Lumpy Boobs

Last Thursday I had my yearly mammography. I also requested an ultrasound. The night before the test I had had dinner with a friend who said a series of mammographies never detected the lump in her breast. It was an ultrasound that confirmed her suspicion. So the receptionist called my OBGYN who quickly faxed over a prescription for an ultrasound.

Whoever designed the mammography machine had several advanced degrees in designing crude and unusual torture devices. My favorite moment was when my boobs were squished between several tons of radioactive machinery the tech said, "Don't move." Where exactly did she think I was skipping of to?

When my boobs were finally released from the tight squeeze I was allowed to sit in a waiting sort of area. I looked around my surroundings in hopes of finding some sort of diversion to pass the time. What did I see? Wall art of clocks. Really? Who's idea was this. I can just imagine the brainstorm session when it came to decorating the waiting area.

"What kind of soothing imagery can we adorn the walls of the breast screening waiting area?

"Images of Paris!"

"Mountains!"

"Sunsets!"

"I got it! Clocks."

By the way, it was a cool melting Dali clock.

After waiting about half an hour I was called into a closet where there was an examining table and an ultrasound machine. I laid down as the tech squirted gel on me. I was surprised that the gel had been warmed. I had this procedure in 2009 and I recall a freezing cold room, cold gel and a rude wand being pressed without care over my boobs. I became so hardened and cold that I was concerned about being confused for a cadaver. This year's was already better. The wand was also warmed and the room wasn't set to Sub Zero temps.

At some point the tech stopped. I looked at her screen. I saw her zoom in on an oval black shape. I had seen this done before during past ultrasounds. I wasn't concerned. Then she moved onto my other breast and did the same stop and zoom motion. She finished. Handed me a paper towel to cover myself with. Is this Marc Jacobs? She said she was going to show the doctor and she'd be back in a moment. So me and my non designer paper towel hung out for about ten minutes.

Then in walked a doctor. I knew something was up when he extended his hand to mine. He said, "We found a little lump in each breast. You'll come back so we can do a biopsy of each. We'll numb the area first and then do the biopsy."

WTF?!

The doctor exited. The tech gave me a wad of scratchy paper towels. I think I may have cut a nipple in trying to wipe away all of the gel from my chest. I started to get dressed in the ultrasound closet when the tech told me to take it to a changing room. I wrapped my hospital top around me, grabbed my stuff and left.

So tomorrow is the date of my biopsies. I've been doing lots of stuff to prepare for this. I'm reading Spontaneous Healing by Dr. Andrew Weil. Love it. Amazing anecdotes and tips. This one passage really hit home:

It is not a good idea to stay in treatment with a doctor who thinks you cannot get better. 

This reminded me of my previous ENT who had said when I asked him why I kept getting sick that I was like him and I would always be sick. The book talks about a negative placebo affect caused by doctors telling patients things like my old ENT told me. Other examples include: "You have a greater chance of getting colon cancer," or, "You have 2 years to live." If you hear these from your doctor, please find another who can lead you on a path to healing.

Some other things I've been doing is drinking green juice everyday, eating raw garlic which enhances the body's natural immune system and blocks the formation of some carcinogens (I smush it in guacamole), taking extra Vitamin C, exercising everyday even if it's just walking from jury duty to work (that's what I did today), and lots of healing visualizations.

Today I popped into Organic Avenue on my way into work and asked the woman working, "What's good for disintegrating lumps in breasts?" She suggested the Chlorophyll Booster Shot. I also left with a small bottle of Green Love. I drank half the booster mixed with the Green Love and the rest straight. I feel amazing. I'm planning to buy a couple more for tonight and pre-biospy.

