Anyone make lifestyle changes?

Football,

I've seen your posts on the March board.  I was a drinker and a smoker.  Heavier drinker than smoker.  It's part of my social life and I love a couple of glasses of wine at night and would usually get together with friends on weekends and party.  I have since cut my alcohol in at least 1/2.  I can not say that I will ever give it up because quite frankly it is a part of my lifestyle and well I enjoy it.  My BS is very adamant that I only have 4 oz of my wine - I mean why bother?  I am however very estrogen positive so who knows, maybe the alcohol is what brought me here in the first place.  Not to mention, my Mother had BC and never smoke or drank - so who really knows?  As far as the smoking, this is another thing enjoyed, especially with a cocktail. I have stopped smoking in preparation for my surgery, as I want to heal as quickly as I can.  I have to admit that I feel better not smoking, and quite frankly there are absolutely no benefits to smoking only bad things to come one's way from it.  So I guess if anything this whole mess has made me quit.  As far as my diet, I never really thought I was a bad eater anyways, but I am not a good exerciser, definitely need to work on that.

I'd say I am much more aware of what I eat - not a fanatic about it, but conscious.  I eat way more fruits and vegetables now - salad almost every day for lunch.  I buy mostly organic produce, and get meats from Trader Joes.  I cook more meals myself, rather than getting take out or going to restaurants.  This way I know exactly what's in them.  I try to stay away from "white:" food and too much sugar.   I have stepped up my exercise routines - I run daily (weather permitting) and do strength training.  I want to start yoga soon, just need to find a class that works with my schedule. 

Part of this comes from the gym I go to.  They do a whole meal plan, based on the goals you set.  I am not trying to lose weight, just build muscle.  As a result, my plan is balanced nutrition with a focus on protein.  I use the plan as a guide, but don't follow it religiously.

You know this business of totally changing diet and exercise regimens can get overwhelming. I ate pretty well and was very active before I was diagnosed with Triple Negative, so sometimes I'm like my healthy lifestyle didn't keep me from getting cancer the first time, so will it really prevent it from coming back? When I was going through treatment I got C Diff three times and my Onc was like well you need to eat what you feel like because you don't need to lose weight. I am small weighing about 120 lbs. So I ate lots of carbs and protein and cut back on fruits and veggies. So during treatment I didn't eat as healthy as I should have. I finished treatment in August and I've slowly added more fruits and veggies. Do I eat a balanced diet every day? No, but I'm trying to eat better. I just hope I didn't mess everything up by not eating many fruits and veggies during treatment and the first several months after. I tried to eat more of those things right after treatment but it gave me a constant rumbly tummy, gas, and upset stomach. C Diff messes with your mind, or it did mine. Every time I get an upset stomach I think oh no it's C Diff! It's crazy. But the less fiber I eat the better my stomach seems to do but still, I've got to get back on a better diet, but like I said will it really work? My Onc says everybody needs to eat well but nobody knows for sure if it will keep cancer from coming back. He's seen both ends of the spectrum meaning he has some patients that eat and exercise well that have recurrences and he has some that didn't change their lifestyle that are several years out from treatment with no recurrences. So in my opinion we need to do everything we can to stay healthy, but it's a crapshoot. 

i don't really think looking back in retrospection is some kind of self blaming. it's just a way to live a healthier life.

one thing i do advocate about is to eat organic produce and meat. and cut out all the processed food, all refined carb, high sugar crap.

I have totally changed the way I eat, although looking at all the studies, there does not seem to be an answer to how we should eat other than not gaining weight.  But I decided if diet would help in any way, the way I was eating didn't work, right?  So I am amost no dairy, almost no grains or potatoes and cutting out added sugar.  As a result I also eat a lot more vegetables and fruit.  I didn't drink hardly at all before, just a few times a year, so that's not an issue for me, but when I do drink I try to make it a red wine or a sangria that includes red wine. 

I'm trying to exercise more as it seems every time I go to the doctor she says they've increased the recommendation.  It is still a challenge to get to the amount I should be doing. 

Mostly I am trying to focus on reducing stress or helping my body handle stress better through meditation and yoga and happiness and fun!   I think that maybe your immune system doesn't work as well under stress. so the cancer cells got a chance to grow.  This part has actually been the hardest and is very much a work in progress.  

