I had an awesome day skiing!

I went skiing for the first time this season...it was fabulous! I was worried that I was going to be awful and stuck on the bunny hill most of the day, but I got my ski legs back pretty quick! After two quick runs on the bunny hill, my friend and I rode the big lift to the top of the mountain (OF COURSE it stopped on us...why does it always stop when I'm at a really high spot over really hard ground?)

Though we spent most of our time on the green runs, we snuck in a few small blue runs and I have to say I did better at them than I did last year! There's one run called "Lower Main" that is steep, straight and long. My friends talked me into doing it and all I can say is peer pressure is a bitch. I pretty much went down sideways, but I didn't fall and I made it to the bottom! That run will be conquered!

Here is a pic of me after our beautiful day!

In other news, I was thinking about my RDW the other day and realized that I hadn't checked in in awhile...I looked at my lab results and saw that with my last draw it was in the normal range! Could this mean my bone marrow is playing nice? Interestingly, my RDW shot up as soon as I started working night shift...now that I've cut back on my schedule to two nights/week it was normal. Good thing I am starting day shift someday (hopefully) soon!

In other news, made some super delish (but probably a bit too garlicky), faux mashed potatoes using cauliflower. Now, I have tried this concoction in the past, but that was before I welcomed my VitaMix into my family. When I made it before it had an awful, grainy consistency...not anymore! Smooth, creamy and delish! A fabulous substitute for carby potatoes!

So, if you are interested in making them...here is the linky-poo:
Click here for yumminess!

Wow, I am really bad at blogging.

I really need to get more stick-to-itiveness in my life...not exactly  my strong suit. Maybe it's that my blog lacks focus (well, is being awesome a focus? If so, then I guess I'm covered), or maybe I just have ADD, or maybe I'm just lazy.

Either way, as the new year rolls around, one can't help but think of ways to make this year better than last year. Essentially the only New Year's Resolution I made was to be as awesome as possible despite this stupid blood disease and the fatigue-inducing medication I take to keep me from keeling over. A big part of that involves making healthier choices overall as I'm sure my craptastic diet as of late is not helping. With that said, I actually JUICED yesterday (and no, I did not take steroids...I made juice!). It has been so long since I used my juicer I almost forgot how to put it together....how sad is that? I also forgot what a holy heck of a mess juicing can be. Regardless, I made some delish juice which I call "Sunrise Juice"....here is the recipe (it's the orange colored juice in this awesome pic):

A fruitful afternoon of juicing! Deee-lish!

Sunrise Juice
4-6 carrots
4 stalks celery
1 lemon
2 apples


As for the PV...been feeling run down for awhile now. In a stroke of sheer genius I realized that interferon therapy and night shift do not mix. I spoke with my oncologist/hematologist dude and he suggested I cut back my work hours while working nights. So that's what I'm doing...and despite having a horrible cold this past week, I can tell I'm going to feel a TON better with this adapted schedule. Hoping to get on day shift soon since I kinda sorta need a full paycheck...organic produce is expensive!

Have an awesome day, all one of you who ever read this!

Yummy cereal and a new veggie!

In my efforts to be as healthy as humanly possible, I went to the farmer's market today in search of delish organic produce. Sadly, most of the farmers at the market use pesticides, making it a not-so-healthy experience after all. I did happen across a couple of organic stands, and picked up something I've never had before...a lemon cucumber! Isn't she pretty?

I am going to try to pick up something new every time I go...I also went to the Co-op and got a few new fruits (I forget what they're called...one is a melon and the other was a type of plum or apricot or pluot...I don't remember, but I'm sure they'll be amazing!). As for the cereal I made today...super delish! Here's the recipe:

Mo's Awesome Breakfast Cereal
1 cup or so of fresh organic berries
1 T freshly ground flax seed
1/4 cup or so of chopped raw walnuts
1 T of hemp seeds
1 T raw shredded coconut
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp cacao nibs (optional)
1/3 cup raw granola (optional)
Almond milk

It's so good! I just realized a drizzle of agave nectar or honey would be super yummy too!

In other news, I took my third shot of Interferon on Friday night. I slept like a rock, then had another loooong nap on Saturday. Happily, I don't work any Saturdays for the next 6 weeks, so I can get a feel for how the medication affects me. If I keep up my napping habit, I'm going to have to tell my manager I can't work Saturdays, but would really rather keep things on the down-low until I get hired into a permanent position.

Off to clean the house before I totally run out of steam!
Mo

My platelets are under a million!

