Is Butter a Carb??

Health Update

I was supposed to have another MRI this week, but after an unexpected seizure (in reality: they are all unexpected) on Sunday and another med adjustment, my oncologist moved my scan to Saturday and labs on Monday, before I start my next round of Chemo on Monday night.

In the spirit of vulnerability in this process, I asked my oncologist for a referral to a therapist. I'm always a proponent of using one's resources and Ive been experiencing some anxiety about seizure activity, so I‘m going to talk to someone about it, in addition to keeping up my meditation practice and striving to stay as present as possible.

Weight and a totally new situation

As someone who has been on some type of diet or watched food choices since I was about 16, I have literally never had a problem keeping weight on. Cancer and the drugs used to treat it have left me with very little appetite. Brad force-feeds me as much as he can. Im not sure my weight has dropped below 140# on my 5'9" frame since high school... I'm sure it will be a brief moment in time but it is an odd new reality.

Managing what/who you let in

I find the following to be so true: You are the average of the 5 closest people to you. https://medium.com/the-polymath-project/you-are-the-average-of-the-five-people-you-spend-the-most-time-with-a2ea32d08c72 We all know that this can be incredibly difficult, especially as it pertains to setting boundaries with close friends and family. However, as I learn how important it is to preserve my energy and manage stress/cortisol levels for my health. It's imperative to set boundaries - especially in the current climate with social media and how tough it is to get away from negativity.

I often wonder, if you had a log of all of the posts and comments that you've put out on social media, would you be proud of the content and tone? Would your parents or other people whom you revere and respect?

Inequity in healthcare costs

We didn't pay much out of pocket or see bills for copays for most of 2020, after I hit my out-of-pocket max in June with one night in the ICU. We found out this week that the copay for my chemo pills is $100 each. This is not a complaint, as we are incredibly lucky to have the jobs and insurance that we have, but it certainly makes you think about the life-altering decisions that individuals and families must make as it relates to healthcare and prescription drugs. It breaks my heart to think of people weighing these options on top of an already stressful diagnosis.