Melissa’s Rap: Sometimes things don’t go as planned. And sometimes you do everything right and everything falls into place except one detail. Unfortunately, that is often the case with reconstruction after a mastectomy. Some women will require three to four surgeries to get the reconstruction to take. Continue reading
Melissa’s Rap: Pranayama, control of the breath, is the basic foundation of any yoga practice. Sometimes it is your yoga. It is that important and that impactful of a practice. Focusing on your breath alone is so powerful, it can have profound effects on one’s health, both mentally and physically. Continue reading
Melissa’s Rap: Last week, we reviewed some great yoga-centered steps to reducing stress and the effects of it on the body. One of those steps was chanting, part of a practice that is often referred to as sound therapy. Continue reading
Sarah’s Rap: The American healthcare system has long been a subject of debate, criticism and disappointment to many, particularly in recent years. No matter one’s opinion, we can likely all agree that we each feel passionately about our own views and that it is a tricky and complex situation without an easy answer. Even as I write this, I am filled with anger and frustration at some of the aspects of our healthcare system. In my last post, I dug into the problems with the Standard American Diet and the negative impact it has on the health of Americans and others around the world. Another contributing factor, in my opinion, to the increase and severity of disease in the U.S. is what I call a “disabling healthcare system”. When combined with the SAD diet, Americans are getting sicker and oftentimes the care they receive is failing to help. Continue reading
Melissa’s Rap: The topic of Yoga for Stress Relief may seem a bit redundant, since yoga is known for reducing stress more than anything else. Perhaps it is, but as a yoga instructor and a woman who has dealt with chronic anxiety for much of my life, I do feel that some poses and practices are more effective than others in reducing stress in one’s life.
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Sarah’s Rap: Look around and you may notice that Americans (and others) are SADDLED with disease and worsening in rapid numbers. Not only are many people suffering from chronic illnesses, they’re getting worse for many reasons, including:
Standard American Diet, Disabling healthcare system, Lifestyle, Environment and Denial
As a result of a combination of the above factors, alarming numbers of people suffering from disease and obesity are being reported. The end result is a civilization that is unhealthy, dying, depressed, malnourished, overweight, brain-addled, irritable and stressed. I’m going to dive into each of these disease-causing factors to give you a better understanding of the risks with each and hopefully some ideas for how those suffering can turn their life around and enjoy life without the burden of these debilitating encumbrances. What would you rather be – SADDLED and led through life on a path you didn’t choose and might not be happy with, or to run free and fast, stopping to smell the roses when you want and steering your own course through life? I know which one I’d prefer, which is why I’m taking actions to get my health in order! I hope you choose to do the same. Continue reading
Melissa’s Rap: May is Lyme disease awareness month. This disease has greatly impacted me and my family, as I was diagnosed CDC-positive with Lyme on Cinco de Mayo 2011. I spent the next two years treating with IV antibiotics, oral antibiotics, herbs, supplements and other treatments. To this day, I see effects of the disease in my low immune function, brain fog, and fatigue. Now that I know what I know about Lyme and its coinfections (Lyme rarely travels alone), I am diligent about prevention and work to educate others about how to prevent this debilitating disease.
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Melissa’s Rap: On March 30th of this year, I had a preventative mastectomy. So far, my recovery has been better than I expected. To date, I have not had any complications. Since I have chosen to do reconstruction, I still have two more surgeries to go.
In preparation for my mastectomy, I researched the experience and recommendations of others and it was a tremendous help. The preparation helped me physically prepare, but also mentally. I have had many surgeries in my life, but I felt this one I needed input on from those who had been through it.
“Ray of Sunshine”, © 2011 Jamie Pfister, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio
Melissa’s Rap: A couple of weeks ago, I had a Bilateral Skin-Sparing Mastectomy. Leading up to the surgery, I was in a sort of prep mode. It helped me take my mind of what was to come (to a certain extent) and helped me to feel more prepared for the known of what was to come, as well as the unknown.
Why do we wait to deep clean things? It always feel so good to get it done. It usually happens when somebody is coming over or you are throwing a get together of some sort. Or when you are moving and need to clean the place to hand it over to the owners or the new tenants. Or in my case, when I choose to endure a difficult surgery in the hopes of preventing a more difficult experience in the future. I don’t know why we wait, but all I could think was…why did I not start this sooner?
The Sister Rap 