Here I am at chemo today…..trying not to laugh as the nurse took my picture with my phone. My bra strap is showing…darn. I like my chair location….it’s right under one of the cool vents….and close to the bathroom. I told the nurses about Lil Blue Boo today…..and that I wrote about them. Maybe they’ll stop by.
See that huge bag at my feet? I take it every time I go to chemotherapy. It weighs about 50 pounds….seriously. I can’t stand to be without my stuff: laptop, iPad, iPhone, journal, pens, extension cord, chargers, cheddar Goldfish, Target fruit snacks, water, sometimes a Vitamin Water, lip balm, my chemo schedule, a blanket, my sweatshirt, and so on.
I had way too much energy today. I think it was the crazy juice concoction I made. I was totally on my own today because Brett had to leave to go out of town super early. Boo and Brett have their own special routine in the morning and Boo let me know:
Boo: Make SURE you mix the bananas good. Daddy does a good job mixing my cereal. And sometimes he lets me watch Goldrush. Its about finding gold. I think he already made my lunch though. And we can’t be late for prayer circle. I’ll tell Miss Leslie you don’t have any hair anymore when we get there.
Me: I’m feeling the pressure!
I took Boo to school and everyone in the office was sooo sweet and excited about my shaved head. Someone had forwarded around the link to the “how to shave your head” movie we made. Even Boo’s teacher had seen it.
I felt okay after chemo so I went to school to pick Boo up early. She didn’t want to leave. Go figure. Not feeling so hot now….but I have nothing to do this evening so that’s okay. I have a log from the last “CO” chemo treatment on how I felt….it helps me plan. The nurse told me that Vincristine (one of the drugs I had today) can cause major constipation……so I’ll be contemplating that. I’m just hoping I don’t have to blog about poop again for a while. Dr. L thought the Vincrinstine might be what was causing my jaw pain, that it was a nerve-related thing……but the nurse thought it might be the Neulasta…..maybe it’s both.
****
Since my mom left yesterday I was feeling guilty about not juicing….so this morning I took everything out of the fridge that looked like it might have some juice in it: cucumber, kale, young Thai coconut, carrots, apples, lemons and even a few sad looking blueberries. If it’s not organic, I just peel the skin off. This is the juicer I use. I got it from Costco. It’s kind a pain to clean….but if you just clean it right when you finish juicing and then put the machine right back together it’s not a big deal:
I made a huge batch so I could force Gicela to try it today (insert evil laugh). I just cut the carrots, apples (put them straight in with the skin on after they’ve been washed) and add them to the juicer with the kale….I think it helps to get the kale juiced better. With all the different colors it starts to look a little pea-soupish. I cut up lemons and add them with their skin on. The lemon adds tartness to the juice and masks a lot of the vegetable flavors. If I add oranges or grapefruit I cut the rind off…..their rind tastes icky when juiced.
Once all the juice is finished I like to add some crushed ice (because I like it super cold) and the coconut pulp….and I use a hand blender to whip it all up. You can add banana or avocado at this stage because those can’t be juiced.
It isn’t that bad! Gicela even liked it.
This might sound strange but I love that picture of you. It’s very inspirational. There you are, at the doctors, for chemo & your smiling. You look so incredibly happy! I know you choose joy & I think that is beautiful! You are beautiful!
Yuck! But glad you like it. I think. 😀
Can’t believe you’re smiling with all that going on, but… One step closer to healing. 🙂 I love Vitamin Water, Goldfish, and Target fruit snacks too.
keep on keepin’ on, girl! you are bringing us all JOY with your inspiring perspective! we love you! 🙂
You look very happy in that picture. My husband is on a juice kick. He doesn’t eat anything just drinks juice and has so much energy now. I’m so glad you are feeling better. I hope you continue to feel better every day.
Awesome!! Go YOU! I need to get a juicer now
Cheers my dear! You make me smile! Just wanted you to know that!
Check out Jay Kordich’s blog http://blog.jaykordich.com/ for more juicing info. We’ve been juicing for many (many, many) years and it’s wonderful. Jay’s book – The Juiceman’s Power of Juicing – is a wonderful resource. We have a Breville Ikon juicer now and it’s a wonderful little machine. Cleaning right away is key. Good luck with your juicing experiments!!
I love juicing…beets with an apple and a little piece of fresh ginger and lemon is one of my favorites…. Great for you too…be very careful with the ginger though. Glad you had a great day! I’ve been praying for you and will continue too!
Love ya,
Beth
I juice every morning with my 2 year old son. We love it! He thinks it is the coolest toy in the house. I’m glad to see you’re enjoying it and that you had lots of energy today. Praying for you!
