It's been a while...

So the last time I wrote a blog was back in June when my Mum was in the middle of her chemo treatment. I've not written for a while, partly because I've been busy with work and life and stuff but also because I find it quite  draining. Watching my Mum go through the chemo was really painful and so it felt hard to relive it again in the blog. Also I have so much I want to say I don't know where to start then when I do I'm worried I won't be able to stop!

My Mum had her last chemo session on the 2nd August - the day of her and my Dad's 38th Wedding anniversary. Since my Mum was diagnosed in January lots of people have asked me about how she's doing / feeling but when someone asked how my Dad is doing I was quite shocked - why? what's wrong with my Dad I thought? I'd been so wrapped up in what my Mum was going through that I hadn't even given a thought about how it was affecting my Dad. The truth is, and without being too personal as I'm not sure it's my place, I think this whole thing has absolutely devastated him and from what I can gather, the hardest thing has been him feeling so helpless. My Dad's a 'doer' - he's a practical, and I guess, quite traditional man who's not that great with talking about feelings and stuff. He can or at least will try and fix anything but this was out of his control and so to see the person he loves most in the world in so much pain and have the worry and uncertainty of what might happen next hanging over him without the ability to fix it must have been so hard. The chemo was almost unbearable for both of them.

BUT, they got through it and now they are stronger than ever! :o)

It's safe to say that it's been a tough old year for everyone - obviously more so for my Mum but it has affected everyone around her.  I'm sure I've said it before but I am happy to say it again - if this year has taught me anything, it's just how awesome my Mum is and I am ashamed to admit that I'm not sure I fully realised just how awesome before this.

When my Mum finished the chemo I gave her a card which read 'You didn't just wait for the storm to pass... you learned how to dance in the rain'. This is absolutely true - she didn't just sit and feel sorry for herself (although I'm sure she had her moments), she cracked on with what she had to do, embraced everything the doctors and I threw at her - the chemo, surgery, juicing, change of diet, abuse about being a baldy, and she got through it with dignity.

There's still a long way to go yet. Although the chemo is over, my mum still has to take lots of preventative drugs for the next 5 years which have side effects and there's still the reconstruction to consider but before that the gene testing... which if she tests positive for BRCA2 then it's a whole new ball game. And I guess the worry for the rest of her life of whether the cancer will come back or not.

Once you get cancer it's a part of your life forever... which is why I would really urge everyone to take control and do everything they can to stop themselves from getting it. I don't understand why you wouldn't?

It is reported that nearly 50% of cancers diagnosed in the UK are caused by lifestyle choices - that's a high enough statistic for me to want to take control and at least give myself a 50% better chance.

The biggest causes are smoking, drinking and diet - all things you can change. Smoking and drinking is obvious, but here's a few simple changes you can make to start with:

- Cut out as much sugar as possible.
- Eat less meat - especially any that is processed or not organic.
- Eat more fruit and vegetables - ideally organic
- Drink more water and less caffeine and fizzy drinks
- Exercise more
- Swap white bread and rice to brown or wholegrain

I've also found this article which is really helpful... there's loads available on the web though. http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_cancer_prevention.htm

My Mum and Dad have taken all this on board - my Mum rarely eats any meat now and she's still juicing twice a day! The next stage is for them to eat less dairy...

I'm not convinced

My Mum was so ill at this point but still happy to drink a
green juice to make me feel better.

This has been the toughest week so far for my Mum. Last Friday was her 4th chemo session and for the last 3 sessions (including the one she has just had) the strength of the drugs will increase.

I'm not sure if I've vocalised on the blog before that I'm not convinced chemo is always the way to go but I'm not and this week has only strengthened this opinion.

My Mum has been in intense pain since Sunday (today is Friday). All day and all night she has lived with a severe aching/pain in ALL her muscles. She has been too weak to move but also in too much pain to stay still. She has felt sick, not eaten, not slept, has a sore mouth, throat, head, ears, feet... She has had no respite and as I've mentioned before, when everyone else is sleeping she is still wide awake dealing with the pain - alone.

On Thursday (yesterday) the pain got too much and so she went to her doctors for help. They left her waiting for 30 minutes and she was in such a state in the waiting room she had to leave because she quite literally couldn't take it any more. I'm gutted that I was at a meeting in Brighton and so not around to help but also a little relieved. Firstly because I really hate seeing my Mum in so much pain and secondly because I would have seriously kicked some doctors / receptionist butt. I completely understand that they are busy and there are lots of sick people that need to be seen but when a patient who has cancer, is battling through chemo and is writhing around the waiting room in pain then SURELY someone could have done SOMETHING?

