The Week Ahead - New Normal

Been an uneventful few days around here. You know, other than the boys being gone. We sent them off to Colorado for six days to see their grandmother and it's been kinda quiet around here since. Kim and I did what every parent does when their kids are gone, sleep late. Saturday we drove out to Hood River and Mosier for some hiking and Sunday was time for Kim to connect with a friend also facing cancer. Later in the afternoon we enjoyed a ride. Suffice it to say that Kim will remain focused on exercise as a fundamental element of her therapy. But diet remains our primary focus. Sure, Kim will use chemotherapy as an initial first step but she is putting her full attention to food as medicine. I've had a lot of requests to explain what that means and I'm no dietician but here it is:

No sugar
Foods with low glycemic index
No dairy
No meat
Lots of water
No alcohol
A focus on foods that are proven to reduce inflammation
And a healthy diet of big views.

Now that last line is something I came up with. There's something important and elemental about the outdoors and taking in an expansive natural view. Those places where you stand still and just say "wow" in a soft voice. What better way to kick this off than a trip to the Columbia River Gorge? On Saturday we stood on the Mosier Plateau and looked to the east and west at the Columbia River. We hiked through some rocky sections and beautiful, grassy hills. We stood at the edge of a cliff and let the strong winds buffet us until we laughed; it was nuts up there. Later, in Hood River we went to the beach by the river and enjoyed letting the cool water get that hiking dust off of our legs. We went up to a cafe and took in a big view of Mt Adams. The drive home gave us even more great views. I'd say the weekend diet of big views was a success. Today was a little closer to home and quick spin up to Mt Tabor to see the city of Portland in the late afternoon.

And now it's time for bed and the start of a new week. Not too much to do this week other than some routine doctor's visits and a visit with the naturopath. This is Kim's final "regular" week prior to chemotherapy so we're going to try and enjoy it as best we can. I'll be digging into all the operational details of cancer such as insurance coverage, bills, and all that exciting stuff. I'd rather not get blindsided by something later on so this is a good week to look into all that.

The messages Kim and I are receiving from everyone have been wonderful, thank you for thinking of us. Enjoy this quiet week and we'll get back to action-packed posts a week from now.

-CD

The Mosier Plateau

Swimming Hole

All I did was mention dinner...