That looks delishhhhhh!!!!!
We received a juicer for Christmas (used from my re-gift giver aunt). Anyway, my husband and I thought super awesome, until we went to clean it. She forgot to give us the key…ugh!! So thankfully our neighbors had one and let us use their key. I haven’t used since until last week. Someone gave us fresh oranges from Florida and thought I’d make fresh oj with breakfast. I made the mistake of putting the skin in…yuk!!! So I used my old hand juicer and it worked just fine.
I happy things went well at the doctors. Keep smiling!!
Thanks again and Choose Joy 😉
Just have to tell you how your posts make me smile. I’m a nurse and wish I could give some of your positivity to some of my patients!!!
I love juicing but hate the clean up too 🙁 But suddenly after seeing your pictures I am thinking hmmmmm…..Maybe I’ll go buy some fruit and veggies tomorrow HAHA! 🙂 Have a wonderful evening!
You still Amaze me with your good attitude, I will keep praying for you every morning, Have a good night 🙂
Could you possibly put some whipped cream on
top…I know I would like it better that way !!
Yay for the juicing!!! That seems like a great way to get tons of nutrients in you! And kale is supposed to be really good for you. Kale chips are great(and pretty easy to make) they just stink the house up since they have a cabbage smell to them. You should also look for fennel. I started buying it because it is supposed to ease stomach pain(which I get often) and it has a nice light licorice flavor. I did some more reading about it and it is supposed to be super nutritious too. I have also heard beets are another good one to load up on your vitamins. Anyhoo, keep that healthy food coming. I am BIG believer in good nutrition and healing from the inside out. You look adorable in your hat!! Blessing always for you and your fam!!
Hello!!
I love your blog, and go it everyday. You are such an inspiration, you are so beautiful and you also give me strength to move forward. I am currently dealing with lyme disease has its ups and downs, but no matter what we have to keep going.
I choose Joy…and come to your site everyday! =:)
Have a goodnight!
check out this website… http://www.hacres.com/ I know a man that beat cancer just by juicing… he refused chemo and strictly juiced and is cancer free!
I have followed your blog for a few years now, and I have been addicted to following your cancer journey. You are definitely a daily read!
I don’t comment much, but I had to this time just in case it might help you:
I have the same juicer, and I rinse mine off and stick it in the dishwasher. Super easy! Maybe it will make it less of a pain to clean.
Best wishes and keep writing. You are amazing!
I think I have the same really (really) big bag! So glad you are able to bring so many comforting things with you. I just found your blog and find you to be so inspiring!
Have you read Crazy Sexy Diet? I really think you would appreciate it!
I just watched your head shaving video with my two little girls and I just started bawling. I just wanted to let you know that I think you are such a beautiful person both inside and out. Thank you for your honesty, your bravery, your joyful attitude, and for letting us take this journey with you. You have such a beautiful family and the love you have for one another is so evident. My prayers are with you and your family. You truly inspire me. And your Mom totally rocks! What a blessing she must be in your life.
that doesn’t look good, but I know it is doing you some good. You seem to have more energy since your mom started juicing for you – might have to try it 😉
I’m so glad your feeling so well at your chemo treatments. I sat there about to hurl at any given second. I was so sick! Even with the meds, which helped very little.
I hope all continues to go well for you. I’ve enjoyed reading your journey.
Your such a blessing!
I too had chemo today. I looked just like you with my Mac and our chairs even look the same. I also have the same juicer! Made me laugh.
Quick tip on cleaning the juicer. I usually put a plastic bag (like a Wal-mart bag) in the black part so that it will catch the pulp and I can just throw it away.(It acts like a liner) I also clean the screen with a scrub brush. Like you said if you do it right away it will be easier.
Juicing is so wonderful for you! I grew up with parents that juiced daily and it’s something that was the norm in our house. So by habit I juice and even my kids son 6 and twin girls 4 ask to juice. Because it’s fun of course but they really do like it and experimenting is the most fun. Here is a blog that I refer to a lot for juicing ideas. You look great and it sounds like you had a wonderful day. We are all cheering for you! 🙂
jointhereboot.com
and go to Expert Blog on top. Tons of great recipes and juicing ideas!
I have the same juicer and loved it. Past tense because I have fallen off the wagon, but have thought I needed to start juicing again (that makes me sound like I take roids).
At any rate, I have some good recipes I should send your way!
You need a Vita Mix, love ours! You can get it at Costco too. We do green smoothies and if it tastes too spinachy I add more banana ..too sweeten up. Careful with banana, it DOES NOT help constipation. Pineapple is good for healing. It never looks good, but alot are
pretty tasty!