My Mum decided to Leighton Hospital A&E instead to see if they could help and luckily they were amazing. As soon as they saw the state of her they put her in a wheelchair and took her off for blood tests and more importantly they gave her pain relief in the form of liquid Morphine. My Mum called me at this point and although I couldn't hear properly I managed to make out 'Flying' and 'amazing'. Apparently it relieved her of all her pain starting from her feet upwards and for the first time in nearly a week she felt half normal... not that she really knows what normal feels like anymore.

The blood tests revealed she had a fungal infection in her throat and a viral infection which gives out flu like symptoms. Anyone who has had real flu will know how bad the intense aching feels. Try imagining that on top of the type of aching and pain you get from chemo... you probably can't as it would be too much to bare but this is what my Mum went through.

I mention that I'm not convinced about the chemo because it's why my Mum is going through all this. Without the chemo right now my Mum would be pain free. To all intents and purposes she would also be cancer free. The scans she had after the mastectomy were pretty much clean with no extra tumors. The chemo is given as a precautionary measure just in case there is any cancer cells that are too small to detect BUT... there may not be any cells in the first place AND there is ONLY a 10% chance that it will even help. To help us understand this, the doctor explained it like this -'if there are 100 women who go through this chemo, 10 of them will survive/ be clear of cancer because of it. The other 90 may still survive but it will not be because of the chemo... they will have been okay anyway.

'What the crap' were my thoughts when hearing this and I really thought at the time that it may not be worth it but I completely understand why my Mum agreed  - because she wanted to de everything she can to save her life and survive this cancer and I am grateful of that.

Hopefully once she is over the chemo she will still feel the same and work hard to change her diet and carry on with the juicing so she will never have to go through this again.

Only 2 more sessions to go...

30 day green juice challenge

For all anyone who fancies taking up juicing, is lagging on the juicing or looking for help to get or stay on track then the 30 day green juice challenge could help?

Matt and I are still juicing every single day - we have one for our breakfast and once for lunch then a vegan dinner. We're finding though that we're sometimes sticking to the sweeter ones and probably having too much juiced fruit which is high in sugar... this is why we are doing the 30 day green juice challenge. It has a weekly shopping list and daily recipe for a green juice which makes everything much easier as you don't have to put much thought into it... just do it! We're loving it so far.

Here's the shopping list for week 1:

1 Pineapple2-3 Bunches of Kale (appox 20 Leaves)

4 Cucumbers

1 Jalapeno

3 Bunches of Spinach

1 Head of Celery

1 Lemon

7 Fuji Apples

3 Granny Smith Apples

1 Orange

1 Package of Mint

1 Bunch of Swiss Chard

1 head or small package of romaine lettuce

1 bunch of coriander

1 lime

 

And the recipes:

 

1.  Wednesday - Pineapple Jalapeno
2 Cups Pineapple
5 kale Leaves
1 Cucumber
½ - 1 Jalapeno (use ½ a jalapeno if you don't want it to spicy

 

 2.  Thursday - Simply Green
5 Handfuls of Spinach
3 Kale Leaves
3 Celery Stalks
½ Cucumber
½ Lemon
2 Fuji Apples 

 

3.  Friday - Green Detox
½ Head of Romaine
1 Handful of Spinach
2 Kale Leaves
10 Sprigs of coriander
2 Apples (Fuji or Granny Smith)
½ Lime

 

 4.  Saturday - Pineapple Kale Cucumber
1 Cucumber
1 Granny Smith Apple (Green)
½ Cup of Pineapple
4 Kale Leaves
3 Swiss Chard Leaves 

 

5.  Sunday - Green Citrus
1 Orange

½ Cucumber

3 Celery Stalks
½ Lemon
1 Fuji Apple

 

6.  Monday - Pineapple Mint
2 Handfuls of Spinach
4 Kale Leaves
1 Cup Pineapple
1 Small Handful of Mint Leaves
2 Granny Smith Apples (Green)

 

7.  Tuesday - The Green Juice
2 Celery Stalks
½ Cucumber
3 Swiss Chard Leaves
2 Kale Leaves
1-2 Apples

Nutritional Facts:

Kale: Kale is a member of the cruciferous/cabbage family. It is a green leafy vegetable and a great source of carotenes, vitamins B6, B1, B2, E, and maganese, dietary fibre, and minerals like copper, calcium, and iron. High in anticancer properties and a good preventer of osteoporosis due to its calcium to phosphorus ratio.