Yippee Skippee! I just got my results back and everything else is normal. My platelets have been over the million mark since I got checked on July 21st, and though I'm still in the "way too high" range, I am no longer in the "oh my god, I could have a stroke any minute" range. At least I hope not (knock on wood folks, in case I just jinxed myself!)

Needless to say, I will continue on my regimen of fish oil, vitamin E oil, aspirin and such (all of these decrease platelet clumping and basically "thin" the blood). Tomorrow is my second injection of interferon, so not sure yet if it's the interferon that's working or my body's amazing ability to "literally heal itself" (to quote Michael Scott...name that episode and win a prize!).

In other news, I may have a broken toe. I bashed it up pretty good and it's an unhealthy shade of purple. I went to get an x-ray and will hear tomorrow if it's broken or not. Nonetheless, I had to call in sick for tomorrow as I can't be on my feet with a maybe broken toe...it hurts!

Wish I could celebrate the platelets with a glass of wine...guess I'll settle for a glass of green juice instead...

On a mission!

I am now on a mission to get as healthy and toxin-free as possible. TaDa!

How am I accomplishing this huge task, you ask? Here is my evil plan:
-Detox diet for 7-21 days (depending on how long I can stick to it...I'm on day 1)
-Following the detox, adopt a healthier diet overall (whole foods, mostly raw; lots of green juice!)
-Get rid of all toxic and chemical-laden household products (almost there, still gotta use up some laundry detergents and a few other things)
-Replace amalgam fillings with porcelain (this is in the works...have to get two regular fillings done, then I'll start the replacements)
-Oral chelation therapy (aka: metal detox) as I am getting the fillings removed, this will necessitate the next item on the list
-Consult with a naturopath (free 15-min phone consultation is tomorrow morning)
-Exercise more (I got on my bike the other day...woo hoo!)
-Filter my water (done...bought a filter yesterday)
-Get plenty of rest (usually not a problem for me at all!)

So far my evil plan is going well...started a detoxifying cleanse diet today...here is a picture of my juicer in action...that purple stuff is red cabbage which is the base for a very tangy juice featuring cabbage, celery, apple, lemon, lime, kale and ginger. It is sooooo good!

Ok, off to dinner with a friend (farm fresh and organic, of course!)

Hugs,
Mo

Interferon!

As ya'll can see from my previous updates, I haven't been too excited about the two drugs my doc mentioned. So, like the good patient advocate that I am, I researched things on my own and came across some studies for a drug called Pegylated Interferon (the pegylated part has to do with what it binds to and it's ability to stick around in the system longer...so you only have to take it once a week).

For the geek in all of us, here are links to two abstracts:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19826111
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18650451

So,what does this mean in good ol' plain English? Well, this particular drug has been used to treat hepatitis and some smarty pants decided to see how it would work with people who have PV...perhaps because one of the side effects of the drug is bone marrow suppression (which is exactly what us PV folks want!). In many patients it created a COMPLETE REMISSION (or "complete response" as the abstract states), and in some cases it REVERSES the gene mutation! Holy Cow Batman!

Anyway, I emailed the studies to my doc and he responded right away that they looked very promising. We are planning to meet on Monday, so let's cross fingers that he's done some more research and can get me on this drug (and that it works, of course!).

In other news...planning a brunch for a few friends on Sunday (and yes, we're going to eat outside in the semi-madeover backyard if it's not too hot). Cleaned out the fridge today, found a bunch of healthy stuff I had forgotten about in the cabinets and managed to fit my dehydrator AND juicer in the kitchen! Hoping to start doing more raw-foods, and having a permanent home for the ol' dehydrator beast should help.

Gotta get back to work!
Hugs,
Mo

Curried Carrot Dip

I just received what some call the Big Kahuna of vegan cookbooks...Veganomicon. Though I am not famous for following through on projects (note the aborted Callanetics experiment), I am going to try very very hard to cook everything in that book and post my reviews of the recipes here for my pals and anyone else who loves vegan cooking.

So, without further ado...today I made the Curried Carrot Dip. Normally, I would not choose a dip for my First Ever Veganomicon recipe, but I had a bunch of carrots to use up, so the recipe caught my eye. It was either that, or end up tossing them out. I am so glad I made the dip! I did, however, learn that I really need to invest in a food processor or a VitaMix b/c my blender suuuuuucks. I ended up mashing the remaining chunks with a fork, so I'm sure the texture would be much creamier with the proper equipment.

I would also probably use a bit more garlic than the recipe calls for...but I may be speaking too soon as I did not wait the suggested 30 mins before devouring the dip on a whole wheat pita. No worries...there is still a substantial portion left in the fridge, so I'll see how it tastes after the flavors have begun to meld.

