What is YOUR Wellness Quotient?

This morning while I was watching the news, they were talking about how folks could minimize their health risks for many diseases such as cancers, heart disease, diabetes, etc. by simply eating a more healthy diet and by exercising. They also mentioned including stress reducing activities such as yoga, meditation, and again exercise, as stress is another primary factor in many of these diseases. In fact, they mentioned that the mayor was making today a special day to focus on these health-based, life-improving, possibly life-saving, topics. How nice of her.

(On a side note, my most recent bone marrow biopsy and genetic testing came back about the same as it has been. I still have minimal residual CLL with no 17p deletion. So in a nutshell, I have very small leukemia, growing at a very slow rate. We’ll take that for now.)

This morning’s news topic caught my interest because besides a healthy lifestyle, they also talked about attitude and how important it is to stay positive. I have personally walked the walk of medical depression after my stem cell transplant and I know how difficult it is to crawl out of that hole. This morning after my aquatic class, I was talking with a sweet lady whose husband has COPD, and a host of other health issues, and has basically given up. It is very discouraging to her and she does not know how to help him. It is almost impossible to help someone who doesn’t want to help himself. That is one area where I am so proud of my mom. Even during the past week after she fell, even through the pain, she never gives up. She keeps going, sometimes to my chagrin. She’s a fighter. I’ll take that.

I’m also proud of my daughter, Bethany. She has been fighting her weight for years and has finally gotten the upper hand. She is at 40 lbs and counting and looks and feels amazing. She is a great wife, mom, daughter, friend, baker, and entrepreneur. When you decide to make a change in your life, BAM! That’s when it happens.

I have another friend, Deena, who has been training to run in the October LLS run in San Francisco to raise money for Leukemia, Lymphoma, and other blood cancers. Besides being a childhood cancer survivor herself, she is running for so many others of us in her life and others she doesn’t even know. It’s hard. I can see it. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it will be so worth it.

“I discipline my body and make it my slave so that after all this, after I have brought the gospel to others, I will still be qualified to win the prize.”
1 Corinthians 9:27

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
Hebrews 12:1

I know that throughout these past four years, we could have chosen frustration, we could have chosen fear, or we could have chosen joy. Through the grace of God, even though there have been times of frustration and fear, we chose joy. Everyone has their own journey, their own potholes, detours, road construction, and occasional wrecks. The goal is to keep the Light on your road and stay pointed in the right direction!

None of us have any guarantees for our tomorrows. Choosing a healthier diet and exercise makes good sense. A positive attitude makes you, and everyone around you, happier. God has already numbered our days. It’s up to you to make them count.

Be fit. Eat right. Think well.

Love Him. Love others.

Smile.

“Fit for Life”

I need to start with two points. First, it is very difficult to find a title with the word “fit” in it that hasn’t already been used! Wow! Second, I am humbled and honored that folks still want to hear from me. I received an email yesterday from someone I do not know, but who follows my blog, asking for an update. Since I just had my bone marrow biopsy yesterday, I won’t have the results back for a week or so. And my labs revealed that my red blood cells have not recovered since my last chemo. It has now been six months…plenty of time. So they took some additional blood to run further tests along those lines. They may want to do a colonoscopy. ☹ More on that next week.

For now, I will share the importance of fitness and exercise throughout the cancer/stem cell journey. First of all, it’s hard! It’s hard when you’re healthy!! It’s compounded when you have cancer or have gone through some sort of treatment. At least, it has been for me. The fatigue that often accompanies cancer is not a good partner with exercise. But if you yield completely to the fatigue, it will overtake you and only get worse. You must move.

While I was in the hospital for my stem cell transplant, there were regular “exercise” classes that we were encouraged to attend. It was mainly to promote movement and help regain (or not continue to lose) strength. Once home, it was much more difficult to continue the routine on my own. I was fairly consistent with my stretching, but my strength was waning.

After the CAR T-Cell trial, my joints felt as if I had been run over by a CAR! After trying a shot in one knee that didn’t last for long, the doctor prescribed physical therapy including aquatic therapy. After two sessions per week for eight weeks, I was just beginning to feel a measure of improvement. They had also given me exercises to do at home, which I did fairly well. I wanted very much to feel better, to get stronger!! With my sessions coming to an end, the PT suggested that I join a gym, remembering to use all that I had learned. And so I did.

As most folks who know me well will attest, I don’t do anything half way. I jump in with both feet. The same has held true with my gym membership. For the first three weeks, I went every weekday, alternating between the aquatic class and the circuit training machines and bike. I have pushed myself as far as I am able. Many of you heavy hitters would grin at the light weight levels I’m on, but it’s all I can handle right now. And I’ve already seen improvement in some areas. My sweet hubby thinks I may be overdoing it a bit and suggested that I take a day off during the week. ☺ But right now, I feel like this is my job…to work at getting my body strong enough to handle whatever gets thrown at it next. And strong enough to enjoy the life and people I love! (I am having to take a short break after this BMB, however.)

I chose the title “Fit for Life” for two reasons. One, I have to be mindful of my body (how I care for it, what I put in it) to help prolong my life. We all do. Some of us are just a bit more reminded of it on a daily basis. Two, I read the book “Fit for Life” probably 35 years ago when I was in college and have tried to base my eating lifestyle primarily on their principles. It has worked well for me…except for the whole leukemia thing! ☺

While I get frustrated with my slow progress in the gym, I am proud of myself for going. I am also very proud of my sweet friend and childhood cancer survivor, Deena, who is training for the big LLS run in October. She is so strong. She has come so far. She is an inspiration to me to keep fighting, keep moving forward, keep believing, keep expecting just a little more of myself because one day, God willing, I’ll not only be able to bend down again, I’ll be able to run! Well, maybe just walk really well. ☺


“Therefore, having so vast a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
and throwing off everything that hinders us
and especially the sin that so easily entangles us,
let us keep running with endurance the race set before us.”
Hebrews 12:1