Pineapple:
Pineapple is a good source of vitamin C, manganese, vitamins B1 and B6, copper, magnesium, and dietary fibre. Its health benefits include: digestion aid, inflammation reduction, mucus elimination, and energy booster. Pineapple is a great food to consume to help with pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, sore throat, gout, arthritis, and recovery from injuries and surgery.

Spinach:
Spinach is in the same family as beets and chard and is a green leafy vegetable. It is low in calories and very nutrient-dense, with a high content of Vitamin K, carotenes, Vitamin C, folic acid, manganese, magnesium, iron, vitamins B2, B6, E, and B1. Spinach is not only one of the best sources of iron, more so than other greens, but it is also one of the most alkalizing foods that helps regulate body pH. Spinach is also great for eye health and as an anticancer protector. It has been used in many studies to successfully suggest that consumption of spinach reduces incidence of cancer.

Mint:
Mint is effective as a digestive aid, can help reduce spasms in the GI tract, prevents against cancer, and also helps relieve hay fever

Apples:
Apples contain high levels of vitamin C, fibre, potassium, and flavonoids. Apples have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, asthma, and diabetes, due in part to its flavonoids, fibre, and pectin, all of which increase bowel regularity and can help with both constipation and diarrhoea.

Here's the website for more info: http://www.greenjuiceaday.com/

 

Enjoy! xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 down, 3 to go.

Last Friday I took my Mum for her third chemo treatment at The Christie. She's having 6 sessions altogether and so it was the half way point. We actually had a lovely day - the sun was shining and we had a picnic lunch outside. We also didn't have to wait too long for the treatment so we were in and out in 4 hours - a doddle when you consider some people can be waiting around there for 7 - 8 hours.

Having the chemo is the easiest bit to be fair -  it's what comes after which totally sucks. The steroids keep my Mum on a bit of a high for the first two days so Saturday and Sunday aren't too bad - it's the next 3 -4 days which are really hard. The steroids wear off and in comes the intense fatigue and aching muscles. I think if you've not experienced it, it's hard to imagine but watching my Mum, every little thing is a huge effort - from opening her eyes, to talking and even lifting her hand to scratch her nose. Aside from the pain, there is an emotional/hormonal black cloud which descends as well as the loneliness. Mum has lots of people round her trying to help but she hasn't slept much at night since this all started and everyone else is sleeping as they need to get up early so during this time she is left alone with the pain and her thoughts... then obviously everyone gets up in the morning and goes off to work and she is still alone.

I've been extremely lucky and feel very fortunate to have Matt and a great team at Warble who have really eased the pressure at work which has allowed me to have time off in the days with my Mum but still, she has to spend a lot of time fending for herself.

Whilst she remains a tower of strength and positivity, it's really hard to always keep it up when it's so constant. Although the intense fatigue wears after the first week, it still leaves her feeling really tired and groggy for the next two before she starts all over again. It's not just the fatigue either -I won't go in to too much detail here but the chemo can really mess with your... shall we call it disposal system, to the point where my Mum is in absolute agony and screaming in pain.

I don't want this post to be too morbid, I just want to try as best I can to give a real account of what it's like to go through chemo and hopefully to make people think a little more about Cancer, what causes it and what they can do to stop it happening to them.

I took my Mum to Queens park on Thursday for a picnic in the sun to cheer her up after a horrid few days of being stuck in bed or on the sofa. I'm pleased to say it worked and she was so happy she even hugged a tree! :o) While we were there we chatted about getting cancer and preventing cancer etc and she admitted that even though we have a family history of cancer and breast cancer in particular she thought that because she knew someone down the road that went through it recently that she thought the odds were that it wouldn't happen to her. It sounds silly but it actually makes sense and I can understand her thinking.

The truth is 1 in 3 people will get cancer - so if you have 3 or more people living in your house as it stands one of you will get it. On the radio today it stated that by 2020 47% of the UK population will get cancer. This is crazy and scared me a lot. Although to be fair - seeing what my Mum is going through has already scared the crap out of me. I am terrified, which is why I am doing everything I can to make the necessary changes to my diet and lifestyle as this is one of the biggest factors of causing cancer.

The biggest changes we've made so far is definitely the juicing - we're still on a minimum of two juices a day and really feeling the positive effects in our body, skin and energy... and also mind. We're also 95% vegan. All of our meals at home are vegan, the only time we tend to slip up is when we eat out. We're also drinking much less alcohol and exercising more and we feel brilliant because of it.

