Our story one year later

One year ago, today, at around this same time, I received the phone call with my diagnosis of breast cancer.

Whew.  We have come SO FAR.  Thank you, Jesus!  Thank you, Lord!  Sometimes I am in complete awe and can't help but think 'why have You been SO good to me and my family?'.  Our story could look so very different right now and the weight of that is not lost on me.

Our pastor asked if I would share our testimony at church this Sunday and I think the timing is so ...well, timely.  :)  And I'm happy to share because the bible tells us that we honor God when we remember what He has done for us.  And so I am happy to remember and never forget.  I will not dwell on the scars, but thankfully remember just how far the Lord has brought us.  And though I haven't spoken in front of a group about something so personal in a long time, I am happy to have the privilege of publicly remembering what God has done for us.

Psalm 105: 1-5 "Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name.  Make known His deeds among the peoples!  Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!  Glory in His Holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!  Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually.  Remember the wondrous works that He has done..." 

And that's why I also decided to write a memoir for our kiddos.  I am so grateful that they don't understand the full extent of what cancer means or comprehend the fear that comes with that diagnosis.  But when they are older, I want them to fully grasp and understand what God has done for our family.  I want sweet Raleigh Mae to know that God even used her in my belly to discover the tumor.

There is so much wrapped up in what I plan on sharing this Sunday and I wanted to share a little bit here.

While I would have never chosen to walk this path and fight this battle, I would never trade what I have learned about God.  When I think of where I was a year ago, my heart breaks a little because I remember how I felt.  I remember the heartache, fear, devastation all wrapped up in my chest....yet I remember there was always Hope.  Part of me wishes I could go back to that girl, grab her by the shoulders (because as my friend says that is what you do when you want someone to take you seriously), lift up her chin, wipe away the tears, look her square in the eye and remind her that God is good and He is in Control.  That somehow in the year to come I will understand how our Good and His Glory are inexplicably intertwined.  I could never have imagined then what I know now.

When I prayed about what to share in my testimony, I felt led to share my story to encourage others who may be going through a struggle.  Big or small.  Immediate or long term.  Where you are now in your journey may seem completely hopeless and futile.  You may question what God is doing or even question God Himself.  But please hear my heart when I say, He has never left your side, and never will.  He promises your good and His Glory and when the time is right, He will reveal your story.  And I promise you will not be disappointed, but will be compelled to love our Lord even more.  You may be walking through the fire right now, but you will not be left there.  You will walk through the fire, with a faith that is refined and you will see Him more clearly than before.

I hope someone is encouraged or remembers my story when they need encouragement in the future.  All Glory to Him.  

a few day after surgery #1

Raleigh Mae's first trip to Colorado!

almost a year later....typical family photo :)  

Week 1 Post- Op.

     One could say that I severely underestimated what this recovery was going to be.  I had envisioned myself home before the older kids got back from school, up and walking around, slightly sore the next day, and then up and doing my normal routine by day 3.  Reality was me apologizing to the nurses over and over again as I keep oozing bloody fluid all over the room in attempts to go to the bathroom where I puked over and over again…in the sink (cause I couldn’t make it to the toilet).       

     That’s not an attempt to get you to feel sorry for me – just a very humble revelation that I am, indeed, not wonderwoman.  Or her cousin, or second cousin thrice removed. 

     But day 7 here and I am getting more mobile and on my feet more and more.  I may look like a granny while driving, but driving I am, at least!  

     We’ve been blessed with my mother in law who flew in and held down the fort for days, friends who brought us meals, clothes (that I can actually wear over my wraps and bandages), juice (yes, someone juiced for me – incredible, right??), sweet flowers and watched kids for us.  We had a great follow up appt yesterday where all stitches were removed and the doctor nonchalantly stuck a needle in me to remove some fluid that had built up (I will NEVER get used to being poke and prodded!).    

     One last day of antibiotics, I have finally been able to sleep in bed, I can hold Raleigh and we are well on the road to recovery (the primary phase is 6 weeks, and then about 4-6 months for full 

results).

      

     The toughest part may be emotional acceptance of how things look.  I made the mistake of peeking under the bandages after the first day and just cried.  Not because my surgeon didn’t do a good job, but because there was plenty of swelling, dried blood, more stitches, deep bruising and just a general realization that my body has been further changed from what I was born with.  And the reminder that cancer is the reason for the physical changes.  I’ve been wrestling with this for several days.

