AM I DOING THE RIGHT THING?

When I found out about my diagnosis, I met with the doctor and he laid out his recommendation: mastectomy. At least one boob, two if you want to be safer - you pick. He was very matter-of-fact and firm. It seemed so black and white.

It turns out, it's not so black and white, as it is with most things. The question I wanted to answer started with, "How do I get rid of the cancer in my body?" Then my focus shifted towards answering, "What is the best holistic approach to whole health?" As I started finding out more information about the answers to these questions, I realized that the two questions were not separate but very much related.

Truth: you are born with a certain genetic makeup. However, your health of your body and mind are up to you and very much in your control. There is no such thing as pre-disposed death. A holistic approach to whole health incorporates many aspects of how you live your life - from what you eat, the environment you live in, how you deal with stresses in your life, what you share with others, how much you give and receive love, and your attitude towards life. Basically, whether you take the time to take care of yourself.

At this point, although I my holistic approach is currently focused on a non-invasive solution: improving nutritional health, understanding all I can about myself emotionally, applying what I've learned daily, being "empty" (as they say in Chinese) and humble enough to receive what I need to learn, and taking care of myself...I have not ruled out the fact that I may need more invasive measures to get through this. I am still working with UCSF to continue to monitor this, and determine in January whether I will go with the surgery or continue on with my current approach.

Every once in awhile I wonder whether I'm doing the right thing. What I realized during this process and talking to people about their experiences is that the "right decision" is different for each person. The right decision for treatment is the approach you feel comfortable with. For others, it may mean surgery, chemo, or radiation. For me, it means things like boiling Chinese herbs, eating differently, having a few sips of alcohol while I'm out instead of a full drink, and continuing to arm myself with knowledge and perspective. It was not an easy decision for me to forgo popular beliefs in favor of a more natural approach. But as soon as I made that decision, it felt right and every action I've taken since then has been easy. I will continue to learn more, and with that, it may mean that I shift my thinking and shift my approach.

We'll see if it works.

TAKE A LOAD OFF: THE CASE FOR POOP

Since I have made some lifestyle changes in my diet and sleep along with my Chinese herbal treatments, I have really started paying attention to my daily bowel movement. Yes, poop.

A good bowel movement is so underrated. Some people are able to talk about poop, while others find it to be an embarassing topic. I definitely fall into the category of talking about it, particularly with those I feel comfortable with so, friends, watch out when we get to a certain level of friendship! All kidding aside, poop is one of those things that is directly tied to how happy your body is with how you are living your life. It is a big deal.

Good poop is defined as at least one bowel movement a day, in the morning. Long and firm, and should not require too much effort. Should also feel complete. I can hear chuckling. Remember - poop = big deal! What kinds of things help you achieve a nice poop? Here are some things that work for me:

1. For everyone it is different, but generally getting good fiber in your diet helps give the poop structure so that it's not all so soft. It also helps it move along the intestinal tract. If you're not used to eating fiber, ease into it so you don't get gaseous. Find a list of high fiber foods here.
2. Eating foods that don't make you feel bad later, generally. Each of our bodies is designed to digest foods differently, some better than others. Listening to what works and what doesn't will help you have better poop. A friend of mine went years not knowing that she was lactose intolerant. Once she got rid of dairy, bowel movements were great.
3. I've also found a direct correlation between a good amount of sleep and good poop. Giving your body rest time at night so that all the organs can do its thing to create the perfect poop in the morning, then...
4. Giving yourself enough time in the morning to do your thing.
5. Drinking enough water during the day - your body needs water to do pretty much everything. 8-9 cups a day. Camelbak makes a nice 1L (~3-cup) water bottle that makes drinking water almost effortless. Filler up 2-3 times and you're good to go.
6. You may have also noticed that your stress and anxiety levels have a direct correlation with your pooping ability. Finding ways to lessen your stress and anxiety will help you and your poop. Try meditating 10-15 minutes a day, take a yoga class, a bath, go on a run, listen to music, consciously breathe during the day, deeply...whatever it takes for you to take a load off...so that your body can take a load off too. :)
7. Breathe when you eat. Eat slower. Chew your food!

Like I said, a good bowel movement is underrated. Doing good things for your body will yield a good bowel movement. People that have good poop know this: when you have one of these said bowel movements, you will want to jump up with joy and tell someone about it (ok, maybe just a silent fist pump).

If you are just cringing reading this, you feel like poop is still a dirty, dirty subject and you cannot imagine talking about it, you'll find that if you add a little humor to it, it can be so much fun. Keeping it private is ok of course...but don't ignore your poop. Happy pooping is a gateway to good health.

MAXWELL 若谷

We welcomed Maxwell into our family on November 4 at 6:10am!  He has a consciousness about him even with just a few days under his belt. This little man is so cute and makes all kinds of funny faces.

Love him!