Brad's Raw Chips

Last weekend while shopping at Organic Avenue I picked up a bag of Brad's Raw Chips in the Hot Red Bell Pepper flavor. The little bag was pricey but luckily, 30% off. I had the crackers along with a bowl of cauliflower soup and a salad. I really liked the flavor and the spice. I shared the bag with a friend who said they tasted like dried soup mix before you add water. I could kind of taste this but in a good way. Last year I sampled some of Two Mom's In The Raw Garden Herb Crackers which I found to be too flaxy with all the unground flax seeds. Brad's chips offer a better balanced flavor and texture.

During a recent trip to Whole Foods I picked up a bag of the Indian-flavored Brad's Raw Chips. OMG! These were the most delicious chip. I'm a fan of spicy, funky flavors. For example, sour spicy lemon pickle doesn't scare me. I had to close the bag to keep from devouring it in one sitting. I ate the chips straight up but they would be great dipped in guacamole or hummus. According to Brad's website the chips are a meal in a bag. I will definitely be packing these next time I have travel. I find that most processed chips and foods congest me. However raw, whole foods chips and snacks seem not to bother me.

I'll be chowing down on some more this weekend. Happy weekend.

ps: I just saw the Space Shuttle fly by my window at work. Super cool.

Candy For Lunch

Dang it! I forgot to pack my Mulligatawny Soup with brown rice before I left my apartment this morning. Being without lunch, I headed to Organic Avenue. I was all set on purchasing their Green Monkey Smoothie but lo and behold they were sold out. Actually, their shelves overall were pretty bare. I see this as a positive that raw, organic eateries are gaining in popularity. Hopefully more to come in this department. 


I settled on a bottle of Green Love along with a bar of Raw Chocolate Love with orange. 

The juice I've had many times. It never disappoints. The chocolate was brand new to my taste buds. The nice thing about a lot of raw chocolate bars is that you taste chocolate. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, so many chocolate bars taste like sugar. This bar was sweetened with agave. Something I wish was more prevalent in chocolate bars. Mainstream bars usually contain sugar. 


The chocolate was rich and a bit chalky and crumbly, which I didn't mind. The tiny bar cost a whipping $7.95 but packed a powerful chocolate punch. Plus, being raw the bar contains tons of antioxidants called flavonoids. And, cocoa beans are rich in a number of essential minerals including magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese as well as Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E plus pantothenic acid. 


The bar also contains mesquite. An ingredient I've read very favorable reviews about. Mesquite is a high protein meal which (according to their website) contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc, and is rich in the amino acid lysine as well. It has a sweet, rich, molasses-like flavor with a hint of caramel.


The bar really did have a rich almost caramel taste. A flavor that usually requires milk as an ingredient. However this bar is totally vegan. And totally tasty. 

Next time you're unsure what to eat for lunch, I urge you to tap into your inner third-grader and go for a chocolate bar. Make it raw and chase it with a glass of green juice. 

Fail!

One of my favorite shows growing up was the A-Team. The quote that always comes to mind was Hannibal saying in between cigar puffs, "I love it when a plan comes together."

Yesterday's all-day juice detox was just the opposite. My husband and I began the day by walking our son the fifteen blocks to and from his school. On the way home, we hit Trader Joe's for a few cooking essentials, even though we weren't eating that day. I came home drank juice, cleaned, drank juice, did laundry and drank more juice. Around 3pm I began to feel incredibly cold and hungry. At this time Juice No. 4 was up. The lemon, water, cayenne and agave mix. The lemon drink made me feel like I was straddling line between nauseas and hunger.

An hour later my husband said, "I'm so hungry."

"Me too," I added.

"I'm STAAAARVING!"

That's when we broke out the veggie chips.

So, I didn't juice all day. But, I like to think I reaped some of the benefits of drinking almost 50 ounces of juice in a day. For dinner I had a very healthy brown rice, kale, azuki bean burrito rolled up in a g-free wrapper along with homemade guac.

Overall, I think Blue Print Cleanse's green juice is too sweet. I'd be "sweet" if they offered an all veggie green juice or a less sweet green one. I tried a shot glass amount of the cashew nut milk and was heaving over the toilet afterwards. Bon appe-puke.