     And I point this all out to share the significance of what I learned in a study that I recently started with some local gals called Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur.  We talked about the power of being anointed (this itself is a different topic that I won’t go into now, but would love to discuss more later!) and having a God awareness throughout our day.  And bam, it struck me.  I have not been looking at my physical self with a ‘God awareness”.  What if, when I looked in the mirror, I imagined God’s presence, right next to me, looking at me and pointing out every fiber of my being that He created and knit together before I was even born?  Maybe, instead of crying over how different things look, I could rest in the assurance that He sees me as beautiful the same way that I do not see a single one of my kids as any less beautiful because of a scar.  If my Maker was standing next to me, who created the inspiring sunrises and sunsets without the aid of any man, if my Maker was standing next to me would I dare find reason to cringe at my image?  This isn’t about some mind-game-gobbly-gook about just accepting things as they are and sucking it up and moving on with things.  It’s about living the truth of knowing that God is with us and embracing His Holy Spirit and praying to see as He does.   Of course this applies to so many, arguably more important, areas of my life.  How I interact with the kids when it’s just me and them talking about how fairy wings grow for the umpteenth time, how I speak to my husband when we are disagreeing about a certain topic, how I act while entertaining an unexpected visitor, etc.  It also means that I can walk throughout my day with more confidence that nothing is by accident and that He, the Good of all good, is still in control.  He's not walking beside us saying, 'sorry about that...I dropped the ball on that one, eh?'.  No, instead, when life feels out of control, He's whispering, I still have you.  I have you.  Just rest.  Nothing is out of my control.'    

     This is not about just ‘acting’ right and behavior modification, but about changing the heart.  My heart.  Your heart.  Maybe you believe in God and maybe you don’t.  But just imagine that there was indeed a Maker of the Universe walking next to you and trying to speak to you throughout your day – the Maker who loves you (and LIKES YOU) SO much and delights in you to the point that He sent His only Son to die for our sins so that we could continue to be in His presence.   Imagine Him next to you and you can’t help but change how we see ourselves, our family, and our neighbors. 

     This is just a sliver of what I learned in the study,  but it convicted me so much that I had to change my plans to run errands and instead type out these words.  I pray that it encourages someone else. 

Outside my comfort zone

I should be preparing for my next surgery tomorrow...but I've surrendered to the fact that it's somewhat futile at this point.

For good reasons.  We had a 'cancer free' celebration a couple weeks ago followed by Ada's 5th birthday celebration this past weekend! And with life in between I just didn't get to some things like I had hoped to.  God is bigger than my lack of feeling prepared, not having enough button down shirts, enough reading material lined up, or my fuzzy hospital socks or extra meals on hand.  We DO have grandma in town to help take care of the kids, friends bringing us meals and one friend is lending me her spanx to help with post surgery recovery (those things are amazing!!!  why am I just now trying them???).

"mammo-grahams"  Where else other than a cancer free party can you have these????  Courtesy of my friend, Kanaan :)  

Birthday breakfast presents

Birthday Dinner:  her favs: nachos and brussel sprouts :)  

Last airplane ride for a while...more to come in a month!  

But I will admit that I am a tiny bit nervous about this surgery...we all know what happened the first time, and this time it's with a different surgeon, different hospital and different anesthetist.  It's funny how even when it comes to surgery/needles/scalpels, you develop 'favorites' regarding who gets to poke, prod and cut you.

My surgery this time is for further reconstruction and some 'adjustments' from the first phase of reconstruction.  Deep down inside, I do often wish that my vanity could have been okay without the reconstruction, but I am so, so, so grateful for the option.  To be blunt, this surgery will involve breast reconstruction and lipo in order to do some fat injections.  The whole thing seems so surreal to me because I never ever imagined a procedure like this.  And to be very honest:  when I wake up, this time my concern won't be 'did they get the cancer out', but instead will be 'what do I look like'?  And for some reason, that has me nervous.  I feel maxed out on the scars and marks and this will up my tally (read:  I'm a bit vain and am growing weary of new scars).

But with all these thoughts swirling in my mind, my mother in law reminds me of the angel.  The angel.  The one I was so privileged to see (and sometimes I still can't believe I saw it).  And the one I know was protecting me and will protect me because God promises to be faithful.  And it reminds me of how easily my focus is shifted away from what matters.  The truth that God is in control, He is Good and that He sent His Son to die on the cross for us because He loves us THAT much.  And in the end, all things will be restored and my scars won't bear any shame and He will be glorified.  And if I know that truth, then why do I waste my time on being anxious and worrying?  And isn't it a mercy of God that I have an unfamiliar team doing my surgery this time?  Because otherwise, I would have placed some of my trust in the familiarity of the team and not Him.  But I'm forced outside my comfort zone (I was even getting used to the color of the gown and cap I got to wear at the original hospital) and reminded that the only place to put my trust is in Him.

