Quote of the Day: “”There ain’t no cloud so thick that the sun ain’t shining on t’other side” -Rattlesnake, an 1870s mountain man
So yesterday, I talked a little about “nurture” and “nature” and I wanted to include in today’s blog some information from the article. It’s from the Healthy Living section in Martha Stewart. It says “While genetics is the study of genomes (chromosomes and the DNA they contain, inherited from your parents”, epigenetic is the study of epigenomes, the cellular material that rest on top of genomes, which can be changed over a lifetime… Lifestyle factors, including nutrition and exercise, can in turn “program” that software. So even if you inherit mutated genes that predispose you to a certain type of cancer, for example, developing the disease isn’t necessarily inevitable. Epigenetic programming appears to switch those genes on or off, without fundamentally altering the underlying DNA.” I think this is hopeful information showing us that we do have some control over genetics, but I also know that we don’t live in a perfect world, nor do we understand or have access to perfect nutrition to “switch off the genes”. The part I like best about the article gives hope to future generations. It says “DNA expression can be altered at any age, but the fetus is especially susceptible because these pathways are very active as tissues grow and differentiate”. Nutrition wise the article says: …”the compounds found in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, did the best job of protecting offspring from gene mutation.”
I don’t think I can really express how grateful I am for so many people who have helped me through this experience. I will be forever indebted to the kindnesses of others. It has taught me so much about the value of a heartfelt prayer, card, e-mail, phone call, visit or lunch date. There is a force greater than ourselves, a comforter who conveys the message that someone is worried or concerned about you, or simply knowing that someone hurts because you hurt. It’s this deep human potential for empathy and compassion and I have been blessed to be a recipient. It forges this bond that drives a relationship deeper than that of just a causal friend. I have been trying to put words to it, to understand it, partly, because it has made my life richer but also because I want to make sure that I connect with others on that level. Thanks to Serida and Michele for taking me to lunch, Kathy C. for the delicious brownies, visit from handsome Mike Foss, figurine and sweet note from Becky, and jewelry and charms from Laurie. And for Alex, for walking with me during his lunch hour on this incredibly beautiful day when the sun shines overhead and the light dances on the yellow leaves as they fall gently to the ground.
Today I had a check up with my surgeon who preformed the mastectomy and she checked for scar-tissue and general healing. She is so… positive that I always leave her office with hope. She is so complimentary about how fast I have healed and always attributes it to the fact that I had a healthy lifestyle with eating and exercising before the disease and have tried to keep that going. We talked about this period of time when a patient has done all the treatments and surgeries they’ve recommended and then you’re just left, basically waiting, wondering if the cancer will return, when and where. She said it gets better and I have to remember this quote by Hal Borland “no winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” And even though this time might be filled with occasional fear and dread, there is also this great appreciation for life and hope that health will return, this acknowledgement that each sunrise is a gift.
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