The ball has dropped, confetti thrown, kisses landed hopefully where they should. It’s another new year. Will 2013 be your year for greatness? What are your goals? I’m a firm believer in goals. If you don’t take time to decide where you want to be, you will never get there. Or worse – you will arrive and move on without even knowing you’ve won.
New Years 2011. I was fit, the lowest weight I’d ever been, had just published my second romance, was busy raising my three kids with my hunky Highland husband. We were comfortable. Life was good, even though I’d just turned 40. My budding mid-life crisis mixed with all those New Year’s “what are you doing with your life” questions, making me depressed.
What I didn’t know was that my life was precious, solid, and perfect just the way it was. I didn’t know that until three months later when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and that old perfect life was over. Major surgery, instant menopause, five burning months of chemo, total hair loss, ten more months of an experimental chemo, forty pounds gained from steroids, and residual neuropathy pain everywhere. Ugh! But as my blood test showed two weeks ago, the cancer seems to still be dead. Yay!
Regardless of where you are in your life journey, your health should be #1 on your priority list. As writers and readers, who must remain sedentary for stretches of time (although I’ve been known to walk while reading), we often neglect the goal of remaining healthy. But health is what makes the plot of our own life story move. Without it, the whole thing falls apart. So here are my strategies for keeping healthy.
1. Make those doctor appointments. I was a “too busy” mom before cancer. I had a 3 strike rule. I didn’t go to the doctor unless there were 3 things wrong with me. I actually went in because I thought I broke my hand playing soccer. Luckily I mentioned the slight bloating and sporadic pain in my abdomen. She found the 5-inch tumor growing and spreading.
TIP: Schedule a time each week to sit down with the phone and calendar to make any appointments for you and your family.
2. Exercise. Yeah, yeah – we all know it’s important, but hell’s bells it’s crucial! I’m not talking about running a marathon, but walking. Even with neuropathy pain I made myself walk. When I couldn’t stand the pressure on my feet, I’d ride my mom’s recumbent stationary bike. I also found a slow, meditative yoga DVD which I do nearly every morning to stretch and build strength. After talking with a doctor about what you can or shouldn’t do, figure out how to build some form of exercise into your everyday life.
TIP: Lay out comfy clothes the night before. Even if I don’t feel like exercising, I put them on first thing in the morning. Then if I feel better or can squeeze some exercising in, I’m already dressed and ready to go.
3. Stop eating crap. Bye-bye Twinkies! Hello organic food! Whether you believe organic is better or not, we probably all can agree that cupcakes and fast food are bad. We don’t really know what causes the body to go haywire and start growing out of control (cancer). There are some obvious things like smoking (which I don’t) and sunbathing (which I don’t) and playing with uranium (which I don’t), but otherwise it is just a series of little things that add up. One more little nitrate-filled slice of bacon could break the camel’s back. So I cut as much of it out as I can.
I also added cancer fighting foods like wild salmon, kale, and walnuts into my diet. I’ve cut the amount of meat I eat in half, and I consume sugar with the understanding that it is what cancer cells love to feed on, which makes it easier to say “no thanks.”
TIP: If you really want to watch what you eat, you have to record it. I use the free My Fitness Pal app. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
4. Tell yourself that you want to be healthy. Huh? What got me through the darkest moments, those moments when I had to answer my 4-year-old’s questions about me dying, those moments when I caught myself writing my own obituary in my head (because as a writer I would do a hell of a job), those moments when I hurt so bad I understood why some people decide not to fight – what got me through that was convincing myself that I could win. And to do that I said positive affirmations at least twice a day, out loud.
“I am living a long and healthy life.” “I am strong and full of energy.” “My body is comfortable and beautiful.” “I am cured and full of health.” Even though I didn’t believe them, I still said them, cried them, prayed them. And slowly they sank into me, reorienting my mind so that my body and spirit knew what to aim for.
TIP: Use post-its on the bathroom mirror so you can read them when you get up and before you go to bed. But remember to tell your partner/roommate/spouse what you’re up to or they may wonder.
5. Feed the spirit. To be healthy you feed your body good things. You also must feed your spirit, which means effectively reducing and managing your stress. I do yoga, watch birds, and journal to combat the stress of everyday life. I see a therapist to help me cope with fears of dying, and I talk to God. 
TIP: Try various techniques to see what works for you. You are unique, so find something that resonates with you.
Those are my top 5 ways to become healthy. You’ve heard them before, but it’s time to practice them. Make health your #1 priority in 2013. Because if you don’t work toward this goal, the rest will fall apart.