Life has taken me on a beautiful journey

one filled with joy, loss and so much love

Life dishes up some surprises

I first started studying holistic nutrition in 2012. I’d been through quite an upheaval — Unexpectedly, I found myself as a single parent with two very young children.

I was wiped out from breastfeeding, extreme mental and physical stress, and emotional devastation. It had taken a long time to feel back in control of my life and now I wanted to do something that nourished me, body and soul. Holistic nutrition was a perfect fit. My interest grew into a passion that happily filled all my spare time.

But then life took another unexpected turn when I met a dashing young engineer. I fell for him hook, line and sinker (if you’ll pardon the pun about a certain online dating site)—and happily, the feeling was mutual.

The process of blending our two families into one big, awesome one was full of daily challenges. Juggling four kids, two homes and two careers was wildly busy, so I set aside my nutrition studies and concentrated on keeping up with what had to get done.

The big, bad surprise

In the midst of all that crazy busy, building toward a new life, I got a shocking diagnosis: breast cancer.

It seemed impossible. I was a healthy thirty-something who ate well and exercised a lot. For God’s sake I juiced on the daily! But there it was—cancer. I was lucky. Mine was early stage and hormonally driven—the best kind of terrible.

At first, with my good prognosis, I was blissfully naïve. But as any cancer survivor knows, the torment of knowing cancer could still be lurking never leaves you…it just takes a backseat while you worry about things like hair loss, mastectomy bras, and nipple tattoos.

Even in the best-case scenario, breast cancer is anything but a pretty pink ribbon. The treatment sends you to hell and back.

After a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, two mastectomies, and hormonal therapy I was finally given the “all clear.” Then I had two reconstruction surgeries to put humpty and dumpty back together again. All this in less than three years.

Today I still deal with some of the lasting side effects of my treatment. But believe me, I know I had it easy. The strength of those who deal with late stage and metastatic diagnoses amazes and inspires me every day.

Highs and lows on a twisting road

I’d overcome cancer. Things were looking up—WAY up. To celebrate I would fulfil a life-long dream. I took a trip to Nepal and Tibet with some of my favourite people, including the wonderful man in my life. At Base Camp on Mt. Everest’s northern face, he proposed.

We came home filled with joy. And then my mother told me she’d found a lump in her own breast and she was sure it was growing. It made me so angry. Though my treatments were finished, I was still very much in the middle of my own battle, still working through the fear, the side effects, the emotional isolation.

Mom’s pathology results were not good. She had one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. A whole new, horrible battle lay ahead. Mom died just six months after she was diagnosed. Thank goodness for the loving, supportive people around me. Love of life and my beautiful family got me through.

At the same time, I was tormented by expectations. So many people in my life thought it was time I went back to work now that I was “healthy” again. I figured I should be strong enough—and I sensed that’s what others thought—but I knew I wasn’t ready to return to the grinding day-to-day routine I’d had before cancer.

Realizations and the road ahead

Cancer takes so much but it’s also given me many gifts. It has slowed the pace of my life and given me perspective. Most of all it gave me time to appreciate my family, my life and all its beautiful craziness.

After Mom died, decisions about career and lifestyle that I’d thought were so difficult became very easy. I decided not to return to work and I re-enrolled in the nutrition program I’d parked years earlier. The calling was crystal clear: I needed to help people who like me, had endured hardship and were mentally ready to take care of their own self.

And so here I am, on this new journey, one that will allow me to share what I’ve learned about simple whole foods, healthy lifestyles and good self-care. I am so excited to help others live life to the fullest by helping them be the most nourished version of themselves.

I am excited to help you.