Top 5 changes to make after BC

One word for better sleep & lowers estrogen a little......win, win! ( Melatonin!) ZzZzZzZz

I'm so glad I found this thread! I can identify with so many of you and the crazy choices we have to make to navigate through BC and prevent recurrence. I was a huge fan of Dr. Oz for many years and I always tried to follow his suggestions for living healthier to reduce my "Real Age". When I was diagnosed with BC, I was so personally P.O.'d at Dr. Oz that I refused to watch his show or open any of his books. I felt so irrationally angry at him (ridiculous, I know), I was shocked because my body felt so healthy, and I felt betrayed by my healthcare providers. I am the person who chooses the healthy meals, works out regularly, doesn't smoke, buys organic, reads up on health & nutrition and gets regular check-ups. I had a diagnostic mammogram/ultrasound every year for over a decade. Never once did anyone question any of the lumps in my dense breasts. I never had a biopsy. They only asked if I had a family history and when I said "no", they'd say everything looks fine and send me home. 9 months later I found a larger than normal lump during my self-exam in the shower and I was already stage IIB... WTH??

When I had my genetic testing done at Johns Hopkins, I offhandedly told the counselor that I was going to eat and do whatever the heck I wanted now since I obviously didn't prevent cancer by taking good care of myself. She said some things that were very helpful and I want to pass on. She believes that we may be predisposed to getting BC for whatever combination of reasons and that because I did a lot of the right things with my lifestyle, I may have postponed my diagnosis by a few or many years. For every year we can delay a diagnosis of BC, we have better treatment options and a better shot at surviving because of the progress of science and research. She also said that my lifestyle choices helped me get through my 5 months of chemo much better than I otherwise would have. I never thought of those things and her words really helped me want to stay on track.   

It was such a shock to be told I have BC or any type of cancer! But time has helped me accept what I cannot change and even though I'm still baffled about what to avoid or include in my life now, I have forgiven Dr. Oz :-) and gone back to doing the best I can to live a balanced life. Everything in moderation!

1. No more than 3 alcoholic beverages/week - usually less. This was a change for me. I like my red wine. 

2. Manage my stress and live one day at a time. When I look back or forward, I get too stressed out and anxious over what I've lost or what I can't control. I miss the moments that I want to treasure!  

3. 5-8 servings of fruits and veggies every day, including wild blueberries and green tea with lemon.

4. More salmon and omega 3's, Less meat, Very limited processed meats.  

5. Walk 30 minutes every day and exercise and/or weight train more days than not. I need to be more consistent with this one. Just had my exchange surgery this week so I'm hoping I will be more motivated as I heal!

May God bless us all!!!! xoxo          

Thanks Peggy_j. :-) Beyond the obvious salads and steamed veggies, I find the easiest and tastiest way to get my fruits and veggies is by making smoothies with frozen organic fruits (wild blueberries are especially good!) and by lightly sauteeing mixed fresh veggies with a little olive oil and roasted garlic. We make a big portion with squash, brussel sprouts, red and green peppers, spinach, onions, green beans, asparagus, carrots, etc... and we keep it in the fridge so it's easy to grab and add to our plates. We steam some of the tougher veggies before adding them to the sautee so they don't get under or overcooked. Soups are another good way to increase our veggie intake. Like you, I try to buy organic but if I can't, I soak things in lemon water or vinegar water before eating them. Cheers to being healthy, Peggy, and Happy Friday!

When I was first diagnosed, I was soooo mad! Every time I saw a big fat lady driving down the street with a Big Mac in one hand and a cigerette in the other (no doubt with a beer in between her knees), I would just want to RAM her car! And when someone would come on TV saying that eating right, exercising, keeping your weight down..... blah, blah, blah, blah..... lowered your risk of breast cancer, I would swear and throw things at the TV! GRRRRR.....it still makes me mad....... but I know that being in good shape going in helped me to make it through treatment better with less collateral damage, AND it helped me bounce back faster after treatment too. We can only do what we can do. Hang in there everybody!

Eklypse - that Kale Chip recipe looks yummy!  I will definitely try it... you may want to try this reciped from ChiRunning - http://www.chirunning.com/chi-library/recipe/bean-and-chicken-sausage-stew/ which has kale in it but the kale ends up nice and tender - just be sure to include enough salt (with all greens, the salt counters the bitterness)

I'm reading this thread for the first time and I'm so glad to see so many others who were also mad about getting breast cancer.  When you read the articles on common risk factors, I have none except I might have had my first child late, borderline at that.  Then I found dense breasts are a risk factor which no one ever told me, so perhaps that's why I have bc. 

I finally got over it by thinking about others with bc that I knew and they don't seem to be unhealthy either, while many around us are overweight, eating poorly, not exercising, smoking.  They will likely have their problems too, if they dont' already.  Perhaps we did postpone our breast cancer.  Perhaps we will fair better on the recurrance scale.

I always liked Dr. Oz but I got mad about a remark applying to another disease in my family.  I know for a fact it just doesn't apply to everyone and good advice given on a wide scale doesn't mean it will help everyone.  

In the meantime, I'm making sure I eat even more vegetables and fruit.  I even eat carrots for breakfast now as that was the only meal I wasn't eating vegetables.  I switched to organic milk.  There's good evidence more exercise is good so I will make sure I do that.  I probably was only doing 20 minutes a day in winter, want to get it up to 30.  I will maintain my weight and not gain.   And I think I may take up meditation, tai chi, yoga, or all of the above for added stress benefit.   I also saw that 2 to 5 aspirin a week seem to prevent recurrance.  Anyone doing that? 

I'm going to step out on a limp here.  I'm a big girl.  I've always struggled with my weight but it got out of hand after my daughter drown in a household accident.  Grief and food issues are not good bedfellows.

I have felt judged since my diagnosis.  People that I thought loved me have lectured me on weight and nutrition.  It's almost as if they felt like I "deserved" this DX because I'm heavy.

No one deserves this.  You guys know that. 

Right now my MIL is dying from stage IV lung cancer.  The first question everyone asks is whether she was/is a smoker.  Why does that matter at all?  Because it makes me feel "safe" because I have never been a smoker?  No one is safe.

No one is safe from anything.  I saw a bumper sticker that said, "You eat, you die".  Yep.  True.  None of us can escape it.

I wish there were a formula where a person could check off all the right boxes to ensure their longevity and disease free existence.  Then whomever didn't check the right boxes would be choosing their own fate.  Unfortunately, it's a lot more complicated than that.

I guess that's why, when I try to think of breast cancer prevention advice I can give to my daughter and nieces, all I can come up with is for them to get their annual mammos and avoid taking hormone replacements.   I think the latter is what got me, but who knows?    As far as what to do now, it seems to me that it all comes down to just doing the best we can.  For me this means living the healthiest life I can, avoiding obvious carcinogens, involving myself in activities I enjoy, and trying to be as stress-free as possible so that my immune system will be working at its peak.   

I've made no changes in my life since my diagnosis and do not plan to make any.I've exercised regularily every day,eat a sensible diet with loys of fruits and veggies in season and I enjoy an occasional glass of wine.I take the usual supplements( vit D, fish oil, etc) I'm not overweight..............and yet here I am, no family history, healing form my bilateral mastectomy for IDC.I'm not closing any barn doors now.I will continue to enjoy my family and friends and my wonderful life for as long as I can.I am convinced that there was and is nothing that I could have done to prevent what has happened to me and I will not dwell on it for a moment.Nothing can prevent this ugly disease but early detection can get rid of it.