Welcome to Health and Healing: Real Wellness for Real Life

Learning to Heal in a Body That’s Been Through It All

Let’s get something straight: I’ve spent most of my life thinking I was doing health wrong.

Why? Because I was an hourglass shaped woman trying to fit into a society that tells us flat stomachs are the definition of fit. I tried every fad diet. Every “quick fix.” If someone swore it worked, I gave it a shot. But no matter what, I never seemed to fit the mold.

After my second child, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. The pounds crept on even when I was barely eating. I had no appetite, but my body held onto everything like it was preparing for famine. One day, a guy I worked with who happened to be a personal trainer offered to help. He told me to track what I ate for a week. When he looked at my chart, his jaw dropped. He thought I was overweight because I was overeating. But that wasn’t it at all. My body wasn’t working the way it should.

That’s when I joined Weight Watchers not to lose weight, but to re-learn how to eat. I was afraid of gaining more, and I didn’t know what “normal” even looked like anymore.

As I had more kids, my weight kept shifting. The thyroid issues made losing weight nearly impossible. And sitting all day for work didn’t help. I went through the same cycle for years—diet, gain, lose, repeat. It felt like my body and I were at war.

Then cancer hit.

What Cancer Taught Me About Health (That No Diet Ever Did)

When I got diagnosed with cancer, I thought I already knew everything about nutrition, vitamins, and what was “healthy.” But cancer changes everything.

Suddenly, I wasn’t just eating to look good I was eating to stay alive.

I studied my bloodwork like a medical student. I wanted to know how to feed my body based on what it needed, not just what some influencer recommended. When chemo stripped me of nutrients, I learned how to eat foods that replenished my body even if I couldn’t taste them, even if I wanted to throw up, even if I was too tired to chew.

Health wasn't about losing weight anymore. It was about staying on this earth.

Healing Isn't Linear It's Personal

I don’t always eat like I should. I still battle sugar, cravings, and inconsistency. But I focus on whole foods as much as I can. I try to move, even if it’s just a few steps around the room.

Chemo told me to move every 2 hours, so I did. Even when I could barely stand. Even when I had to use a walker, a cane, or a rollator. Even when I had a mass so painful that moving a toe sent pain stabbing up my spine. I moved when I could. And when I couldn’t, I promised myself I’d try again tomorrow.

I've had bones fused. I've had cancer return. I've had medications that mess with my joints, my blood sugar, and my cholesterol. I’ve sat in more doctor’s offices than I can count.

But still—I move. I try. I keep going.

Why I Created the Health and Healing Blog

This blog is for people like you and me the ones trying to figure out how to live better in bodies that feel broken or worn out. Not for perfection. Not for six-packs. Not to impress anybody.

This is for the survivors. The ones with chronic pain, stubborn weight, or a medical history too long for a clipboard. The ones who are tired of being told to “just eat less and move more.”

We are not lazy. We are not hopeless. And we are not alone.

What to Expect Here

Every month, we’ll take on a different real-life health topic not the fluffy stuff from health magazines, but what real healing looks like when your body has been through a lot. Some posts will dig into science. Some will walk you through personal lessons. Some will help you eat better, move smarter, or feel stronger physically or mentally.

Here’s what we’re not going to do:

• Judge anyone’s body

• Pretend there’s one right way to heal

• Ignore how complex medical journeys really are

Here’s what we are going to do:

• Talk honestly about health after cancer, after injury, after weight gain

• Share clean eating strategies that don’t require perfection

• Talk about mindset shifts that help when life gets hard

• Invite stories from other survivors who are healing too

Let’s Challenge the System Together

Doctors often prescribe without the full picture. But I believe every patient deserves genetic testing of their body and their tumor. That’s the future of medicine. Instead of giving me a chemo that works in 30% of cases, what if we knew which patients that drug actually helps?

I got genetic testing done. It revealed options no one would’ve looked at otherwise. I now take drugs designed for other cancers because my rare cancer doesn’t get the attention or research funding it needs.

This blog will also challenge the belief that cancer is “over” once treatment ends. I believe we should be followed for life. I believe we need maintenance plans to slow or prevent recurrence. I believe survivors need more than follow-up appointments. We need full-body healing—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Need to Talk? You’re Not Alone Here.

This isn’t just a blog. It’s part of a bigger mission:

Life survivors helping life strugglers.

If you’re hurting, confused, or unsure what your next step should be, you don’t have to do it alone. You can:

• Share your story in the comments

• Talk to someone right now through our [Neighbor Talk] service (casual chat, no pressure)

• Get goal-based help with [Next Step Coaching] (SMART goals, support, strategy)

• 
  

Whatever you’re carrying, you don’t have to carry it by yourself.

One Last Thing…

You might not feel like moving today. You might not want to cook something healthy. You might be fighting fatigue, fear, or frustration. That’s okay.

Just don’t give up on your healing. Not yet.

Because healing isn’t about doing it perfectly. It’s about showing up for yourself anyway.

Welcome to Health and Healing. Let’s walk this path together.

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Important Disclaimer

The information shared on this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. I am not a doctor, pharmacist, dietitian, or other licensed medical professional. Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition.

The content shared here is based on lived experience, personal research, and publicly available medical information explained in everyday language. Everyone’s body, medical history, and treatment plan are different.

Always talk with your health care provider or medical team when symptoms appear or changes are needed. This blog is meant to help with understanding and motivation, not replace medical care.