Eat it up! Eat it up! Eat it up!!!

If you’re taking the time to READ this right now, I just want you to know that…

Most people at this time are starting to gear up for Christmas and some are literally going crazy with the amount of work that is involved.  Especially people who work full time.  How are you going to do it all?  Crazy part, you always figure it out.  Every year.  This December is quite different for myself.  No traditional mother/daughter Black Friday shopping was done which was sad to say the least so most everything was done online.  Which, can I just say is almost as crazy as the malls!  You ever done a Surprise sale?  Yeah, they can be amazing but very anxiety filled and not sure if it’s worth it.  The other thing though that makes me so incredibly happy is the fact that I have not been in the Hospital as a patient for three weeks.  We are doing everything we can to keep me healthy, mentally stable, happy and physically active as possible.  It’s the best I have felt in a long time.  Now when I talk like this…please don’t mistake it for my life changing from the last BLOG you read.  Everything there still applies but I am doing a variety of daily activities to see what works and what doesn’t.  Such as:  waking up earlier which feels amazing; getting out of my pj’s and actually putting on clothes; applying makeup and doing my hair just to feel good; drinking more water; finding more hobbies that make me happy and keep me busy. etc…  The trick is, you have to find out what works for you.

3 Ways of Losing Weight:  Anorexia.  Bulimia.  CANCER.    

None of these are recommended obviously.  If you remember back to Bye Bye Hair, I spoke of having my head shaved within 2 weeks since my hair had already started falling out.  Something completely out of my control.  Now all cancers are different.  You’re going to go through different types of treatment, medications, tests, etc…Unfortunately, with blood cancers a huge side effect is losing weight uncontrollably.  Before I got sick, I was in the best shape of my life.  At 5’1, I worked out 4-6 days a week and weighed in at 115.  Couldn’t have been happier.  Since the transplant, my weight has fluctuated constantly.  Mainly I’m largely underweight.  Clearly my height hasn’t changed but my weight…mostly anywhere between 95-100 pounds.  I HATE IT!!!  Appetite has been an issue in the past along with nausea and vomiting but no longer.  (Thanks to the wonderful STEROID OIL Dr. Patel prescribed for that problem.)  Yes.  I’m still taking steroids and do still possess roid rage from time to time.  But at least I can eat!  Now, I am a human garbage disposal.  Here are some of my favorite snacks that I eat on a daily basis…

The funniest thing, I would never have dreamed of eating stuff like this on a regular basis in the past.  But it’s Dr. approved and when other things taste like cardboard, you do what you gotta do.  It is such a struggle for us going through this.  I feel at times I look like Skeletor.  At one point, my husband could actually wrap his hand around one of my thighs.  Gross.  My weight lately has been at a steady 98ish.  I will jump for joy the day I see 112 on the scale.  I’m working on it!  Please understand if you suffer from any of these illnesses, I am not taking any kind of jabs at you.  This is my story and I’m sure there are plenty of cancer patients that can relate.