Keep Calm & Carry On!

I am happy to finally get to play in one of the SCS Hope You Can Cling To challenges this month!  Way back when I was a physical therapy intern, I did one of my rotations at M.D. Anderson, so this cause is one that is near and dear to my heart, especially since my mom had her mastectomy last year.

My card is for Joyce's "Subway Art with Heart" challenge.  This Flourishes stamp set was a good fit for it.  Lately I can really relate to the sentiment, "Keep Calm and Carry On!"

Notes:
Flourishes "Just My Type" stamp set
Wplus9 "Damask Delight" background stamp
Memento Tuxedo Black, Angel Pink inks
pink tinsel-edged ribbon
a button from my stash
sparkly black twine
bling

Of course, since Mom's surgery, I've been particularly conscious of the need to do my monthly breast exam, and also my annual mammogram.  It was a scary thing to find a lump at the beginning of this month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  It took a whole lot of "Keep Calm and Carry On" to not run with that fear and let negative thoughts take hold...after a couple of weeks of extra doctor appointments, mammograms, and an ultrasound, I got the all clear.

One of the positive things during all of that was the praise I received from my nurse practitioner for my progress on my gluten-free journey.  I had not seen her since my annual physical in March, shortly after I went completely gluten-, dairy-, soy-, corn-, and refined-sugar-free, about three weeks after I had injured my gastrocnemius muscle.  She was really impressed that I've lost a total of almost 50 pounds, all through lifestyle modifications alone. In fact, she was even able to half the dosage on one of my medications!  It tickled me when she told me that if I weren't blogging about my journey, I should be!  Well, here we are!

I'm very grateful for her encouragement, and for my Functional Medicine doctor who has been advising me along the way.  I am still having reactions to an as-of-yet-unidentified  food trigger, so he has instructed me to further modify my diet by removing "nightshades,"  which includes tomatoes, potatoes, paprika, chili powder, and peppers, including cayenne...thankfully peppercorns are still on the menu!  At this point it is rather like hunting for a needle in a haystack, especially since sensitivity responses (unlike full-blown allergies) are a delayed reaction (usually extreme fatigue, headaches, facial swelling, and sinusitis).  Our next step is to do some food sensitivity testing so that I can get the remaining offending foods out of my diet and allow my digestive system to heal, which will in turn boost my immune system.  I feel so much better already, but I'm looking forward to feeling really healthy!

Thanks for visiting, and for reading about what Life's been like lately!  Blessings to you!