What Cancer Cannot Do

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The world lost a fighter on Sunday.

That fighter’s name was Jen Young, or JY, as she’s known.  She was a member of Crossfit Altitude, the gym I’ve been a part of for more than five years; if you know anything about CrossFit, you’ll know that we’re a tight-knit bunch.  And while JY and I weren’t close friends, I have certainly admired the battle she’s waged over the past year and a half.  In her case, the cancer began as cervical cancer and metastasized to her liver.  She was 31 years old.

I’ve written about her a couple of times here and there, but now I’m going to share her education and advice, in her own remarkable, touching, transparently honest words, courtesy of her blog ‘From Potato to Paleo.’

How she was initially diagnosed:

“One of the first things people seem to ask me is how I found out. Since cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and can often be detected earlier than most, I don’t mind sharing. In May I went for my regular annual physical, and the doctor did not see anything abnormal. I did not get a pap at this time, because paps are only every 3 years now and I had had a normal one the year before. In principle, I am very much against this change in policy, but my particular cancer tends not to show up in paps in the pre-cancerous “abnormal cell” stage like many others do, so it likely would not have made a difference in my case. In June/July I noticed bleeding outside of my cycle that seemed different. I went to the doctor again in August and asked for a pap and exam. She could see the tumor, and sent me to the gynocologist right away for a biopsy. The gynocologist took one, but was convinced it was just a fibroid given its rapid appearance; most cervical cancers grow much more slowly than my mutant variety (aren’t I just the overachiever). Obviously she was incorrect, although I’m not in the least bit upset with her. I would rather have spent that week believing it was no big deal than all stressed about it waiting for results.”

Her take on fear and inspiration:

“I’m not inspiring. I’m just terrified, and too proud to show it…. That said, you needn’t feel bad every time you talk to me about some aspect of life, yours or mine, that is not cancer related. Just because you didn’t feel terrified at any point today doesn’t mean that you don’t have problems. Having cancer didn’t make me suddenly immune to “ordinary” problems. I still get unreasonably angry at old people in parking lots and irritable with poor customer service. Problems are relative in the life experience, and I am not judging yours.”

Her advice:

“1.  Smile more”.

“1b.  Do things that make other people smile”.

“2.  Pay attention”.

“3.  Trust the universe”.

lts-logoJY also co-founded the Love the Snatch Foundation while fighting her courageous battle.  LtS goals include fundraising, cervical cancer awareness, open conversation, and promoting/supporting wellness through health and fitness.  If you’re inclined and able, please consider donating here.

Lastly, have a read of this image that’s been floating around the internet.  “It cannot conquer the spirit“.

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RIP JY.

Who’s With Me?

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For me, Spring is like the New Year.

It’s a chance to push the reset button, get a fresh start, open a new page, improve.  A new beginning.  And with the dramatic entrance of May warmth and sunshine this past weekend, I noticed many people out and about who obviously felt the same.  Around this time of year, I get the itch to get outside, and my internal ambition ramps back up.

And so, this post is my intent to share my health goals with you, in the hopes that you might take an inward look and apply some self-improvement strategies in your life as well.  There’s strength in numbers, and our success rate increases if we do it together…..

Here are my nutrition and fitness goals for the coming months:

NUTRITION:

I’m on Day 5 of my first Whole30 program, which I’ve pledged to do May 1st-30th.  It took me a long time to commit to this: 30 days of no sugar, no grains, no dairy, no legumes, and no alcohol.  I have been hearing the Whole30 buzz, seeing the NY Times Bestsellers List, and even witnessing first-hand accounts of friends who look and feel incredible, but I was hesitant.  I need to be fully committed to nutritional changes or I end up starving and miserable.  My husband will agree that starving and miserable is not the ideal me, and with two Whole Life Challenges and a 14-day detox under my belt in the past year, I wasn’t certain that I had the internal drive to see this one through.  But since my energy levels are low and my sugar cravings are high as of late, I made the commitment, and I’m so glad I did.  I’m already feeling better, less than a week in.  If this intrigues you and you’d like to join our Facebook Group, please let me know; we’re a growing group of support, recipe-sharing, and information.

FITNESS:

I need competition.  If I don’t have a goal in mind, my enjoyment of fitness dramatically drops.  That’s why running clubs and CrossFit gyms are a good fit for me.

-June 6- Moon in June 10K

-July 1- Canada Day 5K

-July 11- UG series Beach Wod

-August 15- 18km Iroquoia Trail Test

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I’ll say it again, who’s with me?

Helping you to Heal Faster

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Healing takes time.

Wellness takes time.

Back-to-normal takes time.

Pain is often the last indicator that something is wrong, so by the time you’re feeling sore, your body has already been in injury mode for awhile.

I view my role as helping you to heal faster.  Our bodies are smart, they know what to do to fix themselves, and I don’t claim to know any better; however, it’s my job to nudge things along.  But here’s the deal- you need to play your part and keep your end of the bargain.  Let’s do the math: even if you’re in my office three times per week (which is on the very high side of normal for an injury) you are receiving 1.5 hours of treatment in a 168-hour week.  This means you’re only spending 0.8% of your time with me, and 99.2% of your time without.

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I often tell my patients that the more they do at home, the less time they’ll need to spend at the clinic.  YOU are the most important person in your recovery.  From rehab exercises to nutritional changes to activity modification, the decisions you make in the 166.5 hours/week outside the clinic are going to greatly speed or slow your progress.

A few years ago, I wrote a post called ‘I Am a Chiropractor’ that tried to explain what it is that I actually do during the day-ins and day-outs of my practice.  That post was well received by my colleagues and patients alike, and is still my most-read blog post to date.  Today’s post is another attempt at explaining where my priorities as a healthcare professional lie.

I want you to be an active participant in your recovery.

I want to help you heal faster.

We’re in this together.

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