What do you eat?

Tina Brown said:

Stress
Hi Marleyboo2

I noticed in your last post that you went through a huge horrible time just before you were diagnosed. Me too. I spent a whole year having had a nervous breakdown and suffering mental snd emotional pain the year long. I have always been very healthy and fit - I am a half marathon runner. I have always thought that this extreme anxiety I lived through the year before my diagnosis had a great deal to do with my body succombing to cancer - it was unable to stave of the cancer as it was too busy trying to get me through depression.

I don't expect my ideas would hold up if I were to talk to my oncologist about it, but I have heard lots and lots of stories of people having extreme stress in their lives prior to a cancer diagnosis.

I have a really positive attitude now as the cancer has made me realise how lucky I am to still be here and the things that caused my depression - well I am working on that!!!!!!

Take care Tina xxxx

I eat whatever strikes my
I eat whatever strikes my fancy, per my Gyn/Oncologist. He did say get in as much red meat (preferably rare - yuk) as I could because my RBC is notoriously low. A little red wine is good for anemia, too. And green, leafy veggies.

I'm with Nancy......although I have heard everything from "don't eat sweets; sugar feeds cancer" to "don't eat citrus fruit; acid feeds cancer" to "don't eat red meat; it causes cancer", I don't believe there is such a thing as a cancer-proof diet. (But I did read this morning that olive oil, consumed regularly, reduces one's chances of breast cancer by over 70%.)

OVCA is a relatively rare form of cancer, and people (particularly Americans) who eat poorly and are overweight, drink, smoke, etc are decidedly NOT rare. So I don't see the correlation. Plus, my doctor says there isn't one, and he would LOVE to cure/prevent OVCA, believe me. If he suspected we could eat (or not eat) or way to good health, he would be shouting it from the rooftops.

Having said that, I think it's common sense to eat a well balanced diet, cancer or no cancer. Get some exercise, and try to reduce the stress in your life. And have some chicken soup, too. It can't hurt.

Carlene

msfanciful said:

You know?
I never looked at
You know?

I never looked at it like that "genetics being the gun and lifestyle being the trigger", but I like it and it makes a bit of sense.

I was under chronic stress my entire life (parental molestation, their denial), etc., Nevertheless; I went on to become a successful business woman (hair salon owner), with a joyful zest for life. People would say "how is it you are so happy all the time having gone through that type of experience?" I would tell them " In, retrospect; I think it is a defense mechanism to save ones' spirit?" But I really don't know.

So in short, and looking back, I can see how living in a stressful environment for 30+ years could also set an inflammatory and self-destructive process in motion against our own bodies.

My doctor puts stress at the top of the list of things to avoid (before diet or exercise improvements), so go figure.

I've too have got to make an attempt to truly exercise more of my postive thinking; I do believe if we feel it, think it or believe it... these very things will actually manifest themselves within us.

Sharon....you own a hair salon?
Now THAT'S ironic.

Carlene.......chuckling to herself.

msfanciful said:

LOL!
Imagine that!
A stylist
LOL!

Imagine that!

A stylist with no hair!!! Ha, ha, ha.

Everyone's been great and you know what they all say? " Ever since we've known you, you never kept scissors out your hair, so surely you don't miss it do you?" Ha, ha.

I'm blessed Carlene to have such understanding clients/friends.

Actually, they think it's cool to have a bald stylist. LOL

Sharon

I would think so, too...
Tomorrow I am getting my "fancy hair" (human hair wig) re-cut to look more like my "everyday hair", which I actually like better.

I found a stylist fairly close (closer than the one I bought the wig from, by a long shot) and lo and behold, she is a Breast Cancer survivor. She learned to cut/style wigs after her own Cancer experience and now considers it almost a ministry.
I am anxious to meet her.

Carlene

Tina Brown said:

Hi Sharon
You go to work with no hair??????????? Wow now that is inspirational. I have only just plucked up the courage to go out with just a scarf on. My wig is nice but is so bothersome and makes me hot. Also, to me, it looks like a wig and I feel like I'm hiding behind a mask.

One day I am going to do what you've done and go out completely bald. Did you loose eye brows and eye lashes? If so do you make up & how?

Lots love Tina xxxx

PS You look so pretty in your photo

Not Sharon, but.....
Tina...

I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes. What you see in my pic is just makeup. I use a powder to create eyebrows and as eye liner (upper and lower lids), to disguise the fact that I have no lashes. It actually works pretty good.

Carlene

Tina Brown said:

Hi Sharon
You go to work with no hair??????????? Wow now that is inspirational. I have only just plucked up the courage to go out with just a scarf on. My wig is nice but is so bothersome and makes me hot. Also, to me, it looks like a wig and I feel like I'm hiding behind a mask.

