Cancer is a touchy subject for many people, because it is such a common way for people to die. I can not think of anyone that I know that has not had a loved one either have cancer or die from cancer. Personally, I have had 3 of my grandparents die from cancer and I have seen many family friends fight with the disease. “The word cancer refers not to a single disease, but to hundreds of different diseases. They are grouped into four broad categories based on the type of tissue from which the cancer arises”(Donatelle, 2019, p. 263). The four groups that the book talks about are Carcinomas, Sarcomas, Lymphomas, and Leukemias. Carcinomas are in the tissue covering the body surfaces and are the most common place for cancer to exist. Sarcomas are in the middle layer of tissue like the bones and muscles and tend to be more severe than carcinomas. Lymphomas are in the lymphatic system and attack the part of the body that is supposed to be fighting infections. Leukemias are typically in the bone marrow or spleen because they form in blood-forming parts of the body. I have known that there are different types of cancers, but it is very interesting to learn about what each does.
My maternal grandmother passed away 20 years ago, after fighting breast cancer for a very long time. This was a reality check to the women in my life and my mom would always tell me as I was growing up to do self-examinations. In the book, Donatelle explains that “the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force no longer strongly promotes doing the BSE on a monthly basis”(p. 268). I found this very odd because of how much it has been instilled in me to do monthly exams. After reading a bit more, the book explains that many women would become more worried and would often get unnecessary testing because of this. The book explains the correct way to do a BSE(breast-awareness self-examination) and says that it is a good idea to get to know your body but do not obsess over it unless there are clear changes.
Another big disease that people often have to worry about is diabetes. “People with diabetes need to check their blood glucose level several times throughout each day to make sure they stay within their target range”(Donatelle, 2019, p. 280). This disease calls for a whole lifestyle change of the person affected. Not only do they have to watch their blood, glucose levels, but they also need to make sure that they are staying active and eating the right foods. A few of my family members have type 2 diabetes and there was a time when I was younger that my brother and I were at a very high risk for getting it too. My parents made me and my brother log all of the food we ate each day and only allowed us to drink water (we hated it at the time, but in the end it helped us a lot). The fact that this disease is somewhat preventable makes it very shocking that so many people have it, but it is not easy for many people to make a lifestyle change, even if it is for their health.
This week I changed up the way that I worked towards my health goal. Since I finished the 21 day fix, I decided to make my own workout routine (the workout videos got annoying after a while). I have a notebook where I write down what workout I should be doing each day and it helps me keep track of my progress. Today is leg day and I have 6 workouts listed, but on other days such as Mondays when I do core workouts, I may have 10 workouts. I try to push myself to do all of the workouts I have listed 3 times, but on days where I have much more workouts, I may choose a couple to leave out. I like this plan because I can adjust it to me and my needs, if I am not feeling well, I can modify my workout to better fit how I feel and if I feel like I can do more, then I’ll either up the weight or the reps. In a perfect world I would be going on a 30 minute run most days, but the weather has not been motivating me to go outside the past few days. This lockdown has given me the time to focus on my health in both a nutrition aspect and fitness. I have been able to snack less these past few weeks, which is mostly due to meal prepping, mindful eating and drinking more water. I have noticed that if I feel hungry, and substitute eating with a glass of water, I often feel better than I would have if I had snacked.
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