All in all, it was an easy recipe to make and I could see using this spread to kick sandwiches up a notch...or simply enjoying on a pita is pretty yum, too. It's also a gorgeous color! Since my version is lumpier than what it should be, I didn't take a picture...but if I get a food processor, I'll make it again and post the photo...it's so pretty!

Black Bean, Mushroom and Quinoa-stuffed Peppers

I cooked again! These are some yummy peppers I made (again from the VwaV cookbook). These little lovelies chime in at just under 300 calories each and are very satisfying! They get a tomato sauce before baking, but I took the picture prior to that because I thought they were so pretty! Ok, you may disagree...but it's my camera, I swear! They are YUM!!!

In other news, still haven't been able to force myself to study, but I did print out some study materials that were emailed to us a few weeks ago AND I got my fingerprinting done yesterday AND my 3rd HepB today. So, I'm doing stuff...just not studying!

Bon Appetit!

Going back to my old ways...

Well, I am going back to my old ways ladies and gents...and no, that does not mean I'm practicing the wild and loose behavior of my college days. It means I am "going veg" baby! The reason I say I am "nearly vegan" is based on two things: 1) I am not perfect and occasionally take a bite of a luscious restaurant-created dessert that more than likely includes dairy; 2) Like many gals, I have a shoe and handbag fetish that I hope to cure someday. So rather than put myself out there as a full-on vegan, I am being completely honest with my "nearly vegan" lifestyle. The main challenge will be not freaking out my husband who, for some reason, gets all uptight when I talk about being a vegetarian. So, I'm just not going to mention it...it's already been 3 weeks and he hasn't even noticed (or at least he hasn't complained!).

I am also in the process of trying to lose some weight, which is one of the reasons I turned back to my nearly-vegan lifestyle. I was vegetarian for a couple of years (vegan for most of that time), but got hit with some major food boredom once I stopped spending any quality time in the kitchen...I hardened my heart, repressed everything I knew about animal suffering and health and embarked on a 3-year journey back to the average American diet. Not only have I gained about 20 pounds (ugh!), I never did feel quite right about it, but went along with the crowd and chose convenience over compassion.

Well those days are over...the more I read about the food industry and the intelligence and beauty of animals, the more I want to do my small part to help end animal suffering AND achieve optimal health. So...come along with me on this exciting journey as we explore the scrumptious world of vegan eatin'!

Breaking out of Food Jail

Just recently I realized that I constantly, constantly think about food...when can I eat and what will it be? Once I've eaten I think constantly about what I just ate, fretting over it, worrying about it, obsessing with the guilt. Well I am sick to death of thinking about food all the time. Every time I go on 'a diet', all I think about is the next meal, the next snack, those extra 200 calories at the end of the day I've managed to snag by sweating my buns off at the gym. I'm sick of logging what I eat, tracking my calories, buying special "on-the-approved-list" foods...I am sick to death of it all.

So, I am officially breaking out of this prison of food obsession. I remember a time in the not so distant past when I didn't really think about food at all...when I was hungry, I ate something. When I wasn't hungry anymore, I stopped eating. I ate pretty much whatever I wanted, though this was when I was a pretty strict vegetarian so it was mainly healthy food. The great thing about being out of food jail at that time was that I was teeny tiny...well, teeny tiny for me...actually I looked darn good now that I think of it. Everytime I go on a special diet like Weight Watchers or South Beach or whatever, I always obsess to the point where food becomes the sole focus of my life. Bah humbug, I say!

Though I have only been out of food jail now for a few days I feel SO MUCH BETTER. So free...I am not beating myself up about every little thing. If I want some freakin' chocolate, I'm going to have a piece, enjoy the heck out of it and move on. I really feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders....aaaaaah, what a relief. I am reading a book called "How to Become Naturally Thin"...I'll let you know if there are any pearls of wisdom that must be shared.

So, that's the latest news...in other news I am sad to report that Truman doesn't seem to be feeling well right now. It may be the effects of the Leukaran, and I'm hoping once his bone marrow and white blood cell count recover in a couple of weeks or so he'll be back to his regular self. He did vomit a little blood this morning, but it was much less than a few days ago. Lets hope he doesn't have an ulcer...I cannot handle seeing him suffer. :-(

Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes on Mother's Day. I was mostly weepy the night before, but then was so busy preparing brunch for Tom's family that I didn't have time to sit around and feel sorry for myself. Stay tuned for pics...I may have outdone myself with this one. See my cute table???


Much love to all my peeps!
Mo