Those Words You Don't Ever Expect to Hear

Hello my blog friends - today's post is a little different than my normal run of the mill fitness / clean eating / Beachbody post. I am writing this blog post because the next few weeks will be a little tough, I may be a little tired, and a little bit not my normal self and I felt like I should share why - I want to share my story and I just felt this was the best way to let family and friends in on what is going on and keep whoever wanted to know in the loop and updated.

These words have been my motto over the past week especially:

A Little Background

Earlier this year in April, I went in for my yearly check-up with my doctor, she is awesome, amazing and takes care of everything for me from my diabetes to my lady issues. I was so lucky to find an MD like her (she actually spends time with me and talks to me about everything instead of rushing out of the room quickly, as I have experienced in the past). So I had my check-up and that was that, she said she would call me if she had to discuss any results. A few days passed and then my phone rang "Dr. Robinson" popped up on the screen. I thought one thing, "Uh oh, my HbA1C must be high" - and that is exactly what I said to her when I answered. She said nope, that test was perfect. I need to talk to you about your pap, it came back abnormal... what is called cervical cell dysplasia.  I had been down this road twice before, once in 2000, and another time in 2003.  So I was used to the treatment. I went in in May to "take care of" the abnormal cells, and scheduled my follow up in June.
At my follow up they showed no improvement in abnormal cells, and since I was moving out to Crested Butte, the referred me to a doctor closer to my new home.

So I had visited my new doctor, who is equally as awesome (and is a total yogi/Pilates girl too!) and she ran some tests and did a biopsy and an ultrasound. The results did not come out great. They asked me to come in for the results.  I went in on a Thursday. The 17th of September. I just knew, when they asked me to come in that the results were not going to be great, but I think I was still totally in denial.

Then they said the words that no one ever expects to hear. "You have Stage 1 Cervial Cancer. You are lucky, you are proactive about your health and we believe this is going to be very treatable."  I don't care who you are or how proactive you are or how early it is caught, "lucky" and "cancer" do not belong in the same sentence. Like EVER.

So after meeting with my team, we set out a treatment plan to be initialized on the 19th of October... Then I got the flu. Bad. So they pushed back my first treatment by a week.

The Plan

• Cold Knife Cone Biopsy to remove the cancerous cells. Since it was caught so early it is only in my cervix, it has not spread at all, so they will remove a large portion of tissue, examine that tissue to make sure there are no cancerous cells in the outlining tissue they removed. If there is not any then that will be that for surgery. If there is then we may talk about a total hysterectomy. (I really really do not want to go that route, but we'll do what we have to do to keep me healthy.)
• 3 rounds of high- dose radiation each one week apart from each other. 
• Cannabis Oil 
• No Chemo is needed! Yay! 
• They said my nutrition is THE BEST they have seen in a long time! (Thank you Shakeology and Autumn Calabrese!!)

So I had my surgery and the first round of radiation on Monday. All in all I am doing OK, I am really tired, and had a few unpleasant side effects all of Monday into Tuesday morning, but am feeling much better as of today. 

My family and friends who already know have been completely supportive. I am so lucky to have a great team behind me. Brody has been great too, telling me I need "the hydration" and getting me anything I need. Corey is also wonderful and has been cleaning the house, doing the dishes, cooking dinner, keeping the fire stoked, and all of this while working 8am - 11pm every day.   

I will come back and update often and I am totally open to any and all questions you have. 

<3 Leanne 

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Yep, I have Type 1 Diabetes.... Here is What You Should Know and Why Shakeology and Beachbody Helped me!

I am a Type 1 diabetic and I want you to know a few things about me as a diabetic and as a faithful Shakeology drinker. It has changed my life as a diabetic and all I want to do is reach others with T1D and help them too!!

Here are some facts about Type 1 first and foremost: 

1. Diabetics try their best to live the most normal life possible. We can do anything anyone else can. We are in a lifelong struggle to define themselves in any other way but diabetic.

2. People with Type 1 Diabetes can’t make Insulin. Insulin, in people without diabetes, is a hormone made in the pancreas. It allows glucose in the bloodstream to be converted for use in the body as energy.

3. Excess glucose in the bloodstream damages body systems and is the root of diabetic complications. Having too much, or too little glucose in the blood is dangerous and can ultimately cause death. Keeping blood glucose levels within normal levels is the ultimate goal of people with diabetes but can be affected by food, exercise, illness, stress, and a whole bunch of other annoying, unpredictable events.  

4. They are not allergic to sugar. They balance what they eat by testing their blood glucose levels and taking insulin through injections. Yes, injections and finger pricks often hurt at first but we get used to it. 

5. Type 1 Diabetes is occurs when the Islets of Langerhans (insulin-producing cells in the pancreas) are attacked by the body.

6. Nobody understands why their bodies attack themselves. They did not get diabetes from their mothers who gained too much weight during pregnancy, from eating too much sugar, from exercising infrequently or from any other known reason. Please be careful not to confuse Type 1 with Type 2 Diabetes. People with Type 1 cannot exercise away their diabetes or eat better to "cure" it. 