So, here we go.  One more surgery.  One more recovery.  I just recently regained enough strength to do some push ups and shoot my bow and arrow.  Those will be some of my goals again!

I also wonder in the back of my mind....will I ever get to see the angel again?  It was both a bit terrifying and awesome at the same time.

Would you please pray for grandma while she's holding down the fort? That she and the kids would be protected and that all would go smoothly?  Thank you for your prayers and I'll hopefully be sending an update soon!

To God be All the Glory.

Have a GOOD Day

To say I was a bundle of nerves last Friday just might be an understatement....but thank you for praying so faithfully, friends and family!  There was another gentlemen going through a scan in another room who had a panic attack and couldn't finish, but mine went smoothly.  The reason why?  Because of God's grace and all the folks who said they were praying for me.  Seriously.  I've learned that I can jump out of airplanes and helicopters from thousands of feet high, but put me in a metal tube and forgettabout it!  Thank you, thank you for the constant support.

Just a little insight into the process...the timeline of the radioactive injection is very specific.  I had to start at a certain time and after the tech injected me with the radioactive sugar tracer (the syringe was encase in a lead shield...crazy, anyone???), I was told to sit quietly and relax for about an hour.  Again, I'm not sure how people relax after knowing what they've been injected with (I couldn't read a book or do anything other than sit because the material would be taken up by my brain which they didn't want to do..again, crazy...???), but somehow, by the prayers of y'all, I actually managed to catch a few catnaps.  That says a LOT.  I went to the bathroom before the actual scan and saw this sign:

 Which made me cringe and then straight up laugh.  Again...crazy.  Whoever/However they discovered this process is absolutely beyond me and I can honestly say out of all the things I am interested in, nuclear medicine is NOT one of them.

I was thankful to have the scan OVER and as I walked out, there were so many fears in the back of my mind.... 'what are you going to do if the results come back showing more cancer?', 'have I just been utterly wasting my effort and time with alternate treatment?', 'will I be back in for another scan in another month?', 'did Rich and I choose the wrong treatment and not discern God's voice well enough?'...the list could go on....but one of the most powerful encouragements have been friends who have literally spoken life and healing over me.  I'm not sure if this makes sense, but sometimes, when you're in the middle of the storm and getting knocked down, it's hard to hope.  And sometimes, you need others to hope for you.  And to remind me that our hope is not determined by our circumstances....our hope is determined by the ONE we hope in.  Let me say that another way.  My hope is not secured by circumstances, my hope is anchored in Jesus Christ who loved me enough to die for me in order that I may have LIFE and have LIFE to the fullest through faith (relationship) in Him.

And this brings me to the title of this post:  Have a GOOD day.  We just received the official results of the scan (amazingly weeks EARLIER than I had thought!).  My kiddos are running around in a post-school-hyper-tired-need-a-snack mix of crankiness, but I don't care because I have to share this NEWS...because "what God has whispered to you in the darkness, shout if from the rooftops!" (Matthew 10:27):

 I AM CANCER FREE!!!!!!!!!!!  Amen and Amen!!!!!!!!!

Do I think different food/lifestyle/nutrition has healed me?  Absolutely not.  Has it at least helped?  Definitely.  Could I have had the same result after doing chemo and radiation?  Quite possibly.  So, how do I get to say I AM CANCER FREE?????  Only by the grace of God.  To God be ALL the Glory.  Amen.

It's That Time....

It's that time....for my first big scan.  Lots of mixed emotions about this....part of me absolutely dreads it because it means going back to appointments in the hospital, I will be injected with a radioactive material (considering I don't even eat sugar right now, that's a BIG jump!) and I just didn't have that much fun inside the machine last time.  Yet part of me knows that it's good to get this scan done and have a look at what is going on inside.  The hardest part may be that I don't have an appointment to get my results until almost three weeks later.  Waiting always seems to be the hardest part.  So, in the end, this will be mostly a mental game.

