I’ve officially been 90% vegetarian and 75% vegan for about 3 weeks now! It has taken me over a year to get to the point where I’m comfortable in cooking this way and planning my meals / snacks out.  As all you vegans/vegetarians know there is no such thing as fast food for us!  Reading The China Study is really the reason I’m trying to go 99.99% vegan, but as always there are battles in there.  My main battle right now is just trying to figure out what to eat, as I can’t eat soy.  So ALL (rather 80%) of vegan alternative food (cheese, yogurt etc) are out of question for me.  I’m grappling with the concept of eating a cup of greek yogurt a day, but also want to see aka “feel” what the difference is for my body.  Already being meat and dairy free most of the time has me much more alert, feeling lighter (even thought I have no clue my before/current weight) and I have almost 0 stomach aches now YAY!

For those considering a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle my suggestions:

Be steadfast in your reasons, they will be questioned even by those that love you dearly (Read: The China Study, Watch: Forks Over Knives, Vegucation)

Transition sloooooooowly (no crash veganing allowed!)

You must have a support group (husband, children, someone that understands and doesn’t ask “what do you eat then”)

Be prepared to feel SO MUCH HEALTHIER and more in control of your effects on your body and your effects on the earth!

Commit to a life-change, not a fad-diet.  

Make it work for you (note-my daily cup of yogurt, cheese every once-n-awhile and cow milk with my coffee from the coffee shop once a week) and don’t feel guilty that you are not 100%, if you choose to go that route.

For those of you asking why? And What do you eat?….?  More to come soon!  My family tested my steadfastness recently, so I now know I’m ready for a good debate and thoroughly know many studies from dairy farm scientists that support a plant based, whole food diet!

So, now that Im over what WILL be the biggest hurdle of my life (positive thinking here people), Im off to my life cleanse! The first step was prompted when I found out I should really REALLY avoid soy …. insert sad face here! We used to drink soy milk like babies and were on the way to the vegan lifestyle, but finding healthy soy alternatives has proven challenging.

What has been my saving grace? Whole Foods, which for all of you who are not blessed with the amazing grocery store its like an upgraded Wegmans! WF doesn’t accept any product with preservatives, or ‘bad’ for you chemicals like sulfates! Therefor, searching for these non-soy based alternatives has been so much easier!

The other thing that’s come in handy in my way to living a purer life is my phone. I google search items all the time in the store. The other day my son tried an “all natural” mini hot dog (not at Whole Foods). I mentioned the nitrate as an additive and the sales person said the dogs don’t have nitrates….hmmmmm. Then when he saw the ingredient he played it off “it’s just salt, its not the BAD nitrate”….hmmmmm. So my “I dont want to cause an disturbance in the middle of the grocery store AND in front of my son” threw the minis in the cart. Right before checkout, we googled ‘sodium nitrate’…..the first article “…shown to lead to an overwhelming increase in cancers” then next article similar, the next, the same. So the minis went back and I wanted to go back to the man for some education, but time was of an essence.

After a minor melt down from the lil man that wanted pigs in a blanket he saw brie cheese and the frown was turned upside down (who thought I’d develop a gourmet cheese addict out of this process?)

The brie was delicious and the fact that we had mostly ‘clean’ foods for the week was delightful for my soul!

Great organization! The only org that fully supported me and my family through treatment with someone to talk with, insurance information and a grant to help pay for costs!

So, Im having a fundraiser! Go to pamperedchef.biz/tamarab type in Tamara Button for the hosts name and 25% of sales go to the Cancer Society!!!!

Rather donate to ACS? Google American Cancer Society Donations and click the first link. Let me know how much you donated please, my goal is $1,000!!!!

Sincere apologies for the huge delay in posting! I’ve been focusing on getting back to feeling like me, drawing inward, cleaning out etc. I’ve attacked my diet and returned it to pre-cancer state by donating the comfort and convince foods that simplified life during treatment. I also returned to all natural products….paraben, soy (my type of tumor is fueled by soy) etc free! Its such a relief to be “clean” again and know I am only fueling myself and my family with preservative free, amazing food.

Next on the list? Getting in the best shape of my life for my 30th birthday!

Getting back to feeling like me!

Martin protest #justice

It has been awhile and honestly I have no good excuse other than I’ve been ENJOYING LIFE!!!!  My last treatment was an Valentines Day (what a great day to remember each year :)!  Everything went without any un-forseen side-effects which is fabulous!  My skin got very, very red in the treatment area and is now peeling off.  In some areas my skin was so affected that it turned dark, dark brown.  It was very tight and painful at times, but I kept applying Aquaphor like a champ.  I wrote Aquaphor regarding donations/supporting radiation patients as I went through over $60 of lotion just during treatment but still have had no answer.  I’ll let you know if I do hear from them.

Since Valentines Day I have been trying to figure out how to carve my future.  I started my own business as an Independent Consultant for a kitchenware company and that is going very well.  However, in the mean time of growing my business to full time pay I’m analyzing what to do with the rest of my free time.  Today I applied for a few jobs that are all over the spectrum of my experience including blogging, being a personal assistant and a literacy coach.  I need something that is fulfilling both spiritually and financially.  Nothing much, just kindness from co-workers, a sense of giving back and a simple salary — both of which are low requirements for me “Ms. I was the Director of a annual 1 Million Dollar Government Program, at an Ivy League College”.  I’ve always set high expectations in my life, but this experience has taught me to grow in the path that I’m creating, learn from every moment, improve and analyze constantly.  Whatever else I choose to add only needs to fill those simple requirements - feed the soul, feed the wallet just enough to pay the bills and take a few road trips.  Maybe it was the cancer that taught me this, or maybe it just a spring awakening?  Either way, I’m enjoying being stress free, enjoying my family, taking road trips with my husband, son and puppy and spending more quality time with family.  So thank you awakening, thank you!

I have officially had 5 radiation treatments! That means 4 more weeks or 20 sessions left. So far its going very well, my only side effect is a feeling like I’ve been in the sun too long, which I feel during the actual treatment, mild nausea after and being a bit more tired. But what mother isn’t tired?

I have an fantastic radiation team that range the spectrum from young to old(er), single mother, family dad, grandmother etc. So, almost anyone can feel like they are part of the extended family while at treatment.

When I get to the treatment center I change while they change the machine to my measurements. Everything from how my forearm is positioned to how my hips are angled and where my but goes is all pre calculated! After Im positioned they put a gel like paper on my breast area, tape it down and cover me with a sheet. Its cold in there! They the 1foot thick door closes and they watch me on a camera. A machineto is over my chest, about 6 inches away and it adjusts all around the right side of my chest all the way from the my back to the chest bone throughout treatment. Im getting a new type of radiation where its concentrated so parts inside the machine move, which I can see, to change the area of concentration.

So far I’ve calculated that each session is about 16, 10 second does of radiation to different parts of the breast area. During one session I learned that people with blood cancer have to have a special harness made because they get 10-15 minutes of continuous radiation, eventually passing out. Im so thankfully this isn’t me, Im not sure I can handle it. My sincere respect goes out to people who endure these treatments, you are true warriors!

Twenty more treatments to go, Ill keep you posted!

PET scan results are in, drumrolllllll please….I am CANCER FREE!!!! The PET scan came back with no highlighted areas and the two tumors under my breastbone are GONE! Most likely still doing radiation, but that’s to be decided still. Great news!