Well, personally, I think cancer is a big crapshoot, as evidenced by all the people who live incredibly healthy lifestyles and still get it.

But having said that, I do think there are things I can do to improve my overall lifestyle, and perhaps affect my total body health in ways that I hadn't done previously.

Life isn't very stressful.... I've been retired for 8 years now.

The biggest thing I did was to lose weight. I fought with my MO about taking Arimidex - even though my tumor was 100% ER+, I assured her there was no estrogen in my body.... I'd gone through menopause AND a hysterectomy... but she kindly pointed out that estrogen is still manufactured in belly fat, and I had plenty. So I went on a medically-supervised weight loss program and lost 60 pounds. That allowed me to go off all my prescription medications, and all my lab work returned to normal limits. (But I still went on the AI, darn it!)

I also went gluten-free. I found out that in just three weeks on a gluten-free diet, my fibromyalgia pain of over ten years had nearly disappeared. So I just kept gluten out of my diet, thinking it might help the AI joint pain. It has, to some extent.

We eat no red meat here; DH has kidney disease, and we focus on chicken and fish, or vegetarian meals supplemented with other types of protein.

Neither one of us ever drank alcohol, so that wasn't an issue...

We stopped with all the white sugars and high fructose corn syrup loaded foods...

We read all the ingredients of each item we put in the grocery cart, and avoid any preservatives like the plague. Instead of processed foods, we stick to fresh fruits and veggies.

And if we want to splurge, we splurge! Ice cream has become a treat, not a daily dietary supplement... and every once in a while I REALLY like fast-food french fries...

I get weekly acupuncture sessions to lessen the AI joint stiffness and pain.

We're trying to up our exercise, even if it is just walking every day.

It sounds like a lot of work, but it has really just become a lifestyle. 

NihahiI 

" If not, I get it's part of your social life....maybe re-evaluating that "life" would be a reasonable thing to do????"

Nihahil, we all do some things that are potentially unhealthy - 

Look, you made the decision to have flap surgery? Why? It's certainly potentially 'unhealthy' .. just the surgery alone increases risk, and then there is possible infection, etc. Do you think that you should re-evaluate your choice to have a surgery JUST for attractiveness sake? All I'm saying here is that we all make our own choices - there are trade-off to things. Life is not ALL about our health or we'd all be living in germ proofed bubbles. Alcohol is used by many people to reduce stress, let go of inhibitions and quite frankly, getting a little tipsy with friends is FUN for a lot of us & that is part of what life is about too. Telling somebody to 're-evaluate' a portion of their life that they have clearly already thought about is kind of likely to piss them off. 

lemon68, I'm sure that Nihahi is a very nice woman, but the post came off as pretty dang preachy - and OF COURSE I am not 'going after' anyone for their choice of having reconstructive surgery (I did it myself). What I was doing was pointing out that we ALL make choices that are not entirely dictated by their potential impact on our health. That isn't all that 'counts' to us. 

oh no...lol. doing something in moderation is not asking for it. i chuckled a little.

as far as the little "research" i am doing, reading....stuff like eating veggi and exercise are very important but there're always someone fall out that norm. and there're always some ppl who eat burgers drinks a lot and live a decease-less lives. i always think those ppl are exception not the norm....all we can do is to do the best we can and live a little. whatever you deem unhealthey just do it in moderation. i hate the idea living my life in deprivation. i am not big on sweet but i like a macaroon once in a while. if i want one....i would probably get one, and savor it. and of course i am not going to eat half of a dozen at once.

nihani - 

My post was not at ALL about your flap reconstruction. IT WAS about understanding that you chose to do something that was not the best choice for your 'health' and all of the things that you have put in your post affirm that (the 'choice' you have made hasn't been very good for you healthwise - and I am very sorry about that - I have had some problems related to my implant surgery as well - so I can certainly understand how difficult these things are). But you made that choice and it would be AWFUL for me to 'go after you' or 'criticize' you for making that choice. It would be really harsh for me to say - "Gee, Nihani, if reconstruction is giving you so much trouble, maybe you should re-evaluate your choice to have the flap - I  mean really, why not just go flat now instead of all this stuff that endangers your health?" But I would NOT, NOT, NOT say that, because it would be LIKE me saying...  " Gee, X, you have just told me about changes in your life and the choices that you have made, but your choices 'TICK ME OFF' because they are not the best for your health, and maybe you should re-evaluate." Do you really not understand the comparison?

