My mama, Cheryl. Hi Mom! This is one of my favorite pictures of her. She is so happy and she is with my amazing stepdad, Jim. Plus I think she looks SO pretty…here…relaxed, at ease and happy.
My mom and stepdad, Jim
My mom is pretty amazing. I absolutely admire her for a ton of reasons. She has been a great mom and even if it might have taken me a long time to see it she has always been there for me and has always been my biggest fan. Even when I made poor choices or said hurtful things or when we didn’t agree with one another’s decisions…she never left me and I know she never will. 🙂
What I want to talk about it how I believe that my mom is a FIGHTER and how she is a living testament to what a healthy lifestyle can do. When I was 18 my mom was diagnosed with Smoldering Multiple Myeloma. What is it, you ask? To put it simply it is cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow. Currently there is no cure.
How it started: My mom went in for her regular yearly physical and her blood testing revealed she was extremely anemic. Her doctor was concerned by how anemic she was and referred her to a hematologist (blood specialist) for further testing. Further testing found an unusal protein in her urine and the hematoloist wanted to do a bone marrow biopsy. This also showed the same foreign protein in her marrow. This led my mom to the Mayo Clinic for more extensive testing. After more blood and bone marrow testing it was determined she had smoldering multiple myeloma.
What is Smoldering Multiple Myeloma? In the simplest of terms it meant that there was not enough of this foreign protein in her body for it to be considered full-blown myeloma but it was well determined that it would eventually develop into that. There was no treatment available, or protocol established, she was basically told to wait. Wait for it to develop into cancer. So home she came with her life (our lives) turned upside down.
What did she do? My mom is a strong woman and so she FOUGHT! She researched alternative medicines and started eating organic fruits, vegetables, and meats. She started taking natural herbs and really listening to herself. She turned away from processed foods, started removing gluten and exercising. She completely changed her lifestyle and tried to be as natural as possible. My mom has never been overweight or even what most would consider unhealthy but now she was determined to be the healthiest she could be! She went in every month for blood and urine testing, and eventually started going every 3 months and now (and for about the past 5 years) she goes in once a every 6 months.
The verdict? For the first time in 10 years her blood work is the best it has ever been! She still has this funky protein in her blood, bone marrow and urine but the protein levels are actually stabilizing and even some months decreasing! Her doctors are amazed and claim this is unprecedented! I can only say it is because my mom is amazing and she is strong. I love her so much and to me it shows that without a doubt a healthy lifestyle can literally SAVE YOUR LIFE!
Do you have a healthy inspiration?
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HEALTHY LIVING WITH KELLY 
I totally agree with you on healthy lifestyles making a huge difference. If only more people could see that rather than automatically relying on medications. Thanks for sharing!
This story is AMAZING. It just gave me chills. Truly incredible.
Thanks Jess!!
What an inspiration! My mom has had cancer 5 times and is still fighting strong. She is definitely my inspiration!
WOW…your mom sounds pretty amazing too!!
fabulous story 🙂 my parents are both my healthy inspiration…they’ve gone from eating OK and exercising consistently to eating really well and exercising regularly and it’s made all the difference in the world 🙂
what an inspirational story! It’s anecdotes like this that really make me think about what foods/chemicals/etc that I put into my body. How wonderful that she is doing so well!
Wow– amazing post!!! Thank you so much for writing and sharing this– it could save someone’s life! Your mama is a beautiful lady!!
you and your family are beautiful . Glad things are well with you all.
Your mom is an inspiration!! Thank you for sharing her story. 🙂
That’s awesome news Kelly. Glad to hear it!
We had a scare with my Mom recently and found out that everything is good. I just wish I could convince her to start doing things a little healthier like your Mom did. I might have to share your Mom’s story with her.
Definitely….I would love for my mom’s story to help someone else!!
Wow, that is so great about the good blood work. Way to go, mom! She is really beautiful, BTW.
My healthy inspiration is my dad. He’s 83 (he got married way late) and still hits the gym 3 times a week. He has always been a healthy eater and regular exerciser. Good influence on me and my brother!
– Beth
That’s great about your mom! Have you ever seen the documentary called Crazy Sexy Cancer? The author basically halts her cancer by making lifestyle changes. It focuses a lot on raw foods, but is interesting and inspiring nonetheless.
I have heard of that but I haven’t ever seen it. But I do believe that as horrible as cancer is a postive attitude can do a lot.
Awesome Mama!!! That is so cool that she took charge like that. Very inspiring indeed. 🙂
Your mom is so cute! What an inspiration to you! I love my mom as well! Don’t know what I would do without her!
Your mom is such a fighter!!! Her story is soo inspirational:)
That is an incredible testimony to healthy living!! I am so thrilled for you and your family that your mom has been successful at winning this fight. Way to go!
