I didn’t want to talk about this on the blog beforehand, but I’m really happy to report that my mom, who went in for a risk-lowering surgery this morning, is home and doing really well! She’s been writing about her decision to have the procedure done and her experience preparing for it over on her blog.
When people ask me why I went into nutrition, I often explain that I have a family history of certain cancers, and so I was surrounded at a very young age by all kinds of information (and misinformation) about health, wellness, and nutrition. It may not be the exact reason I decided to switch careers and go into dietetics, but that desire to understand the body and the way food and disease affect its function has been with me almost as long as I can remember.
I’m really proud of my mom for the way she’s taken charge of learning about her family health history and exploring her options for enjoying a healthy future while arming the rest of us with information we can use too.
Do you have a family history of certain illnesses? Does it impact the way you take care of yourself?
that’s great news about your mom! That’s one of the main reasons why I got into dietetics too – it’s just so fascinating how food can make such a difference in terms of disease development, progression, healing, etc. My mom is very inactive and pretty unhealthy, and while it breaks my heart, it’s also a constant reminder to take really good care of myself.
Thanks, Kelly! I totally understand how tough it can be when a family member or someone we love about doesn’t take as good care of themselves as we wish they would. Just gotta keep sending them love, I guess
Hooray for your mom!
Very happy news, friend! My step-grandmother had cancer and lost her arm, but still kicks butt at life! As I think you saw on my blog, my grandfather passed away from cancer a few months ago, and last week my partner’s mom just passed away from a ten year fight with cancer, so I just experienced first-hand how devastating it can be. Preventative surgery must be such a hard decision, but I’m really glad you’re mom is feeling good about it!