Eww! 😉
I was going to post what Meghan said, that you need a Vita-Mix. Aside from getting all the benefits of the food (the pulp is incorporated) the clean up is easy. You fill the blender 2/3 with water add some dishwashing soup, blend and then rinse. All done.
I also love it for soup. I put in a whole tomato, 1/2 green pepper, onion slice, a few spices and hot chicken broth. Blend and now I have tortilla soup. Yum.
I also have a juicer and I do find the Vita-Mix much easier to use.
thanks for all the inspiration.
Debbie
I admire you so much.. I love that you choose Joy and have such a positive out look.. My mom has stage 4 lung cancer diagnosed in November 2 yrs ago.. It’s been rough. She had to have 15 rounds full brain radiation and that really took a toll on her. she needs a walker now, cant drive and it seems as if she has given up, even though her doc has called her his miracle baby.. The cancer is staying the same but she will not do anything productive to try and get stronger.. I’m 33 with a husband and two kids 6 boy 9 girl. I cook my parents meals 4 nights a wk while making diaper bags to earn extra money and volunteering at my kids school. I have lost myself a little trying to make my mom realize she needs to do her part now.. But nothing i do or say seems to stick with her. So since she doesn’t want to choose joy I’m going to. Thank you! 😉
I got a Vitamix for Christmas from Costco and love it! I love using limes instead of lemons but I do the same and keep the skin because I really like the tart taste it adds to the smoothies. Also check out a free app called Dirty Dozen. It has a list of those fruits a vegetables that you must try to buy organics and those that you can buy conventional. Check out too another one called Fooducate and you can scan labels and gives you their ratings. Pretty neat!
My new obsession will be to find a juicer this weekend! Can’t wait to try it! Keep up the good work. I know it must a little harder now that Dr Mom is gone. Hope she will be back soon!
I love juicing and have that same juicer..when I unpack my cookbooks I’ll send you over some good juicing recipes I use that really work….they are for different things…..healthwise! Continue taking care of y ourself..contrary to belief, juicing has a lot of calories in it too so that will be good for you to hopefully keep some weight on you……keep it up! xoxo
I started reading your cancer chronicles this evening and it reminds me so much of all the thoughts and feels i had dealing with cancer. This time last year I was going through chemo for breast cancer and looking back on it now it’s still a little hard to believe it happened. It’s a part of me and I’ve grown so much from the experience. Thanks for sharing your story and helping me keep sight of the power I gained from cancer. My motto was ” I’m going to take something from cancer, I will not let cancer take something from me.”. I’m so happy to see that you have a positive attitude. Going through cancer is hard, but being young and having cancer is a unique challenge. Stay strong!
Thanks for sharing! Your so upbeat and I love it. I recently started juicing after watching a documentary. if you have any good recipes, feel free to share sometime. God bless
Ask Mr. LBB if you are grinding your teeth at night. We just made a bite guard for a sweet little friend who started grinding after chemotherapy. Could help your jaw pain, and at least, save your teeth! And no, you do not want to really grind down your “Horse teeth”!!!
You are so inspirational, you amaze me with your strength and vitality. Thanks for sharing.
My favorite juice is carrot, apple and slice of ginger. Keep the ginger in the freezer and slice as needed.
Bottoms up sister! I think I need a juicer– you have waaaayyyy more energey than I did today. Always inspiring. xoxo
btw– that first picture of the juice looks horrific! 🙂
Hi Ashley,
My parents are big on juicing and they think the best ingredient is beetroot :). Gives it a nice colour too :).
Jenn.
Ashley – I hope tomorrow is a cake walk! Keep up the juicing, too. My dad survived colo-rectal cancer and he swears juice made all the difference in getting well. 🙂
Ashley, You are such a beautiful young woman inside and out. You are such a very inspirational person. I just love you and your family so. Love keeping up with you daily. You so remind me of myself with your journaling. I loved doing with my girls daily as you do and love doing the same with all five of our grandchildren. Such blessings. I would just pray that I would have the positive attitude you do if I had to endure such an ordeal. We are praying for you and your family daily and I know that God will take care of you and all your needs. You hang in there and know that we love you and you certainly have a bunch of prayer warriors. Love , Debbie Stewart
Glad to see you are making your own juice, now your mom won’t have to worry about it. 😉 <3 you
Mmm..I love green smoothies, as a few others have commented- they seem good for constipation too… I just throw in an entire bag of spinach and then some frozen fruit mix , blueberries and (sweeten it sometimes with orange or apple juice concentrate usually only if I am trying to sell someone on how they taste really good..)…I don’t have a special blender just a kitchen aid one that was around 100 on amazon..It seems easier than juicing- so maybe it would be a good for an easy day and with the frozen fruit it is super cold and yummy my two year old loves it. I add the bag of spinach with a little water and then slowly add the frozen fruit and it whips up in no time and cleaning is a cinch.. You are however making me desire a juicer…I am praying for you and so glad that you are choosing Joy…
Hi Ashley! Happy tuesday night 🙂
(Just a quick note before I start my night out with a teething toddler that wakes up every 2 hours screaming to be nursed). through my many many months of not sleeping I want to thankyou so much for your positivity. You are an inspiration. Truly! and you don’t have to blog so much – i’ll be by everyday just to check on you anyways 🙂
Our household has been juicing a lot lately too 🙂 I suggest putting a bit of fresh ginger, unpeeled, about the size of you thumb (or less) and it really gives a great bite to all of the different fruit and veggie flavours that are put together.
