Rearranging my Marbles

A little morning pep talk from the ever-wise and adorable, Kid President

“Don’t stop believing, unless your dream is stupid, then get a better dream”

“You were made to be awesome, so get out there and get to it!”

My personal health and wellness education - "Let Food be thy medicine" - Hippocrates

Caveats: I know people get turned off by a big step onto the soapbox, so please understand: when you are faced with your own mortality or the unfortunate reality, for some, that they are living a very sub-standard of what life could be because of pain and feeling sick and tired - it’s easy to make radical change. I want to live - not just survive, but make the most of every day that I’m given on this earth!

This education gives me some feeling of control over my health and future health. This journey can feel like a bit of a conveyor belt otherwise - waiting for things to happen to you, next steps, test results. I don’t want to end this treatment plan and sit and wait for this cancer to come back around.

“The Fight”

While I feel so lucky to not be in physical pain or any discomfort to speak of, so far. After going over the results of my neuropsychologist evaluation on Tuesday, I believe that my “fight” continues to be the mental toughness and working to regain my former level of mental agility. Because of the way my tumor is diffused, it's pushing on more than just my right side. She found “relative weaknesses” in more areas of my cognitive function than I wanted to see or admit to – all things that will return with, what I’m guessing will be, a hell of a lot of work. She emphasized giving myself grace and time for my brain to rest and heal.

Ironically, Tuesday was also when I experienced some regression of my left side increases in strength and coordination that I had been enjoying. This was congruent with what my oncologist had initially told us that radiation can cause some extra swelling at first. There will definitely be peaks and valleys in this process.

Humbling day on Tuesday.

Treatment, thus far:

radiation status: 5 down, 25 to go!

Its really not bad - just going everyday is annoying, but once there, head in mask and clamped to the table, Im laying there for 15 minutes.

I’m feeling pretty good – just bogged down by all of the drugs in my system. I did feel a ton of gratitude yesterday, as I sat with an older Latina woman in the dressing room who had IV chemo that morning and she was all bandaged up and looked rundown. Thank goodness for the oral option.

Documentaries/videos:

Dr. Debra Kimless on alkaline diet, cannabis and shrinking tumors

The Game Changers (Netflix)

- Profiles high-performing plant-based athletes

The C Word (Netflix)*

- Neurologist turned brain tumor patient – decided to dig into the medical journals to learn how diet and lifestyle can prevent or slow future reoccurrence. Focus on plant-based diet, exercise, stress management, and other unregulated toxins in our lives – cleaning, beauty, and other products

What the Health (Netflix)

- What the Health is the groundbreaking follow-up film from the creators of the award-winning documentary Cowspiracy. The film exposes the collusion and corruption in government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollars, and keeping us sick.

- As with all documentaries in this genre, I sometimes find that the line of research between correlation and causation can be blurred.

Forks over /knives (Amazon)

- Researchers explore the possibility that people changing their diets from animal-based to plant-based can help eliminate or control diseases like cancer and diabetes.

*If you have been a cancer patient and/or have a pervasive history in your family, I highly recommend watching!

Books I’m reading:

Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases

by Dean Ornish M.D. (Author), Anne Ornish (Author)

Food Over Medicine, by Pam Popper and Glen Merzer

Nearly half of Americans take at least one prescription medicine, with almost a quarter taking three or more, as diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and dementia grow more prevalent than ever. The problem with medicating common ailments, such as high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol, is that drugs treat symptoms—and may even improve test results—without addressing the cause: diet. Overmedicated, overfed, and malnourished, most Americans fail to realize the answer to lower disease rates doesn’t lie in more pills but in the foods we eat.

I love the format of this book - written as an interview.

Books on deck:

This is the book featured on The C Word.

Very interesting research on the link between gut health and brain health, yet my doctors are surprised by my questions about probiotics.

Courtesy of my good friend, Mackenzie Anderson - thank you, friend!!

Main Takeaways: If there was a pill that could heal your body and prevent future chronic illness that plagues the majority of Americans, you'd take it? If the" pill" was a radical lifestyle and diet change, are you willing to put in the work?

Im so lucky to have an adaptable growth-oriented partner wanting to also live his best, healthy life.

“This is not a dress rehearsal life” – Robin Arzon

If you are new here and you're wondering how we got here, you may want to start here.