I just finished my last official Skype session with my life coach. We were supposed to meet every other week for 6 months but she adjusted our schedule to accommodate treatments and travel needs so we were able to meet over the course of all my chemotherapy and radiation and a little recovery as well. What a blessing to have a professional to meet with and provide inspiration and guidance over this journey. She's a gem. Highly recommended too- even with Skype and online connections, it was worth every minute chatting with her. If you want to know who I met with visit Lisa's site: http://www.catchwellnesshealthcoaching.com/ Best recommendation my brother-in-law ever gave me (and he's shared many insightful thoughts over the years.) He knew Lisa because of their Iron Man team and how lucky I was to connect with her before my third diagnosis...
So, Lisa wrote up a recap of our sessions and time together and her view on my journey. Thought it was so beautifully written that I wanted to share on my journal here... Thank you Lisa, I'm so grateful for our time together. I really appreciate everything that I've learned and everything I've been able to add to my thriving toolbox!
From Lisa -
Catch Wellness Program Summary
Name: Debbie Alvarez
Date: 3-9-15
You started this journey back on August 11, 2014 in hopes of rebuilding your strength after recovering from 2 rounds of cancer diagnosis, surgeries, chemo and radiation treatment. You were losing weight and wanting to re-evaluate your food and nourishment. Sleep was a big issue and you were getting an average of 6-7 hours of sleep. You claimed you have a lot of worry. You wanted to revisit yoga, dancing, and strength exercises.
Goals for 1 month, 3 months and 6 months:
We did not set goals since after one health coaching session you were diagnosed with lung cancer and were faced with chemotherapy and radiation. This was a harsh reality. You faced one month, one week, one day and one hour at a time.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Food and Eating Habits: You tried all my recipes and provided honest feedback on how they made you feel. You added in noodles, savory foods, such as miso, green smoothies and juicing, variety of veggies, tofu, chia seed pudding, small amounts of chicken, more fruits, lentils, bone broth, kombucha, and soups. Your helper made you meals around your nausea and low energy days. The only cravings you had were noodles. You stayed on track with 3 solid meals a day and were able to maintain and even gain a few pounds through the chemo and radiation! This is incredible! By November 2nd you gained 3 lbs. Diarrhea became an issue during chemotherapy so you added in rice milk, which helped some. You were very consistent with your healthy diet and maintained 3 solid meals a day with a lot of hydration. I am super proud of you since this can be extremely challenging going through chemotherapy and radiation. You never got sick and your counts remained stable overall! This is a testament to your healthy nutrition and primary food focus!
Overall Feeling of Improved Well-being: You amaze me Debbie. You started out with so much worry and some anger around your diagnosis. You expressed it being difficult to ask for help from others. You have accomplished so much the past 6 months! From the beginning you added in so many positive things that were tools for your toolbox. To name a few: Gratitude journal, Life Interrupted Blog, Audiobooks, Book reading, Qigong, Acupuncture and Chinese herbs, Mindfulness Apps, Art, Inktober, Mindfulness exercises and breathing exercises, Yoga Nidra, Chanting, Massage, Legs up the wall, Cancer support group, Essential oils, and Visualization exercises. You learned to say YES to people when they wanted to help you. You asked for assistance during chemo and radiation treatments! You really made strides and kept such a grateful and positive attitude despite all the harsh realities and challenges! You went back to work in late December/January and have managed your career with grace even during the most energy depleting days.
Family Eating and Other Improvements: Your family has been a wonderful support. Your husband, son, sister, and your parents have given you strength. You have an amazing circle of friends, again, a true testimony of your character and grace throughout this challenging journey. You even managed a vacation over the holiday. You worked on meditation practice and visualization that got you to the chair and table! Mindfulness became one of your biggest strengths, and worry lessened with practice. You never gave up and never gave in. You have reached a new chapter of your book. What will it be titled? What is the next step?
You stated, “I still have control” "I plan to keep it on a positive incline”
Debbie, I really can’t express how grateful I am to have met you and worked with you on such a personal level. You have taught me so much and I truly believe I gained a new perspective in life because of you. You were dealt a mean deal of cards, but have managed this journey with grace, gratitude, strength and endurance. I am so very proud of you. Thank you for this amazing opportunity! Please never hesitate to reach out.
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So touched to see Lisa's perspective on this journey. What an experience.
Thanks as always for journeying with me.
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