lots of love from british columbia, canada xooxoxox
Hello! I just discovered your blog the other day! I love your spirit and am keeping you in my prayers. I just started juicing for health and to lose weight and LOVE it! You may know this, but if you keep the bucket for the waste lined with a baggy that your veggies and fruit came in from the market, it makes it a bit simpler to clean up! I’m all about less clean up! xo
Love the juicing! My husband and I started but got lazy cleaning our machine… You may inspire me!
I like juicing sometimes too! I noticed you had kale! One of the concoctions I like to make using Kale is Kale and Pineapple. I like it because I can’t taste the bitter kale taste. 🙂 I also like carrots and apples together, and recently have been mixing in about a tsp of cinnamon. It makes me think of cold, snuggle worthy, apple-cider drinking days when I do. 🙂
I have that same juicer and I love it! It’s packed away in a box right now from our move…I need to dig it out. You can totally juice bananas with it! Just do the banana first, and as you juice the other stuff it will push the banana mush through. True story!
you go girl. All I can say today is I am sending you a BIG ‘ol virtual {HUG}! You are rocking & so proud of you! xoxo =)
when my oldest daughter was little she use to like for me to make crackers from the carrot pulp…. I would mix equal parts flour and pulp add salt and herbs what ever I had on hand make a dough and roll it out real thin onto a cookie sheet and bake until it was crunch and break it up into pieces….its good to dip into humus if you like that sort of thing….
My husband and I watched “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” about a guy who loses CRAZY amounts of weight and cures some health problems by juiciing. He has a website to go along with the documentary with TONS of free recipes…. http://jointhereboot.com/reboot-program/recipes/
I crazy love the fact that you are juicing. It’s so amazingly good for you, and according to the Gerson Institute, VERY effective for cancer treatment! :o) Here’s a link to some recipes they use! http://cdin.us/blogsites/gerson-diet-hippocrates-soup-romaine-smoosh/ They also talk about coffee enemas (What the WHAT?) but I skipped all that and found the recipes down at the bottom of the post. Another good alkaline recipe that I’ve tried is this one:
1 c baby spinach
1/2 cucumber
2 stalks celery w/ leaves
3 carrots
1/2 apple
Happy juicing!
Hi Ashley!
Love your blog! You are such an amazing strong woman!
We learned so much about juicing at Hippocrates Health Spa. Kris Carr goes there in her documentary. You should take a trip down there!
FUCK CANCER!!!!
You are so touching, Ashley. How I wish you lived closer. I’d wash your juicer any day of the week 😉
Seriously, how amazing you are that I don’t even know you in IRL and it pains me how much I wish I could help.
I’m so so so proud of you but I am so proud of Mr. LBB and Boo too. I was thinking about your mom yesterday- I bet it was so hard for her to go back 🙁 I know as a mom how painful that would be. Sending up many good prayers and thoughts for ALL of you. And YAY! for Boo’s school being so fun and supportive!! Amazing how u bring out the best in people by being so loveable- chew on that with your fruit snacks, Missy! MUAH!
i think that sounds so good! & so great how you explained it. i loooove reading all your blogs and hearing about how you are doing. you are amazing & so strong. i hope you now that you inspire so many people! your happiness & joy is so contagious! my sisters & i totally admire you and love sharing your story with others. xoxo
andrea
You are just so darn cute Ashley! Looking @ you in your chemo chair makes me just want to give you a big ole hug! So here’s one for you!
Big hugs!!!!!!
I am both intrigued and afraid of juicing. Did you start juicing because of your cancer or is it something that you liked before? Since my bout with cancer, I have thought about juicing but it just doesn’t look good at all – LOL! I know it is super good for you and I am positive that I don’t get my fruits and veggies like I should.
I love the juicing idea 🙂 Always wanted a Jack LaLanne power juicer but too expensive right now. Can’t wait for your recipes….maybe you can make a recipe book 🙂