I won't lie and say that I'm not nervous....I have butterflies about getting it done for all the reasons listed above, but every flutter reminds me of the verse from Philippians that talks about the 'peace that surpasses all understanding' and how that is what I need to focus on.  The best is when you look at the beginning of the verse. "The Lord is at hand.  Do not be anxious in anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:5-7.  This doesn't just say 'don't be nervous'.  It tells me why I don't have to be a bundle of nerves.  Because 'The Lord is at hand.'  Just as He has guided us around every twist and turn of this battle with cancer, He is at hand....He was then, He is now, and He always will be.  So, the choice is mine.  I can choose to fear and be nervous and hit the panic button during the scan, or I can choose to trust Him.  Because He loves me, the choice is mine.  Could you pray for me to feel His peace not only during the scan, but also during the wait until I get the results....and for peace in whatever the results will be.

In the meantime, I will choose to believe the words of life that friends have spoken over me and continue to place my Hope in Him and believe that my scan will be CLEAR!  :)  Amen?  :)

I am slightly embarrassed (and very humbled) to know that folks are praying for me before, during and after the scan....after all, this procedure is peanuts compared to the last major surgeries.  But my faithful friends have reminded me that nothing is too small or too big to bring to God in prayer.  And everywhere I turn, read, listen, look I keep learning about the power of prayer.  Some of you may not know something that happened during my first surgery.  A friend was in the middle of Costo and felt a conviction to pray for me so she pulled her kids in, prayed for me and then continued shopping.  About a minute later, she received a text from Rich with an update that there had been some complications and that they were trying to get me stable before continuing the surgery.  From thousands of miles away, God urged my friend to pray for me when I desperately needed it.  This isn't about me.  This is about how God works, how big He is and how He loves to hear us.

And with the reminder of the power of prayer, please continue praying for Team Justus.  They have been running a long race with their son in PICU and they appreciate all the prayers on their behalf.  And the incredible part to watch is how it's not just about them...it's about the God sightings and seeing how this has rallied thousands of people around the world to pray.

Here's a pic of our middle and one of her silly faces.  Kind of describes how I feel about the scan tomorrow...and also how much I'll miss being able to hold my kiddos until I'm not dangerously radioactive ( I am told to wait six hours before I hold my kiddos).  Geesh!

Here's to no panic buttons and getting this thing done!  Thank you, Lord, for Your peace that surpasses all understanding because You are at hand!

    

It's been a while....and this I know.

Whew.  It has been a while...long enough that I had to ask my husband how to find my blog again.  :)  Kind of half kidding...I was just thinking out loud and he reminded me what it is called.  My brain has been on different matters recently.

During the past couple months, we spent countless hours at the pool while making new friends, drove over 4,000 miles to hug family we hadn't seen in too long while also meeting some relatives for the first time, I spent a glorious weekend with dear friends and zero parental responsibilities, and drove another 1,000 miles to the mountains for an amazing week of family camp.  I think it's pretty amazing that all of this happened despite what kind of shape I was in last winter.  God is good.

The first thing I learned this summer:  (I mean really learned.)  That God likes me.  I always knew that He loves me, but I really, truly understood that He actually likes me, too.  :)  I'm not sure if you can relate, but it is very possible to love someone while at the same time not quite liking them....that sounds harsh (and there may be some that can't relate to this at all...skip to the next paragraph, please :)), but it's a true phenomenon.  And to a certain degree, I always knew God loves me because, well, He's supposed to - He's God and I'm His kid (Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so...), and that's what you do when you have a kid, right?  But deep down, I may have wondered at times, if He actually delighted in me...in other words, 'do I make Him smile?'  Yet one thing after another happened - little things and big things ( lining up with what I happened to be reading in the bible about how He regards us as His inheritance...because He loves and likes us that much!!!) - that it almost seemed like He kept whispering to me, 'do you know how much I enjoy you?'  And that's what relationship with Jesus is like.  You can believe in God and still not have a relationship with him...but a relationship with you is what the God of the Universe desires.  Because He likes you that much.

Second, cancer does not define me.  It sure did a number on me last winter, is definitely part of my story and I have the scars to bear, but it does not nor will ever be what defines me.  My scars are kind of lame (can't say I fought off a shark or something like that), they still hurt a bit and there are a bunch, but they don't define me.  His are the scars that define me.  The only scars worth anything in my opinion are of the ones who died for me on the Cross because again...He likes me.  During our week in Colorado I started to let go of my physical scars and shame...it's a work in progress, but the scars have no hold over me.

