At The Risk Of Being a Downer...

It's time.  Time to spill the beans.  Time to go public.  Time to share.

I have cancer.

Very treatable, beatable cancer that started like so many other cancer scares...an "inconclusive" mammogram.  And that's where this all began.

I've been smushed, poked, biopsied, cut into, examined, consulted with and my teeny-tiny tumor has been sliced and peered at and evaluated and gotten a grade from the big brains that dissect all the features and tendencies of a tumor.

A teeny-tiny tumor.  That was found!  Early!

And that's what makes me want to share the story here - I've had 2 of my 3 doctors tell me that switching to a Paleo (they said healthier and less processed) diet probably saved (or at least prolonged) my life.  The cancer would have been much harder to detect if I were still 80 pounds heavier.  And, my type of tumor feeds off estrogen which is overproduced by obese women....that was me!  So having less fat means having less food for my teeny-tiny tumor.

But I have to tell you....it was so frustrating to sit in the rooms with the paperwork and nurses and doctors and answer all the questions about my health.  I take no medications, I have great numbers (cholesterol, sugar, blood pressure, etc.), I exercise, I don't suffer from any symptoms or allergies or migraines (thank you no gluten, no dairy!) or any of the hundred things they ask about.

I'm the healthiest I've been in over 30 years...except for this damn cancer!

And it's so small and so new and so inside and hidden and I feel great every day.  But it's in there.  And I'm about to start the real war against my teeny-tiny tumor (which has been removed, but apparently ventured out into my body through a lymph node.)

I am going to do all the traditional things that my oncologist recommends.  Chemotherapy.  Radiation.  Endocrine Therapy.  AND, I'm going to stay on the Paleo pathway - eating clean, exercising, getting a little Vitamin D in nature, meditating, yoga and staying positive.

And my medical oncologist - who is clearly an angel put on this Earth for me and my family! - is well-versed in the Paleo diet.  She is a firm believer in the harm of inflammation in our bodies.  She mentioned all the books I've been reading and all the studies I've been seeing and I love that even before I knew I had a teeny-tiny cancer tumor, I was already fighting the good fight by committing to a Paleo diet and lifestyle.

I'm not sure how much of my journey I will share here - I mean really, this is about recipes and tips and sharing info....but just in case, I wanted to go public with my battle.

I will be launching a Fundraising Page in the next couple of days....even with insurance, cancer is EXPENSIVE!  And until I have my first chemo treatment (on Tuesday...yikes!), I have no idea if I'll be able to work through the next 12 weeks.  That is where I will share photos and updates and stories for anyone who is interested.  I'll share the link here once it's all up and running.

I will tell you - my friend Indi (artist extraordinaire...check out her website, IndiPlanetStudio ) has designed a couple of really fun shirts to help me raise money to offset the ridiculous cost of kicking cancer's butt.  I have trouble asking for straight up money, but I would and will buy these shirts.  So feel free to check it out and support my fight with a really cool t-shirt!  (I promise I'll share the link before Tuesday's treatment!)

And there it is.  It's my new reality.  And I feel scared and pissed off and ready and positive and frustrated and anxious all at the same time.  But my plan is to kick the crap out of my teeny-tiny tumor and any little brothers and sisters that have invaded my body.  Feel free to say a prayer or two and put any excess positive energy out into the Universe in my name.  I believe in the power of prayer and relationships and positivity and love.  Most of all, I believe I will win this fight!

#superheroes&pinkdaisies