05 November 2014

Using what we've got

I'm now two days back from my trip to India and was really feeling the tiredness at work today. I had a difficult time processing some of the easiest questions, so instead just cleared through the 300+ emails in my inbox, answered a few, declined and accepted a few invites, and took a few walks with co-workers.

I'm usually conscious about what I spend, but after coming back from India I have taken a bright yellow highlighter to this aspect of my life.  I spent around $22 at the grocery store yesterday buying apples, pears, bananas, kale, OJ, onions, and veg butter spread.  I spent about $5.50 buying lunch today at work.  And tonight I made a tasty dinner using whatever I had in the cabinet/fridge plus the kale from yesterday.

Here's what I made (and thoroughly enjoyed!):
- Heated up tomato soup that I threw together before India - was made with tomato juice and almond milk, pretty simple! (The past two days I've been eating homemade French onion soup - easily made with broth and onions I sauteed in butter before India and then threw in the freezer. The tomato soup was also stored in the freezer while I was away.)
- Sauteed garlic, kale, and artichoke hearts served over a cous cous/quinoa mix (each cooked separately: cous cous cooked as directed with butter and salt & quinoa cooked with nutritional yeast and lots of cracked black pepper instead of broth). YUM!
- Glass of OJ
- Mug of tropical green tea
- And a jar of green lentils are on the counter soaking in water so I can cook them up on Friday! (Tomorrow night is Michael's welcome dinner after work; he's the new guy on the team.)

Happy birthday today to momma dearest and godmomma AC! Now that my belly is full and the laundry is *almost* put away, the sleepies are setting in...soon to bed. Sweet dreams world. xo.


20 March 2014

Stage 1 - Anger

The stages of grief include the following:
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

With round 2, I have briefly visited Denial, but I am at the Anger and Depression phases.  I skipped Bargaining - it doesn't exist this time.

My anger = I want to throw a glass against a wall.  Or plates.  Are any of my Greek friends getting married soon?

My depression = Breaking down in the bathroom at work after realizing what's going on.  Last night's stronghold has already worn off and I'm walking into Acceptance's front door.  Let's get a plan of action and tackle this beast.

xo.

19 March 2014

Prayer Requests

Hello...
Hi...
Hey guys...
Dear family...

Starting a prayer request is hard - how do I say, "hey can you pray for us?" without coming across as anxious or fearful?  It really doesn't matter, does it?

When biopsy results come back and the result is not what the patient hoped for, there are follow up tests.  Maybe the follow up scan comes up negative for systemic spread.  Great, no metastasis.  When the doctor feels confident that the malignancy is very treatable, the patient might explore options such as trials, FDA-approved treatments, and, as a last result, possibly more surgery.  Doing this exploration is key, as additional surgery could lead to more problems or decreased immunity. Not fun.

Asking for prayers when you're not a believer, not a practicer, can be an odd thing; but when you have a faithful support circle who talks to god daily, why not ask?  If they believe it and can speak to its positive results, then it could be possible.

I would say the patient is doing well right now, especially after getting the negative scan results, but may still suffer from a high level of anxiety with so many unanswered questions.  Perhaps the doctor has prescribed relaxants to manage any panic attacks.  And there is most likely an upcoming appointment scheduled in a well-renowned cancer center for further treatment exploration.

It is recommended that the patient attend the upcoming appointment with a list of questions to ask the doctor; carrying them in the "cancer notebook" and rattling them off at the doctor.  As long as the patient has that notebook, there should be less of the white coat syndrome when walking out of the office.

The patient needs as much love and support as family and friends can provide at this time.  It would benefit all audiences to respect the patient's privacy, while checking in occasionally to ensure that the family is doing well and doesn't want for support.

So when do the prayers begin? :)

Followers