www.stephmastini/forgotten ones /

 I can smile now      I just turned 60..yes, this is a recent photo.  I stay on an anti-cancer diet. No white food, processed food and  I don't eat meat except Bison and antibiotic free organic meat.   I believe that there are no diets really, only a lifestyle. I am a size three and I maintain my weight because I learned how to cook   Mediterranean style and I incorporate the meals my Italian Grandmother and Father taught me.  It's simple really.  I can teach you too.

I have always been Superwoman At least that was what everyone thought..  I never thought much about my energy level since I had to juggle work, single motherhood, school.  Than my father said one day that if he owned a business he would make me CEO. I was organized, never tired and I just was that type A woman. Than after my last cancer surgery I lost my energy.  I lost my appetite.  I couldn't sleep well. I have been trying to figure out why with my doctors. Fibromyalgia, anemia,. I just thought it is something else. I didn't give up I barely made it through the day..oh it must be depression.  All the diagnoses and pills and still I didn't feel like me. I knew that my energy was gone but also I didn't feel happy and I was always irritable. Finally I walked to my car last Friday and could barely make it out the door. I was pale and my eyes were blurry.  Driving was concerning. I just had to have some answers.  I have been too tired

I just had great news.  I have been having regular six  month ultrasounds and MRI's once a year to check on a node that has been bothering me under my implant. I am happy to say that it has shrunk in size!  I believe that this is because of my anti cancer diet which I will be posting .  I learned how to eat a MEditerranean diet since I grew up in an all Italian family and heritage.  It turns out that all the veggies and small amounts of sugar and meat has really helped..I will be posting and concentrating on diet  on next blog post.  My Grandma and my Dad were right..we did not eat processed food and we ate many bright vegetables.  I also learned that frozen vegetable and fruit can be used and in many cases much healthier than fresh.  We don't know how long the produce has been sitting and with frozen food they are fresh when packed. Stay away from anything that has allot of words you can't pronounce. I do eat pasta with only semolina flour and no I will not give that

                                                                              Recently I started back on Aromasin and I am experiencing once again, pain and night sweats.  I saw this article and wanted to share it with all the women experiencing these debilitating side effects. I decided after talking it over with my oncologist, that it would be better to go back to this aromatase inhibitor after the five year suggested therapy I ended last year.  So yes, I am looking for answers and hopefully exercise will help with the side effects. Much research has shown that exercise, a healthy diet, and counseling can help women feel better, both during and after breast cancer treatment. A new study has found that exercise eases joint pain that can be a side effect of the aromatase inhibitors, a type of hormonal therapy medicine. The study, “Randomized trial of exercise vs. usual care on aromatase inhibitor-associated arthralgias in women with breast cancer: The hormones and phys

Six years today I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction.  I am truly blessed and I am still going strong....Living my life and looking forward to a much needed vacation. One thing I learned the last six years is to start saying no.  I have been taking care of everyone my whole life it seems ...started when I was nine and my sister was born. I was a young single parent of two, on top of that.  My Dad and Mom were also part of my care giving lifestyle.  Now, I have stepped back. We need to take care of ourselves and we forget sometimes. I didn't even realize I had cancer when I was caring for my father since all I did was run run run... I do not regret any of the time I have spent being a caregiver but now it's time for me.

Hi everyone. Life has a way of throwing curve balls.  I just had one thrown directly between my eyes. I recently had my annual PET testing and CT scan and I was told that a small node was found on my right lung .  I asked my oncologist for more testing and he said I could "wait another six months".  I refuse to take that course and I am following up With a new oncologist and thoracic surgeon . My father passed away from lung cancer .  The word "wait" does not exist in my vocabulary. It's time for action. An update..I went for my colonoscopy last week and the biopsy shows that  I have four nodes, one is precancerous. They removed them  and I pray that it was in time ...I eat very well but stress is a huge component ..I didn't stress about my breast cancer but I have noticed that I have not been taking my life day by day.  I stress about the future. Time to stop that behavior since it only hurts me.

March 6th is my new birth date ; six years of cancer free living ~On that date I had my Mastectomy and reconstruction birthday ..( I just hit my eight year lumpectomy surgery this week.) It also happens to be the day my daughter, Cara Podenski is scheduled to give birth to her first child ... I see this as a sign . A miraculous beginning . I have called my daughter over and over, left messages and she has never returned or answered my calls. over the last 5 years. I do not block my number because I am not giving up hope that she will answer . I do not know of anything I have done and I have no answers.. I was even told I would be arrested if I came to her Wedding. Although I keep trying, I can't be the only one to mend this relationship between mother and daughter. What could I have done so terrible to deserve this exile. Nothing. I just know that I am to be a Grandmother, and I earned that right, but I also want my daughter to exorcise her demons for her ment