Your mom truly is an inspiration and I completely agree…healthy lifestyle has soooo many benefits. I am hoping to be my daughters healthy lifestyle inspiration….teach them know and they will take it into the future with them.
Thank you so much for sharing this story with us. Your mom is SUCH an inspiration. Why am I not surprised? She did create a rock star of a daughter!!!! xoxo
Thanks Lindsay! 🙂
Yes! That’s a fantastic story and it’s so true that changing your lifestyle can save you from horrible things.
Well, my healthy inspiration is a little weird. A couple of years ago I caught the baking bug, while my mom was trying to lose weight. Eventually she *begged* me to start making healthier things (since all I was ever making was cookies and muffins :P) and so I reluctantly agreed. She lost 150 lbs due to hard work and she was really the one who got me interested in health and fitness, and now I’m actually *way* more interested in it than she is, to the point where I’ve become *her* inspiration. She got me reading all these articles about health which led me to look further into it, and got me to take it very seriously to the point where I changed my own habits because I decided I wanted to be as healthy as I can for my limited time here. 🙂
Congrats to your Momma for fighting!! When my Dad was diagnosed with cancer, he just kind of shut down – no fight at all. His only saving grace was that he died peacefully in his sleep with all of us around him – sadly – my daughter is the oldest grandchild and is the only one that has a good memory of him – and she was only 6 when he died.
Give your Momma a hug for me!
I think your mom is my inspiration…my Aunt is an inspiration to me – she died of cancer a year ago – only in her 50’s – she had so much fight in her the last time I seen her. She puts things in perspective. Skin cancer is so scary – well, any cancer – I know I look wayyyy better with a tan – but it’s just such a stupid risk…not to mention the silliness of, yeah, wrinkles 😉
What an inspiring post!! Your mom definitely is a fighter, and I’m glad to see that you’re so proud to call her your mama 🙂
My healthy inspiration is *also* my mom! She has been through skin cancer, breast cancer, and neurological issues (she has had 2 mini strokes but still hasn’t been diagnosed for that). But the thing is…you would NEVER guess it. She is the most positive person I know and is also still incredibly active.
Shew, we’ve been blessed with such amazing mothers. Thanks for this post because it really reminded me how grateful I should be for mine 🙂
Your mom is so beautiful!
I love hearing stories like this, I have tears!! Good Food and lifestyle is so important for our bodies. I love that she changed her ways (most people don’t) and listened to herself. Your body will always tell you what it needs!
Love this, love you and your mom!! YEAH TO HEALTH!
XXOO
girl this is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! wow! amazing story!
Wow, that is amazing story Kelly. You’re mom is so inspirational and such a testament to how healthy eating can improve life!
amazing story!!! and i am my own inspiration. TONS of health challenges that i never blog about but thru avoiding my allergens and exercising (use it or lose it) I have healed my self 🙂
Your Mother is amazing Kelly! You are so very blesssed to have her as your Mom.
Your mother is beautiful and strong! What an inspiring woman!
Your mom is AMAZING!! She is so strong and such a fighter and if anyone could get though it, she can. It must be wonderful to have such an inspiration to look up to 🙂
great story! speaks to the power of a more holistic model of health which i love. thank you for sharing!
What a fighter!! Your mom is awesome!! Thanks for sharing- great way to start a Saturday with such an inspirational story! Hope you have a great weekend!
Your mom is beautiful, and wonderful and I’m SO happy that you two are best of friends. 🙂 Through you and your mom I learned all the details of multiple myeloma when my grandfather was diagnosed with it.
I have so many inspirations…me (of course) and my issues caused/helped me get healthy. You, in your life journey, has helped me stay healthy. And I think most of my friends have contributed in one way or another to my mental health and physical health. We all are everyone’s inspiration, you just don’t know it at the time.
Thanks Beck…you mean a lot to me too and I can easily draw inspiration from your journey! 🙂
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WOW! Your mom is one amazing and strong woman! I am so happy to hear that she’s doing well – that is awesome. Equally awesome is how she took control of her health despite the odds, amazing. Thank you for sharing it with us!
wow! my sis’s friend just got diagnosed….i am sending her this post……what an inspiration!
You guys look exactly alike – both so pretty!!
I am so glad that she is doing so well!
Wow Kelly, what an amazing story.
Your mom sounds like a pretty amazing person, most people would just give up – it takes alot of strength to make that kind of change, but she proof that its worth it!
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Your mom sounds amazing. A few years ago, my mom was told she was pre-diabetic. I was so proud of her when she changed her entire diet and began to eat better and exercise. Her doctor was so impressed with the results, that she was told she did not have to check her blood sugar every day. Being healthy has its benefits!
Wow, your mom is amazing! Thanks for sharing her story. What an inspiration!