I've had issues with nuts over the past year and a half. I'm hoping some time in the near future that my body accepts nuts. I've began taking digestive enzymes with most meals. I'm already noticing an improvement with a little less bloating and intestinal ruckus.

I think the next time I embark on a juice detox, I will either make my own or purchase Organic Avenue's all veggie juices. I will also plan on eating a healthy dinner, unless I'm feeling totally satisfied by a day of juice.

As B. A. Baracus would say, "Don't be a fool...," and as I add, "...and feel you have to stick to a plan that's not coming together."

Mucus

Once again I've dove full force into a wellness related book. My current one is Clean by Dr. Alejandro Junger. The book goes into great detail about mucus. Something I'm all too familiar with. Shoot, I could probably write my own book on this topic. The book details that our bodies make mucus as a protectant from irritants such as chemicals, prescriptions drugs, junk foods, consuming dairy, pesticides and more yucky stuff. The problem is when enough of this mucus gets made it gets stuck in our bodies. Signs are puffiness, dark circles under the eyes and even enlarged pores. Sounds like my portrait.

While I am feeling somewhat better with my new Fluconazole and decongestant regimen, I still have a lot of mucus being formed in my sinuses. I can only imagine what the rest of my body looks like. Probably like an old fashion Nickelodeon slime fest.

I'm going to try a one day juice cleanse next week. I know it's only one day, but I want to see how my body handles this. I just recently stopped experiencing a daily loss of feeling in my fingertips and chills. If all goes well, I plan to try a three-day cleanse another time. The best part is, I talked my husband into doing it with me. We both already drink at least eight ounces of greens daily and often much more. My husband even makes the juice himself. Now I have to decide between Organic Avenue and Blueprint Cleanse. They both offer delivery. Stay tuned for the juicy details.

Tummy Time

My Glutenfreeda Oatmeal test went very well. My tummy didn't go bonkers yesterday. I had a tiny bit of pinging, which lasted ten minutes but not the usual three-hour plus belly-roll-athon.

Instead of packing lunch today, I visited Organic Avenue where I purchased their zucchini pasta with pesto. The dish came with a side of pine nut parmesan. I sprinkled the nut cheese and dove into the pasta. Halfway through, I felt like my throat was closing. Next, my stomach let me know that it wasn't happy. I pushed the $10 dish aside and ate some gluten-free crackers I keep in my desk.

I'm well aware that nuts are a new allergen for me. Since I happily ate them for many years, I have a difficult time always avoiding them. I tried almond butter again for the first time in three months last week and my sinuses revolted. I really don't know what I was thinking by consuming the nut cheese. I guess I was optimistically eating. Hoping by being non-judgemental toward the pine nuts, my body would follow. But that wasn't the case. Now I sit at work with my lower region doing somersaults.

Also, I've been up since 3:30am. Not sure why. Maybe side effects from the Allerga D? Between gastrointestinal distress and a lack of sleep, I'm a real fun gal.

Now let's change topics to my husband's hands. During the cold months, I often put lotion on my husband's rough hands. They're so rough, that I could easily snag a pair of tights on them. The other night I reached for his hand. Instead of feeling roughness, I felt smooth skin. I asked if he had already lubed up his hands. He said, "No."I was shocked. How could Mr. Roughskin have such smooth skin? Could it be all the green juice he's been guzzling? On that note, I'm going to go pour me a tall glass of green.

Sick Avoidance Tactics

Yesterday, I started feeling like a cold is coming on. Or, possibly it's my fungal infection trying to take hold again. My husband has been sick, so there's a good chance he cold have passed on the evil germs to me. In an effort to give my body a boost, I've been taking echinacea drops twice a day, attempting to get more sleep (last night I went to bed at 9:15pm.) and drinking more green juice. 