One day I am going to do what you've done and go out completely bald. Did you loose eye brows and eye lashes? If so do you make up & how?

Lots love Tina xxxx

PS You look so pretty in your photo

Hi Tina,
Yes, I do! The
Hi Tina,

Yes, I do! The ladies get a kick out of it.

Tina, I have no choice to go bald first I'm in Central Texas (Austin)okay? So it's just to hot here; and second the hot flashes don't help sooo. If I wore a wig in my high drama profession all of my clients would end up hairless. LOl!

Yes, I lost my eyebrows and lashes too. For my eyebrows ; On a good day I'll use light feather-strokes with a pencil (pencil has to be soft). On a challenging day I'll use the powder over an eyebrow stencil. Have you seen those? They come in about 3 to 4 varying shapes, they literally cost pennies and they have made life so easy. :-D

As far as the lashes go, I tried lashes and I haven't found any I like yet and I say like in that they just don't stay on well without lashes (I know sounds funny doesn't it?).
So I just go really heavy with a liquid eyeliner. The shorter the wand the easier it is to apply yourself. If the wand is too long, it makes it difficult to apply.

But otherwise it's business as usual with the overall makeup. I just have to do it because I just love the whole ritual of applying makeup as a woman I guess.

Hope all is well with you, oh and thank you Tina for the compliment its all makeup, makeup
, makeup!

Take care my dear,

Sharon

Tina Brown said:

Wow
Carlene, Wow you can't tell you are so good at it:) I use an eye liner to pencil in eye brows and I often look like a painted doll. I must try powder - I will experiment and let you know how it works.

Cheers Tina

Bobbi Brown
Liquid eyeliner on the eyelid works best. Bobbi Brown makes a gel eyeliner that is almost foolproof, though a bit pricey. But it lasts a long time.

Line your lower lids, then smudge the liner just a bit for that "lower lash" look, then line the lids again for emphasis.

You can buy the eyebrow stencils and brow powder at Sally's, or any beauty supply store. My advice is use a brush with short, stiff bristles for better control, use a light hand with "feathery" strokes, and avoid the really dark shades. Softer (lighter) is better.

Practice, practice, practice....it's really kind of fun and you will soon develop a look you really like.

Carlene

msfanciful said:

Hi Tina,
Yes, I do! The
Hi Tina,

Yes, I do! The ladies get a kick out of it.

Tina, I have no choice to go bald first I'm in Central Texas (Austin)okay? So it's just to hot here; and second the hot flashes don't help sooo. If I wore a wig in my high drama profession all of my clients would end up hairless. LOl!

Yes, I lost my eyebrows and lashes too. For my eyebrows ; On a good day I'll use light feather-strokes with a pencil (pencil has to be soft). On a challenging day I'll use the powder over an eyebrow stencil. Have you seen those? They come in about 3 to 4 varying shapes, they literally cost pennies and they have made life so easy. :-D

As far as the lashes go, I tried lashes and I haven't found any I like yet and I say like in that they just don't stay on well without lashes (I know sounds funny doesn't it?).
So I just go really heavy with a liquid eyeliner. The shorter the wand the easier it is to apply yourself. If the wand is too long, it makes it difficult to apply.

But otherwise it's business as usual with the overall makeup. I just have to do it because I just love the whole ritual of applying makeup as a woman I guess.

Hope all is well with you, oh and thank you Tina for the compliment its all makeup, makeup
, makeup!

Take care my dear,

Sharon

I love how this
has evolved into a beauty thread from food. Looking beautiful or at least feeling like we do sure can go a long ways for those sickandfeelinglikeacancerpatient days!

Sharon, you look great bald, and I didn't realize that you were bald because of the chemo! Your former picture was dark, and I don't recall any hair. What a cool job you have, and cool attitude to go with it. I would love for you to do my hair!!! Last time I was in the States, I tried to get into one of those Look Good Feel Better workshops, but they were full. Maybe you could fly out to Japan and do one for my friends and I?????!!!!!

I lost all my hair (brows and lashes included) twice. I practiced a bit with the fake eyelashes, but you are right, Sharon, without lashes there, they are hard to put on. I did find a gal here, who does fabulous permanent brows with a feather like line. No one ever suspected they were fake. Funny thing is that my right brow never grew back in all the way. (Could be the needle killed the hair follicle?) Anyway, I'm glad I did it.

I eat the same as I always have, pretty sensible and healthy. After my recurrence, I read Anticancer and tried to cut out all the sugar etc, but pretty hard to do. I do try to substitute fruits and agave nectar when I can. I also indulge in a glass of red wine when it sounds good too.

This thread has made me want to pick a place, time and fly out to have some GIRL TIME with all you guys! How about Hawaii? A Spa in CA? Fun to dream anyway!!!!:)

Hugs all around,
kathleen:)