I love the fact a lot of our family and friends have bought juicers and are thinking a little bit more about what they eat and how it effects them.

I also love my Mum so I will carry on doing everything I can to help her through this crappy time, make her as happy as possible and make sure she is healthy so she never has to go through anything like this again.

Whilst we're on the subject, something else I love is my life - I really appreciate everything I have and all the people in it and so I would like to make it last as long as possible... x

Avocados rock!

I love avocados and so does my Mum which is pretty handy because they are so healthy. They have over 20 vitamins and minerals in them - a true super food! Yes, they are high in fat but it's mostly monounsaturated fat which is good for you. Its is a nutrient booster which helps enable the body to absorb cancer-fighting nutrients - from carrots for example. It's also great for your skin, helps regulate blood pressure and guard from heart disease and strokes as well as aiding digestion and helping the body to flush out toxins.

You can find lots of information about why avocados are good for you on the internet... just in case you don't believe me! :o)

So, we've been eating lots of avocados over the last few months - they are especially great for my Mum when she's feeling too ill from the chemo and doesn't feel like eating much and she'll normally just have it on a crisp bread.

I've included some of the recipes we've been using below:

Chocolate Paleo Pudding with Coconut Whip - provided by Soph and is an amazing vegan desert and I could eat it all day long!!

Ingredients2 ripe avocado
2 ripe banana
4 medjool dates, pits removed
1/2 cup cacao powder
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Instructions
Place all ingredients into a bowl or food processor. mix until all ingredients are smooth.
Transfer to bowls of choice and refrigerate for 15 -20 minutes before serving.

Coconut Whip Cream topping
Ingredients1 can coconut milk  (full fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon maple syrup

InstructionsPlace canned coconut milk in refrigerator overnight.
Open can without shaking or turning upside down. Carefully spoon out the top layer of thick coconut cream that has gathered at the top and add to a mixing bowl. Leave the white liquid part at the bottom in the can.
Add maple syrup and vanilla extract to the cream and any additional choice of flavouring.
Whip the coconut milk with hand mixer until creamy and you have thick whipped peaks.
Add to your Chocolate Paleo Pudding. It can also be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Skin Deep Smoothie - from The Juice Master
- Helps improve skin tone, elasticity and many skin conditions...
Ingredients1/2 avocado
6 brazil nuts
1/4 cucumber
1/4 stick celery
4 large apples
ice cubes

InstructionsAdd avocado, brazil nuts and ice to the blender. Juice the rest then add to the blender and blend until smooth.

Vegan Protein Power Smoothie - Another Juice Master recipe
This smoothie includes all of the essential amino acids, natural sugars, fibre, vitamins A, B, B6, C and E, riboflavin, iron, calcium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, boron, niacin, magnesium, folic acid and carotenes... not bad for a little smoothie with no animal products!

Ingredients1/4 small pineapple
2 apples
1/2 ripe avocado
1 medium banana
ice cubes

Instructionsjuice pineapple and apples, add to blender with avocado and banana and ice. Blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

If you have any avocado recipes you'd like to share, send them over and we'll give them a go. x

Cancer Cattle Market

In the beginning, way back in January when my Mum was first diagnosed with breast cancer I was totally dreading the rest of this year and everything that lay ahead. There seemed so much to do, get our heads around and so much uncertainty, but what I wasn't expecting was that I was going to be having so much fun in between it all and discover just what an amazing, inspirational and strong lady my Mum is.

Yes, we've had lots of hospital appointments, worry, stress and Mum has had a lot of horrible things to deal with - alongside the physical pain of the Mastectomy and removal of the Lymph Nodes there's also the emotional side of coming to terms with everything that's happening and the changes to her life and body. But, we've also laughed, talked, shopped, cooked, juiced and enjoyed spending time together more in the last 4 months than we've ever done. It is a shame that it takes an illness to bring these things about but that's just the way it is and so I'm really grateful to have been given this opportunity - we've been able to take away more positives than negatives from every step.