Once diagnosed with breast cancer, I immediately changed my lifestyle.  First of all, it was due to nerves (lost 10 lbs as I could not eat) and then I decided to try to eat healthier and I religiously work out every single day. Now I have lost a total of 35 lbs and have gotten this old body into great shape, feeling better than I have in 14 years (since turning 40 and gradually putting on the lbs.).  I was a pretty serious wine drinker, enjoying a glass or two every evening as I cooked up a delicious dinner (cooking is my hobby).  Cutting the wine down has probably been the most difficult change for me.  The studies are not conclusive and although it does appear that alcohol may contribute to breast cancer, it is also apparent that alcohol in moderation does contribute to better cardiovascular health.  All women who have undergone radiation or chemo, have an increased chance of heart problems and wine could help to prevent that.  I do not want to take the time to summarize all the pros and cons here, just want to point out that we all interpret studies and facts in a fashion that will support what we want.  I wanted to find anything that stated that I could have a glass of wine and not feel so guilty that it ruined the entire experience.  Having a glass of wine is no different than having a piece of cheese cake for a treat.  Stopping at 4oz is like eating 1/4 of the piece of cake! So why is wine so often judged so harshly.  Keeping those extra lbs around your waist line or not exercising daily probably is more harmful.  Do we judge those so harshly that just do not make it to the gym? Let's support each other in all the difficult choices we are now forced to make.  I am trying so hard to enjoy my wine like the last time in Italy and all my other travels where food and wine were a huge contributor to my quality of life.  I want some of that back.  Is that so wrong?   

I think both of you guys have the best of intentions. This is a highly personal topic and to me there are no right or wrong answers for your decisions about your body and your life. End of story. Diane

Footballnut - I think there is definitely one thing we can say we all have in common with a breast cancer diagnosis: it brings up a poopload of different emotions. And there the similarities end. We all cope differently, we all express ourselves differently.

Adding to the confusion is that here on BCO, we are just black and white words on a page. My suspicion is that if we were all sitting around a table sharing a meal and talking, our words may not have the same effect on each other as they might in print. 

I may or may not initially agree with what one person has decided to do as far as lifestyle changes, but I love to at least listen and possibly learn something new.

I hope others return to this thread and continue to contribute, and that new people will join in. 

Thanks for starting this topic.

pls keep this thread going...this topic is good for us to read and explore.

i just had an egg benedict with my friend. and a glass of red and a champagne. now i am so sleepy....

blessings - i like the image we are sitting at a table, eat and talk....it's nice to share what we do in terms of life style, diet and such...

Very sorry Football. You are absolutely right, as is Blessings. I have made some changes in my life. I used to smoke, not much as I had cut way down. When I was diagnosed my onc did not push the issue at all - I think that he knew that asking me to quit at such a stressful time wouldn't work to well. Awhile after I had finished the main treatments, he said that it was time. So I quit Dec. 31. So far so good on that. As far as food is concerned, I watch my weight because I am ER/PR+ and fat cells produce estrogen, and I try to eat a diet that is high in fruits and veggies (especially green leafy vegetables), and low on carbs and red meat. I have always attempted to avoid pesticides, and any kind of harsh chemicals - so I do things like using vinegar to clean with. I have no interest in drinking a small glass of wine - just leaves me wanting more, so when I drink, I drink 2 or 3 glasses. My onc was over when I had four glasses of wine and he didn't give me a hard time about it at all. Basically he says, "You have to live your life, or what's the point of having gone through all this, so I don't want you to give up the things you enjoy." I suspect that he figures I will work out what's best for me in the long run and it doesn't have to happen all at once. I also exercise, but not by 'doing' exercise. I do active things that I like to do - gardening, raking leaves, mowing the lawn, ice skating, swimming, etc. 

I had a friend who had had a heart lung transplant, and another friend who was diagnosed with Lupus. The friend with Lupus started all kinds of diets and things (fairly extreme) and she LOVED food. My friend who had had the transplant said.. When you do that, it's like giving yourself symptoms that you don't need to have.. you are letting the disease limit your life in a way that is not necessary. I thought that was wise. So I do the things that don't make me feel like I am limiting my own life (at least not too much) and figure it is a process.