This time when I visited Organic Avenue, I boldly selected their Mellow Green blend, which combines cucumber, celery, romaine, spinach and parsley. This stuff is the color of a dark forest. I expected this juice to be stronger than other green versions simply because it's lacking fruit. However, I was surprised to discover that it's actually smoother than the Green Love, which has lemon and pear. The name Mellow Green says it all. The juices are a whopping $12 for 16 ounces. However, if you return the glass bottle, you get a $2 credit. Yesterday's cost my only $8, since I turned in two bottles. 


I've also been trying not to touch my face. Why does my face always itch when on the subway? 

The Upper Juicy West Side

Lately, I've been more into green juice than green smoothies. I think it may have something to do with my over consumption of the vegan chocolate chip cookies I made last Wednesday night. I was too full for a smoothie, but I had room for green juice.

Over the weekend, I visited my neighborhood Juice Generation where I purchased three pints of Essential Green by Cooler Cleanse. Cooler Cleanse was co-founded by Salma Hayek. She's been doing juice cleanses for 15 years. I'm not sure if she's a full-time or part-time vegan. Essential Green is the perfect balance of slightly sweet with loads of green goodness including cucumber, celery, parsley, spinach, kale, dandelion greens, watercress, pear, lemon, and ginger. My husband drank some and said it was intense. If I had tried this juice several months ago, it would have been too intense for me too and not sweet enough. I feel like my sugar avoidance (other than the recent chocolate chip cookie meltdown) has recalibrated my taste buds. 


I also discovered that my hood is getting another great addition. Organic Avenue is opening directly across from Peacefood Cafe. I'm so excited to have three awesome juice/smoothie/vegan food options. Actually more than three if you include the sit-down restaurants Blossom and Josie's. Although Josie's offers animal-based dishes too, making it a good spot for my family. 


My husband wondered if Peacefood would be put off by Organic Avenue strategically moving in across the street. I guess we'll have to see if they become war food Cafe. 

Secret ingredient: Fungus!

It's funny how I try so hard to do good things for my body, only to discover my efforts could be hurting me. I visited my doctor yesterday and mentioned the rash along my hair line and on my chest. Even though my rash is on my face, it's at least courteous enough to hide under my long hair and clothing. My doctor asked if I had eaten any new foods. I mentioned the cultured veggies. He said while these can be beneficial they often have fungus and that I should stop eating them until my situation is under better control. Over the past three weeks, I thought I was feeding myself a dose of angelic bacteria and enzymes, but it seems I've been eating satanic fungus. 


Sunday night I tried one of the recipes from the book The Body Ecology Diet. The recipe combined millet, sweet potato, onion and carrots ,which were slow cooked on the stove top for about 30 minutes. I expected this dish to be perfect for me, since I love all the ingredients. I had tried a dish with millet at Candle Cafe and loved it. I had some for dinner that night. It meet the requirement for food but that was it.  I figured it would taste better for lunch the next day. I was wrong. It tasted like a bowl of blah. 


I dumped the blah into the trash and then took a walk to Organic Avenue. This was the first time that I bought lunch, marking a real splurge. I religiously pack my own every day. I chose the Creamy Dandelion Salad, which contained dandelion (duh!), raisins, pine nuts, lemon and I think olive oil. I can't totally remember but I loved the bitter greens with the sweet raisins. Somehow this rough salad had a creamy texture. I also bought a bottle of their Green Love juice. This not-too-sweet juice I preferred over Blossom Du Jour's. It contained kale, cucumber, spinach, celery, romaine, swiss chard, collard greens, pear, lemon, and parsley. I actually have half of the bottle left, which I plan to down later today. 


So there's two attempts to do something good for me gone horribly wrong. I'm realizing both of these detrimental events were caused by the Body Ecology Diet, which highly recommends incorporating cultured veggies into one's diet. Maybe this book just isn't for me. 


This morning my husband saw a new book on the counter titled, The 30 Day Vegan Challenge. He rolled his eyes and said, "When are you going to give up?"