Thursday 30 April 2015

I'll Be Back...

I don't want to be a stick - I want to be strong! Think Sarah Conner in Terminator 2 doing chin ups on the prison bed...OK, maybe without the repeated attempts on my life by some steroid-packing Austrian cyborg. But my point is sticks look sick and I have enough sickness in my life at the moment! (Quick caveat: I know there are people who fight crippling eating disorders and don't choose this look - I hope you get the help you need :)).

That said, I'll thank my Mum for giving me genes that err on the side of slim. I've not had to battle food all my life as I know some poor folk do. And I'll admit to writing this blog with a scrumptious Haigh's chocolate frog in my hand. So this chocolate-loving, bicep-admiring cancer fighter just wants a bit of calm. There's a multi-billion dollar industry selling a plethora of quick fixes when we all know Mars Bars don't grow on trees!

Deep down I think most people know what we should eat but money, time or cocoa get the better of us. But wait Sarah! There's something bigger, better, brighter than logic. An omnipotent force...hope. And that's where they get us:
"Look like (insert celebrity here) with only 10 minutes a day"
"Buy this miracle fat burner"
"Blueberries can cure cancer with our help"

And there it is - they've got me. All I need is blueberries then I'll live to see my son's 21st, my daughter's wedding...well done multi-billion dollar diet & exercise industry you've got me - I'm listening.

Next week I'm going to a diet & supplements qualified doctor (yes a medical doctor who has devoted herself to understanding the true value of food, supplements and naturally induced body chemicals). I have stereo-typical visions of tie dye, free flowing dresses, incense and group hugs but then again cancer doesn't discriminate so neither should I. Perhaps 'deep down' I have no idea what I'm talking about.....will keep you posted!

About Me

I'm Too Busy To...

I hear that expression a lot - I'd love to take up (insert hobby here) if I had the time. Or maybe you've heard "I don't have time to go the gym/cook my own meals/catch up with friends/drive Dad to the dentist..." . It's not until life throws a cannon ball in your lap that you're forced to reprioritise what you do and don't have time for. Well my cannon ball is Breast Cancer!

I'm 38 years old and have 2 beautiful little children under 5. I'm blessed with a fun, kind husband who can't resist watching, reading about, participating in and teaching sport. I am a daughter, a sister, a friend and try my hardest to be a good employee (the bills need paying after all). I am a pragmatic environmentalist and wish everyday I could do more for my community. So after my son's footy, my daughter's sleepless nights, my husband's marathon training, my veggie patch pruning, the house cleaning, my boss' reports, the sausage sizzle and the infrequent night out to remind myself of life pre-kids, I have NO TIME to fight cancer!

Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it. That should be all I'm doing. But life doesn't work like that...we've structured ourselves to 'need' two incomes, organic food, resilient children, investment properties, mindfulness, low carbon footprints and euphoric happiness. But as we fill the bucket of prosperity do we drain the bucket of happiness?

Why is it that dichotomies work so well in our society? You can only 'believe in' Western medicine not alternative therapies or vise versa. Mutual exclusivity is totally illogical to me. Why can't we take the best from both?! I will try everything and anything to fight cancer and somehow I'm going to do that while balancing all the little buckets of my life!

I'll be having my cake and looking at it too. I can't actually eat it given "Cancer loves sugar" - doesn't it?