Better late than never

I've been thinking of making a blog entry on this topic for weeks now. April is Cancer Control month.

Cancer has been very present in my mind over the last few months. My FIL was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the end of last year, and has had ongoing skin cancer issues for years. Luckily there was no metastasis, so he didn't need any treatment after the prostatectomy.

Last month my MIL was diagnosed with breast cancer. A lumpectomy removed the primary tumor, but there was metastasis to a lymph node. She is looking at a long sequence of treatment; chemotherapy, radiation and hormonal.

My father was diagnosed with Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia a few years ago. Unlike prostate or breast cancer, there is no surgical tumor removal possible for this rare cancer, but by making some significant lifestyle changes, he has managed to improve his blood tests extraordinarily.

Obviously, cancer is not completely understood, and there are risk factors outside our control. What can we do to prevent cancer? Here are a few major factors:

Maintain a healthy body weight. Cancer is yet another one of the health problems associated with being overweight. WeightWatchers is a great place to start.

Eliminate or reduce alcohol use. Women should drink no more than one drink per day, men no more than two. One study I came across linked consumption of 3 drinks per day to a breast cancer risk equal to that of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day or having a first-degree relative with breast cancer. 3 drinks a day sounds like a lot until you consider that for their purposes 4 oz of wine is considered one drink. There has been a lot of media attention lately on the health benefits of red wine, but it's much healthier overall to get those antioxidants from dark grapes or other food sources. AA has helped many people overcome drinking problems.

Don't smoke.

Avoid excessive sun exposure. Wear sunscreen and a hat, and avoid the midday sun.

Time flies

Last Saturday DS made his First Holy Communion. We had something of a gathering of the clan. My ILs, my parents, nephew (almost 10) and niece (7), my youngest sister, BIL and their two kids (almost 3 and 2+ months) all came into town for the occasion. After Mass we had a party at Brick's, one of our favorite restaurants here in Reno. It's only a couple of blocks from church, too. A good time was had by all. They let DH and me in the door on Tuesday night, so the kids can't have been too bad!

My parents, nephew and niece have only spent a couple of days with us in Reno since we moved here in 2003. We chose DS' First Communion date so that they could spend some time -- it fell at the end of their kids' spring break. We didn't do much in the way of sight-seeing, but we had a great time. The weather was beautiful, the kids played nicely, and we caught up with my parents.

Yesterday my MIL had a lumpectomy for breast cancer. Everything went well, but it's been a stressful couple of weeks since the diagnosis. My FIL had surgery for prostate cancer in December, so this is something of a one-two punch!

So far I've lost 20 pounds on Weight Watchers. Last week I earned my second "I lost 10 pounds" ribbon, and the week before that my 10% key chain. Rather than aiming for a long-term goal right away, when you join WW you're automatically aiming to lose 10% of your body weight. When you reach this goal, you're awarded a key chain in the shape of the number 10 (and you get to decide upon your long-term goal). Other milestones earn you a charm for the keychain. It might sound cheesy, but I get a good feeling every time I pick up my keys!

I had a weight-loss related victory today. Before Easter I bought a couple of new outfits at Chico's. I've lost enough weight recently that the skirt I bought was too big. Today I had a little time to myself, so I took it back to the store to exchange for a smaller one. In the meantime I received a $25 off coupon that I was able to apply towards the new skirt. Cha-ching!

We heard the results of the Coral Academy of Science lottery. DS made it in for 3rd grade, but DD1 didn't make it for 1st grade. Apparently they draw the youngest grades first, so by the time DS was in, it was too late for her to get sibling priority. Right now she's second on the waiting list, so hopefully she'll be in by the time school starts in the second week of August. If not, I guess I'll be homeschooling her!

Next school year has the potential for big changes for me. DD2 will be starting preschool three mornings a week, so if DD1 gets into Coral, I may have an "empty nest" for 12 hours per week. I'm having visions of aerobics classes, and some online coursework. (I'm so long out of the workforce that I'm basically unemployable at this point...) Time will tell.

Gotta love my new look!

DD2 drew this a couple of days ago and proclaimed it to be a picture of me. I'm not sure how I feel about the size of my nose, but I love the smile she's given me.

The storms all came in as forecast at the end of last week and over the weekend, so I felt a bit better about not camping. We ended up with about 6 inches of new snow from the last storm. It has been sunny and warm this week, so it's mostly melted. I'm looking forward to some spring weather (and some camping).

First thing on Saturday morning I took a huge step and joined Weight Watchers. While I'm not obese, I am definitely overweight, and on Friday I came to the conclusion that I needed to get some help. DD2 is almost 3, and here I was at the same weight as when she was 6 weeks old. I seem to be able to lose the first 5 pounds without problem, but after that I get discouraged and end up gaining it back again.

The meeting was actually quite fun, and it's been a good week. I feel great, am enjoying my food, and don't feel deprived or "on a diet." I bought a WW cookbook, and have been enjoying trying some new recipes. Yesterday I went to my second meeting, and had already lost 5.6lbs. Not bad, although I've lost those 5 before!

Later on Saturday morning we went to an open house for Coral Academy of Science, the charter school we're hoping to send DS and DD1 to next school year. DH and I met with the principal for a couple of hours last October, but this was a chance for the kids to see things and for us to spend a bit of time speaking with teachers. DS and DD1 are very excited about the idea of going there in the fall. Here's hoping they get in!

DH is friends with a piano teacher he met at Walden's Coffee House. On Monday morning we took DS to his studio for an "interview." Everything went great, so he'll be starting lessons next Monday. DS is absolutely thrilled. (Check out Monday's English assignment!) I'm a little nervous about getting him into the habit of practicing. I can only hope he gets as much pleasure from the piano as I have.