And third, it's in the storms that we draw closest to Jesus.  Last winter was a big storm in our lives.  I admit it's left me a bit gun shy and nervous about this fall....I have my big CT/PET scan coming up soon and probably three more surgeries/procedures (oh, and did I mention a dental appt???  I absolutely dread going to the dentist.).  Yet, it was during that crazy storm where I saw one God sighting after another.  It was during that storm that I saw the angel.  The warrior angel.  And though I would never have willingly chosen to weather that storm, I would never trade what I learned about Him.


We've got a full fall lined up....to include teaching more classes, possibly attempting a low key sprint triathlon at the end of September (depending on when my surgeries are) and praying for clear CT/PET scan results (thank you Lord, that it will be clear!).

The next nutritional topic that I wanted to mention was about fat.  The good fats that your body thrives on and the bad, inflammatory ones to kick to the curb.  In the spectrum of how interesting I think fat is, it falls somewhere between MTHFR, micronutrients and the microbiome....in other words, I really like learning about fat.  :)  stay tuned for more on that.....

But on a more serious note, and the main reason I wanted to write another post is that we have been asking folks to pray for a little 4 yr old boy named Justus.  We know his family through a few degrees....they were very involved with Young Life and wrote a book called Going Public which really helped us in our decision regarding public school vs continuing to homeschool, which obviously ended up being a huge grace for us.  Justus has been in the hospital for going on 21 days with viral encephalitis and is still in an induced coma.  We can only imagine what an intense storm this is for his family.....his grandfather has been posting daily updates on his status and how to pray.  Please take a moment to read about him here and their God sightings and prayer requests.  Recently, two well known members joined TeamJustus!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/743508859110720/  Please join in praying for TeamJustus!


                  

MTHFR and the Knife Guy who Prayed For Me.

It is an odd title, I admit.  But I'm hoping it caught your attention.   And please stick with me through this longer than normal post.

MTHFR is a genetic mutation that affects your body's ability to methylate.  Yep, I didn't know what that meant at first, but I've learned a good bit over the weekend since I got my lab results back on Friday afternoon.

But first - the knife guy.  I just had to share this story.  I'll try to be brief and get back to MTHFR....

A couple weekends ago we went on a family outing to a downtown artisan and farmer's market.... there were some interesting vendors to include a local, clean/green restaurant that is also raising awareness of GMOs, a local farmer selling some delicious lamb, a group promoting safe biking and had a bike set up with a blender on the back which allowed you to make a smoothie by pedaling!, and finally on our way out we saw a vendor with a sign for knife sharpening services.  This was the most exciting part for me.
We had talked about getting our knives sharpened for a while because I could tell I was putting a good bit more muscle into cutting than I should.....(happens when you don't sharpen your knives for 13 years).

I contacted the owner during the week about getting my knives sharpened and long story short he picked them up, personally, from my home and I coordinated to meet him and pick them up the next day.  While we were talking I mentioned that I had started teaching some classes and would love to spread the word about his business.  I finally told him how the passion to teach classes started from a cancer diagnosis.....and go figure, he share that he used to be a True Food Kitchen cook...which is a concept developed partly by Dr. Weil...with the idea that good, healthy food also TASTES good. http://www.truefoodkitchen.com/  This guy is a REAL chef, that knows the value of healthy food and knows how to make it taste good and actually earned money doing it.  :)

As if that wasn't exciting enough, he then asked "Are you a Christian?".  Totally out of the blue.  And I said "yes, are you?".  Next thing you know he asks if he can pray for me and ready, set, go, he puts out his hands and there I am in the parking lot where I thought I was going to merely pick up my sharpened knives and now I'm also being prayed for.  I drove home just amazed that God had orchestrated all that.  My knife sharpener just prayed for me in public to be healed from cancer.  Crazy God Cool.

If y'all are in the area and what his info, let me know.  :)

Onto MTHFR.  What's the big deal about methylation?

"Methylation is a core process that occurs in all cells to help your body make biochemical conversions.  When people with genetic mutations is MTHFR are exposed to toxins, they have a harder time getting rid of them which can cause some very serious illnesses.  The methylation process is responsible for:

• Cellular Repair: synthesis of nucleic acids, production & repair of DNA & mRNA
• Detoxification and Neurotransmistter  Production:  interconversion of amino acids
• Healthy Immune System Function:  formation & maturation of red blood cells, white blood cells & platelet production

The 677T variant is most commonly associated  with early heart disease and stroke and the 1298C variant with a variety chronic illnesses, but either anomaly can cause a wide variety of health problems.  The MTHFR anomaly is reported out as heterozygous or homozygous.  If you are heterozygous that means you have one affected gene and one normal gene.  Your enzyme activity will run at about 60% efficiency compared to a normal.