One of the biggest hurdles in this journey after the Mastectomy was the chemo. We'd heard and read so many horror stories about what it does to people that we were all really apprehensive. We dealt with it by being as prepared as possible and this started with wig shopping. Which again, was actually lots of fun. Sitting in front of a mirror seemed to be the hardest part to start with for my Mum - this is because of low self esteem I guess - something that has always been there even before the Cancer but also something that she is overcoming since the cancer... yet another positive from such a crappy situation. Anyway, after LOTS of different colours and styles we found the one and she looked absolutely amazing in it... little did we know at the time that she actually wouldn't be needing it as much as she thought she would! :o)

So wig and head scarves at the ready and a carrot and ginger juice prepared (ginger helps with nausea
and my Mum gets car sick) we headed off for our first trip to The Christie in Manchester. This was on Thursday 18th April and this appointment was just for the blood tests, she would have to go back again the next day for the actual chemo treatment. We arrived and parked fine but when we walked into the centre and saw the big waiting room jam packed full of cancer patients waiting for chemo treatment it absolutely floored both of us... it was like a Cancer Cattle Market. The sheer scale of the amount of people - all at different stages of their treatment with wigs, bald heads, scarves, pale faces - it just seemed so daunting. We waited for 20 minutes in the queue just to sign in and we did this in silence - we quite literally couldn't find the words. I know cancer is huge - 1 in 3 people will get it but what I don't understand is why people (including us) think it will never happen to them or people they know? Why people don't listen to the advice on not to smoke, drink too much, exercise, have a healthy diet? I'm pretty sure that if they took a visit to The Christie or anywhere like it or witnessed someone they loved go through this they would take note, listen and make the necessary changes.

Anyway, we actually didn't have to wait too long in the end and everyone we came into contact with at the centre was so friendly, helpful and informative. They didn't treat my Mum like just another patient, they were compassionate and understanding which I was totally in awe of considering how many people they treat on a daily basis. We left feeling a little lighter than when we entered although obviously the actually treatment and the side effects was still playing heavily on my Mum's mind.

My Dad took Mum for the treatment the next day and as far as receiving the treatment which was via a drip it was pretty simple and straight forward and again the nurse administering it for my Mum was really lovely. So far so good. The next day a nurse went round to Mums to inject her with something to boost the white blood cells and again, all seemed to be going really well.

On the Sunday the chemo kicked in and it left my Mum pretty much bed bound until the Friday. It completely zapped any colour, strength, energy from her. Although she wasn't physically sick that often, she said the feeling and the retching was always there. She was in so much pain whenever she tried to eat or drink anything that in the end I took her to the doctors who sent her immediately to the hospital for a chest X-ray. Even getting out of the house was a massive effort. She couldn't lift her handbag or open a door - it was so horrible to see her like that but the doctors and hospital were brilliant and we were in and out in no time at all and she actually seemed brighter for the trip out. The chest X-ray came back clear and by the Saturday Mum had perked up enough to go out for lunch with Dad and has been feeling better and stronger on a daily basis since. So much so that this week she decided to take the plunge and have her head shaved - one thing she could control rather than waiting to find it falling out on her pillow... next stop - new, confident, bald Mum!

soups you!

I found a new toy and I love it! My new soup maker - it's the most rock n roll piece of kitchen equipment I have ever owned. You can make soup in it (surprise surprise as it's called a soup maker!) - chop the stuff, put it in, cook it then blend it all in one jar - brilliant! It saves on washing up which is a massive bonus as I already make a ridiculous amount of mess when I'm in the kitchen. It also works as a blender  / smoothie make too... it's a complete miracle!

So I went a bit soup mad last week. The Pea and mint soup was a revelation as it's pretty much just pea and mint...easy! I also made carrot and coriander and tomato and basil and they all rocked... even if I do say so myself.

Here's the pea and mint recipe just to prove how simple it is:

Ingredients
250g frozen peas
450ml hot vegetable stock
handful of fresh mint roughly chopped
salt and pepper

Method
1. Put the peas in the soup- maker (or pan or blender), pour over hot veg stock and leave for 5 minutes.
2. Add the mint and salt and pepper then whizz.
3. serve, eat and enjoy! :o)

With the soup maker Matt and I decided to have a bit of a detox last week to clear out our system and hopefully loose a few pounds and it was surprisingly easy. We had a juice for breakfast and lunch then soup for tea and we both lost 4 pounds.

Although, like I've said before, we are both Vegetarian and wannabe Vegans, all the research into diet and health for my Mum has really spurred us to be as Vegan as possible and so far it's actually proving to be really quite easy and we feel so much better because of it.

Also with Mum starting her chemo, the advice is to cut out some dairy products - mainly soft cheese - similar to a pregnancy diet and I want to make sure she never has to go through this crap again and make the chemo worthwhile... so we're stepping up the healthy eating and diet. More recipes coming up! :o)