMO factor?? My son was bumped from surgery twice and finally had his appendectomy late Wednesday night. By then, he’d spiked a fever and his appendix was near perforation. The surgeon--despite doing back-to-back surgeries all day--did an excellent job, and I’m grateful. I’m also planning to change our insurance plan—my children’s health is far more important than our monthly premium…

As my son lay in the emergency room Wednesday morning, he smiled weakly and said, “This is the third thing, Mom. We’re in the clear now.” I would have rather blown all four tires on a deserted country road, but instead, I smiled too, “You’re right, Honey, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

He believed me and went into surgery relaxed and smiling…I smiled through tears two hours later, when the surgeon told me my son was truly fine…

Love your breasts, save your life

Alright, Ladies, it’s time to take a good look at your breasts. And for men reading this—tell your wives the same. I know you look at their breasts, but do they?

Ladies, I don’t mean a quick glance in the mirror as you get out of the shower. Lock that bathroom door and become intimate with your breasts.

Stand in front of the mirror, raise your arms above your head, watch the changes in your breast tissue. Memorize the contours, skin and nipple colors. Do a physical breast exam, get to know the unique texture of your breast tissue, so you’ll recognize if it changes.

I couldn’t sleep last night and finally got up very early this morning. I had an overwhelming urge to write, but didn’t know why…then I checked my email. A friend sent this link http://www.komotv.com/ibc/ and as I watched the content, I knew I was supposed to write about this today.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer is a rare, aggressive cancer—most women know nothing about it. I knew nothing about it. You have to know what you look like for this one--you have to trust your instincts about your body.

Symptoms of this cancer are usually not the distinctive lump that catches your attention. More common symptoms are redness, swelling and a feeling of warmth. Skin can also look reddish, bruised and dimpled.

So watch the video included with the above link. Remember that this is a rare cancer, but other breast cancers aren't. Love your body, check your breasts monthly—visually and physically. You’re someone’s mother, daughter, wife, friend—live long and prosper.

I'm off to check my breasts...