If you are homozygous or have 2 abnormal copies, then enzyme efficiency drops down to 10% to 20% of normal, which can be very serious."

http://doccarnahan.blogspot.com/2013/05/mthfr-gene-mutation-whats-big-deal.html

Having this genetic mutation also means that your body cannot effectively use folic acid..."

Having MTHFR is also associated with cardiovascular risks:  

"Individuals with low activity of the MTHFR enzyme may present with elevated homocysteine levels, which have been associated with inflammation and heart disease, birth defects, difficult pregnancies, and potentially an impaired ability to detoxify.

Nutrient deficiencies in Folate, B6 and B12 have been associated with elevated homocysteine.

Individuals with the MTHFR gene actually have a difficult time processing folic acid that is present in most cheap supplements and added to processed foods. Some professionals claim that this type of folic acid may even cause a build-up in the body leading to toxicity. Studies have been done that showed folic acid supplements increased cancer risk… one more reason to ditch processed foods and your multivitamin!"

http://www.thyroidpharmacist.com/blog/mthfr-hashimotos-and-nutrients

My lab results showed elevated homocysteine levels which is associated with risk of stroke and heart attack.  And another test result showed that I had thickening/stiffening of my heart walls.  Now bear with me on this y'all, but is it, could it be possible, that through cancer, God helped me avoid a heart attack?  Never in a gazillion years would I have considered myself at risk for heart attack, but the numbers don't lie.  Sure, just because you have a 'risk' for something doesn't mean you actually end up getting it, but I am glad to know I have this risk and figure out how to minimize it.  

Also, MTHFR is said to inhibit your body's ability to detoxify.  And it is being widely documented that many environmental toxins are associated with increasing your cancer risk.  The Environmental Working Group, EWG, http://www.ewg.org/ is a great resource for identifying chemicals in your food, household cleaners and cosmetics that are harmful and possibly carcinogenic.  They also provide a list of great, 'clean' resources to swap out. 

Even the World Health Organization made a statement recently, identifying Glyphosate, as probably carcinogenic.  

"Earlier this month, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer announced findings that glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp line of pesticides, is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The research,published in The Lancet Oncology, relies on studies conducted on the chemical over the last few decades.

Use of glyphosate – which the EPA has deemed safe — has soared in the last two decades with the introduction of crops genetically engineered to withstand the herbicide. Glyphosate is also a main ingredient in a new product called “Enlist Duo” recently introduced by Dow Chemical."  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/roundup-ingredient-probably-carcinogenic-humans/

"The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) – WHO’s cancer agency – said that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide made by agriculture company Monsanto, was “classified as probably carcinogenic to humans”.

It also said there was “limited evidence” that glyphosate was carcinogenic in humans for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, said scientific data did not support the conclusions and called on WHO to hold an urgent meeting to explain the findings. “We don’t know how IARC could reach a conclusion that is such a dramatic departure from the conclusion reached by all regulatory agencies around the globe,” said Philip Miller, Monsanto’s vice-president of global regulatory affairs." http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/21/roundup-cancer-who-glyphosate-

Again, I am not a scientist.  I am merely a cancer (hope to be SURVIVOR) fighter trying my best to plug through all the research, articles, books the best I can with discernment.  I am constantly learning and hoping to share what may be helpful to know.  

Just putting two and two together, I now know that I have a genetic mutation that inhibits my body's ability to process some key nutrients, effectively use one of the most powerful antioxidants, glutathione, and detoxify.  According to all that I have read ALL of this contributes to an increased risk for cancer.  I go back to my appointment at MD Anderson where my doctor told me that getting cancer is 'sporadic' and I say,  Nope.  It is not sporadic.  There is a CAUSE.  I don't know THE cause, but I am beginning to understand that there is a landscape in which people are at more risk for cancer.  I applaud the sentiment to 'run for the cure', but I would love to see more 'run for the cause'.  Because let's face it.  Wouldn't you rather PREVENT cancer than detect it?  I'm super thankful for the ability to detect and I believe it has helped save lives through early intervention.  But I hope and pray to continue spreading knowledge about how to prevent cancer, not just detect it.  

Here is another great link by Wellness Mama about MTHFR.  http://wellnessmama.com/27148/mthfr-mutation/

And another great resource by Dr. Lynch.  http://mthfr.net/

And just for kicks, I also found out that I have adrenal fatigue.  More to come on that next time......