A Year Ago Today I Was Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

A year ago today I was sitting in my apartment waiting on a very important phone call. The phone rang and I was told I have breast cancer. That news took me by surprise. Chemotherapy, lumpectomy, radiation combined with integrative cancer care has truly made a difference in my life. 

A year later I find myself cancer free with just a common cold. I just had my first followup mammogram and the results were normal. I was confused that day as I was told "The results are normal, come back in a year." My full time job has been working on my wellness. I'm thankful for the fantastic team at Swedish Cancer Institute, friends and family, a lot of local businesses that have given their ear to me sharing my story and a lot of cool people out there in twitter world. 

Thank you 

Hurricanes, Wildfires, Earthquakes, Tsunamis = Oh My!

I'm sorry Mother Nature! Did Donald try to grab you? I say this because its sort of the theme for what's going on in the world today. A lot of self centered people who don't care about anyone other then themselves. From climate change deniers to a lot of selfish people who don't want to work hard and help others along the way. So many greedy, self centered people in the world today. Is it easier to hate or easier to love? I think it's easier to love.

I called my aunt to see how she is doing in Florida. I followed that call with another call to a friend of mine that lives in Pensacola. As I was looking at the videos of the destruction in Barbuda I learned of the earthquake and tsunami in Mexico.

Are folks saying no to climate change because that means that have to change the direction in which they have been doing business? Are folks saying no to climate change because that means dollars to fix and redo what's already in place. From men hunting lions for sport, kids throwing firecrackers that turns into a wildfire to building in areas that should never hold houses; Houston we have a problem. 

All hands on deck. We all need to work together to fight racism and poverty. We close the doors once we get home and turn on our computers, smart phone and place an order on Amazon or get on netflix to check out a clip. I could say we but I will start to see what more I can do. I know I gave the pizza to the homeless people down the street last week but what else can I do that will make a lasting impact on a person life. 

So many people are caught up with their jobs, material things, fancy homes to fancy cars. Wildfires still going on but yet Nordstrom department store was packed yesterday. The music was playing and folks were shopping as if they didn't have a care in the world. 

I'm going to stop thinking "What can we do," and say "What can I do." 

I turned 50 & then I watched the #TotalSolarEclipse! Now what?

Teri Lee McClain 

On Friday August 18th I turned 50 years old. I had breakfast with one friend and dinner with another friend in the evening. i didn't have any doctor appointments or counseling or therapy that day. I was getting ready for the next few days. What an incredible week! 

I'm lucky I don't do drugs because when I get into something it's full speed ahead with no turning back. I went down to Madras, Oregon with my friend and coworker. What a blast! I've never been down there and also realized I haven't been anywhere really except for goat yoga. The last trip I took was flying home the month my dad had passed away in October 2015. 

This adventure reminded me that I love to travel. It was so funny. I've never seen so many campers, RVs, and camping equipment in my entire life. It was three days that removed me from cancer treatment, planning appointments and all the crazy things going on in the world. In a way I was mindful and just focused on where I was and the reason for being there. So I guess I passed the test of what being mindful is all about I could say, at least a little bit. Okay I still have a ways to go but I'm getting there. 

What I also learned on Monday is that I don't need validation from people for me to go with what's right in front of me. I was able to improvise and take pictures of the eclipse with just the minimum and I did a pretty darn good job at it. 

Am I hard on myself? Perhaps. Was I raised to doubt myself or do i simply don't know how to stand tall and firm and be proud of everything I do. Do I look to always compare myself with others to see where I rate? No matter how I got to this point of needing validation, I'm done with it. I will wake up in the morning and proclaim that I Love Myself! and I Love Everything I Do. 

With that said I'm going to take this extra energy and greatness that the Total Solar Eclipse has bestowed upon and wake up every morning with my intention and proclaiming that I love myself and whatever I do is great! 

Total Solar Eclipse 2017-08-21

Teri Lee McClain 

WoW - Today is July 4, 2017

I was diagnosed November 17, 2016 with breast cancer. Today was a day off from radiation treatment but only to return tomorrow. Seems that one minute I'm my usual happy self and the next minute I'm crying. I'm trying to calm my mind and be mindful. On the other hand I still need to start thinking about what's next in my life. You see I'm always thinking and planning and writing my goals down. How do I go about planning without thinking and writing all this stuff down? That is my big question Zig Ziglar? How do I calm my mind to sleep at night while at the same thing thinking about what's next? 

I used to be so overwhelmed with all my thinking and planning that I would just freeze. Normally I'm always that person that is in the right time at the right place for so many things. I didn't expect that to go the direction with getting breast cancer. I guess I can't pick and choose can I? 

So that is precisely what I'm dealing with right now. I'm committed 100% to my radiation treatments right now. But soon I will have to think about a hysterectomy. My poor body is all I can say right now. I haven't cried today but last night I think I was crying. Honestly at this point, I think it's perfectly natural to cry. I've had a lot that has happened to me. I just have to keep moving forward and continue to process all this stuff. 

I'm just like the next person and I like to pretend about how things will be one day. I dream of a beach with the cheapest home I can find, a dog and perhaps a tiny goat. I don't think that's asking for much actually. Heck I have earned it with flying colors. I forgot to add my coffee table books on my list. It's been one emotional roller coaster ride with all my treatments. I didn't have to deal with vomiting but I did have to deal with a lot of stressful events that happened prior to my diagnosis. My life has been turned upside. I have completed chemotherapy, breast cancer surgery, and now its radiation treatments. I think I can honestly say I should be able to handle anything after this. Since I'm always working full-time on my wellness I need to continue to add everything that allows me to be mindful. I think it's okay to do a little planning but don't side step anything. If it's something that I can be mindful with, then I need to add it in my daily schedule and it least be focused on bringing all those goals to fruition no matter what.