CHALLENGE: ACCEPTED!
Hey Everyone, Some of you may know but my cousin recently beat breast cancer. She fought and continues to fight everyday becoming stronger and healthier. She started Crossfit in Unity, SK. and is truly an inspiration. They did a WOD to raise money for breast cancer research and to raise awareness. She challenged 306 to do the same. The challenge = 100 rounds in 1 hour of: 1 Handstand Push up, 2 Front Squats 95/65 and 3 burpees. We will be running the WOD on Saturday, November 01st at 11:00am. We will run it as a partner WOD unless you want to try it solo - Jason will be taking the challenge solo. As always, we can scale to your ability. There will be a donation box at the front all week. Here is my cousin, Anita's story...
Good evening,
My name is Anita Oborowsky and before I share my personal encounter with Cancer I would like to share a few things I have learned along the way.
Cancer loves sugar
We as young women, and women of more experienced age have hormones that are not always at the correct levels. When our hormones are out of whack real health issues can come knocking.
Women are usually their own worst enemy, we either listen to our body or we ignore it. We tend to make the excuse we are too busy, or we are scared of what we might find, or we are too busy taking care of our world around us.
When we start menstruating or begin the premenopausal stages in life, we need to pay more attention to what we do, what we eat, how much sleep we get, how we handle stress, and remembering to exercise.
During these years that lead us too the menopause phase of life our hormones can work for you, or against you. Talk to you doctors, don’t accept when you’re not feeling good, continue to advocate for yourself.
We as women need to embrace this journey, and we also need to talk to other women too help each other with this time of life. When we all put our symptoms on the table and what can help for you may help someone else.
Checking your breasts faithfully and noting when there is any slight change this is abnormal to you, that you do not ignore it and no matter what your age is if you think you should have a mammogram you make sure you get one. Because I can tell you this Cancer doesn’t care how old you are.
I found a lump 7 years ago on my own and had mammograms every year after
I also learned during these 7 years that if you have dense breasts it is much harder to find any abnormalities, but you must push a lot harder on yourself to get to the bottom of your breast.
When you do your self exam do not forget to check from your neck or collar bone, arm pit, ribcage, just above your belly button area, and of course your breasts. Take note of the shape of your nipples and if there is anything that was never there before get it checked.
So the beginning of 2014 I had noticed itching where my existing lump was, and sometimes after my bath or when I worked out it got warm and seemed to be a little red. So I demanded to have a mammogram and got my mammogram back on January 13, 2014 and it was positive.
I was then to make an appointment with my family doctor which I did immediately. I saw him the next day to discuss the next steps.
I was sent to the Breast Cancer centre in Saskatoon at the City Hospital on January 24, 2014. I had my biopsy and visit with the surgeon they go through your history and discussed a plan if I would have Cancer what was the plan. I said I believe this is Cancer and we are taking both breasts no discussion needed. I also said if it’s not Cancer that’s great, but I have my plan set.
At this point my husband and 3 children were the only ones that were my support cause I did not see the need to involve anyone else.
On February 3, 2014 I was called by the surgeon while I was at work and he told me I had Lobular Cancer and if I still wanted them both removed, I said yes. He asked how soon can I be here and I said yesterday I was ready.
On February 5, 2014 I had my surgery booked for the afternoon. They tell you to come in the a.m. and then you get many x-rays, physiotherapist sees you, they explain where you’re going, then you talk to the anesthesist and she was amazing, and of course talked to the surgeon again. So before they put me to sleep I was joking around a lot and then told the surgeon it time to kick Cancers ass, and that is what we did.I had the most amazing support group, my husband, children, siblings, parents and friends. They were all positive and I would not let negative come into my life so it was a great experience.
I came home February 6, 2014 and was told to get my drains out on February 10, 2014, I was too slowly do stretches and watch for a condition that can happen after Breast Cancer when sentinel nodes or lymph nodes are removed. This condition is called lymphedema which can be in many or all forms: swelling, pain, heaviness of the arms. I had all of the above but again I caught it early and got my compression sleeves fitted.
My Cancer was a hormone sensitive cancer, specifically to the estrogen. I required no treatments; I just have to take tamoxifen for 5-7 years. This is to block the bad estrogen.
So not in order to keep my estrogen levels down I have things I must do- do not eat preservatives, no sugar, no soy- I am doing an extreme fitness program way more challenging then what I was doing before. I am doing Cross fit, and Olympic lifting, it is to help me remove bad estrogen by helping remove fat.
If there is anything you can take from my experience is early detection for anything can save your life. Be your best own advocate, talk to other women it will be surprising how we can help each other.
Remember to be good to yourselves and know that only you can take care of you.
Thank you