7. We hate it when you offer the rest of the room cake and tell them they can’t have it and offer them a diet coke instead. They know you mean well, but you make them feel alienated and inherently different. Let them refuse cake if they want to, and let them eat cake if we choose. We know more than you about what we’re living with.

8. There is no such thing as ‘having diabetes really bad’. People with Diabetes choose to take care of themselves or not, or somewhere in between. Your uncle who ‘had diabetes so bad’ chose not to take care of himself and he lost his leg or went blind as a result. That being said, even the most tightly controlled diabetes reduces life span.

9. The cost of living INSURED with type 1- for me- is anywhere between 50-150 a month. (A few months ago it was 225 a month) The cost of living uninsured with diabetes can easily be 400 dollars per month or more.

10.  Preventative healthcare and education are the ideal weapons in the fight against diabetes. 

Here's what I can tell you about being on Shakeology and having Type 1 Diabetes:

1.  Since starting Shakeology my HgbA1C level has consistently been in the 5-6 range. Before using Shakeology it was in the 9-12 range. 

2.  Since exercising daily and drinking my shakes daily I have more control over my blood sugars and see less spikes in glucose levels. 

3. My LDL (bad Cholesterol) is at 110 and my HDL (good Cholesterol) is 50. 

4. I do not get sick as often at all. Being a diabetic, this is extremely important - most times when I get sick, I get really sick and a simple cold can turn into an upper respiratory infection or pneumonia. 

5. It is low on the Glycemic Index: Which means that carbs enter the blood stream at a lower rate than foods higher on the GI.  This keeps blood sugar levels steady and allow us to use those carbs as energy more easily. Any number under 55 is considered low - Shakeology is at 24.  

Low GI diets help people loose and manage weight.

Low GI diets can increase the body's sensitivity to insulin.

Low GI carbs help improve diabetes management. 

The reduce hunger and prolong physical endurance. 

Here is an old video I did while raising money for Tour De Cure in 2008 to educate people on Type 1 diabetes. Forgive me... this was 7 years ago. 

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Get a Little More Sleep in Your Life

Wow, I got home from work today - did homework with Brody, fed him dinner, read him a book, put Paw Patrol on ..... and fell asleep for 2 hours! My body was craving some much needed zzzzzz's.  Maybe it is the fact that my new workout has me so sore I have trouble getting comfy, maybe because I am studying a lot these days, or maybe it is because I have a hard time sleeping when Corey is gone, but whatever it is I have got to start trying harder to get in my 8 hours. I know I am not the only one. So today, a little branch off from fitness posting, to tell you why sleep is a major necessity!

First there is an increased risk For Depression And Anxiety: People who are consistently sleep deprived experience greater difficulty regulating their mood, increasing the risk for depression and anxiety. It’s not always clear what triggers what--in some cases insomnia is a symptom of depression, while in others, it is one of the contributing factors. What the research is clear about, however, is that chronic sleep deprivation significantly aggravates your ability to get and stay happy. Interestingly, even if you aren’t experiencing depression, researchers have found that the signs of being sleep deprived (such as a drawn face, colorless or dull skin, and under-eye bags) make you appear depressed to others. I know that is not the way I want to be perceived!

 I left my keys, where...?!?
Part of the process of making a memory last a lifetime happens when we are sleeping. If you aren’t getting in enough hours, your memory starts to suffer. But I don’t have to tell you that. You already know that when you have more hours awake than sleeping, you misplace your keys, forget to meet your friend for dinner, and wander around the grocery store aimlessly, unsure of what it was you thought you desperately needed.

 My skin could use a lift!
 In addition to feeling not-so-cute because of the under-eye bags, chronic sleep deprivation also manifests itself on your skin as acne, lines, and dullness. Not getting enough sleep interrupts your body’s regenerating abilities, resulting in less collagen production and compromising your skin’s elasticity. In other words, if you aren’t getting enough sleep, you might start looking your age (and then some) at an accelerated rate. Additionally, when your body’s ability to regenerate is interrupted, you can either develop or see a worsening of conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and any skin-related allergies.

 Say good-bye to a lot of hair :( 
I’m already dealing with hair loss due to my Type 1 Diabetes,  But having your hair fall out in chunks or thin suddenly also indicates bodily stress--and ongoing sleep deprivation is immensely taxing on your system.

You may wake up with a tummy-ache
 The number-one sign for me of a really poor night’s sleep is a huge, relentless stomach ache in the morning. Sleeping resets the gut, and without this break, your digestive system can end up seriously angry.

You may get to see your Dentist more regularly
 It turns out that part of nodding off gently for most of us involves some gnashing and clenching of our teeth. It’s only when we enter a REM cycle that our jaw relaxes and we cool it with the teeth grinding. But if you’re not staying asleep long enough to progress to REM, you are experiencing higher amounts of dental stress. Lack of sleep can be a contributing factor to your pearly whites degrading or your TMJ flaring up.

So, What Can You Do About It?
 Whether you’re an insomniac or life circumstances don’t permit you much time for rest, even the best sleep hygiene won’t always work. I’ve learned the best thing I can do is not stress over it. You will sleep eventually. In the meantime, rest when you can, drink lots of water, do some yoga or Pilates, and some deep breathing techniques.

 Good luck and goodnight!

 www.beachbodycoach.com/leannemarie1081

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