Dearest Lea,
I am so sorry I didn't see this when you first posted it. I think you always have very wise and helpful things to say!
I don't know that I can help with the sleep issue, but I wanted to say "hello" and to give you a big cyber-hug {{{{{{{{{Lea}}}}}}}}}.
You were so kind and helpful to me when I had my cataract surgery a few years ago. I didn't realize that you still had breast cancer now, and I just read about your doctor's prognosis. I am so, so sorry and think you are very brave.
I also have cancer, and had a hysterectomy last year. I still have it, but didn't know it until this past February. My clue that something was wrong was that I couldn't eat, but that has changed significantly and finally I am getting back into the program starting with Step 1, but other parts still seem to be in place (despite everything, I never started eating sugar again, which is a blessing). I am out of chemotherapy for a while, and a lot of the cancer is gone, but I'm not out of the woods yet. I'm just so glad I'm able to eat.
I never could have gotten through this difficult time without the food, and without my RR friends. I notice that you rarely talk about your situation, but are always writing to help others with their program. I think you're wonderful, and I just want to say I'm thinking of you and praying for you. And thank you for all the help you've given me over the years. I wish I could give back to you in some way.
love,
Camille
: Hello friends,
: :-) a big smile to everyone, and a
: hand wave!
: I often feel as though I have nothing
: to say, and that if I saw you (so
: many who post here - and others
: who haven't, in a while, too) I
: would like to smile and wave.
: I'm having trouble with my sleep
: schedule. I may be on the verge of
: having a settling into a good
: pattern, or I hope so, because I
: feel the most frustrated now, than
: I have in a long time. I often
: find I change happens soon after I
: feel a huge awareness and
: frustration!
: Anyway, I was thinking of the food
: program, and how it's about
: changing habits and putting good
: food habits into place, that
: sustains good biochemistry. It's
: this approach I would like to
: follow, with sorting out my sleep
: schedule.
: I've come to realize that I have a
: fairly entrenched schedule. I am
: starting to realize it isn't
: random, and it isn't 'the way I
: would like it to be and then
: suddenly not'.
: A bit of background: I'm 37, in
: treatment for metastatic breast
: cancer (bones, liver). I'm taking
: some pretty powerful drugs to mop
: up the estrogen in my system, so I
: have been hurtled into
: (peri)menopause (and I have had a
: hysterectomy/oophorectomy too...).
: I wake at noon. I go to sleep at 2
: am.
: I would like to wake earlier in the
: morning, so I can make it to
: morning appointments and work -
: although waking at 7 am doesn't
: seem realistic, because I also
: don't want to go to bed before 11
: pm.
: The food:
: I have shake when I wake, each day
: within an hour of waking. A small
: sweet potato, 1 cup frozen
: blueberries, cinnamon, a
: tablespoon olive oil, scoop
: microfiltered whey protein powder
: (27 or 30 grams protein - I weigh
: 130 pounds), multivitamin, vit D,
: calcium, potassium, pycnogenol
: Snack: I have a planned snack at 3 or
: 3:30 pm, with my medication:
: almonds and an apple, or a couple
: pieces of dried fruit and almond
: butter, or steamed broccoli with
: olive oil and a chunk of sliced
: ham
: Supper: 7 or 7:45 pm - I have a
: standard 'supper bowl' with 2 cups
: mixed frozen veggies, about a cup
: of either squash or sweet potato,
: and a portion of meat (roast,
: fish, chicken) for about 25-30
: grams of protein, with a drizzle
: of olive oil over, and half a
: fruit for dessert (pear, apple,
: peach, whatever is in season).
: 9 or 9:30 pm I will grab a handful of
: nuts.
: 11 pm, I eat another meal, 1.5 cups
: frozen veggies, protein meat for
: 21 grams (still my protein amount
: but less because of settling for
: bed), with olive oil drizzled
: over.
: 2 am I'll have 1/4 sweet potato with
: olive oil drizzled over, which
: helps me get to sleep.
: I'm celiac, so that is why no wheat.
: I'm allergic to dairy, but the
: microfiltered whey protein powder
: works for me. I've tried adding
: brown rice, corn, beans and
: lentils and my digestive system
: runs it all out and I feel awful.
: So I don't eat those foods.
: I've been trying to go to sleep a
: little earlier each night, and
: just rest there, but any progress
: I have made, has re-set itself
: back to my original pattern. I've
: tried getting up earlier, and that
: seemed to be working, but then my
: original pattern reset again,
: after being stressed and not
: sleeping, being awake until 5 am
: in the morning. But I still wake
: at noon.
: I guess I am here looking for support
: because I feel SO frustrated at
: not being able to change this.
: It's not as if I need 18 hours of
: sleep - I just need to get the
: sleep at a different timing.
: Comments welcome...
: It's a pleasure to visit with you
: here!
: Pleasantly,
: -Lea