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In preparation for a post I wrote for Frosting For the Cause last year, I took the opportunity to do a little research about my Grandmother’s life and what it was like just before she died of Breast Cancer.
I found a short passage written by my Grandpa about her, and I just love it (mostly because it’s about dessert :)…
It goes like this:
“When you’re young and in love, it doesn’t take too many physical comforts to be happy. We were young and happy, and Doris cooked some great meals for us. She also baked a beautiful, fresh coconut meringue pie, and while walking to the table, dropped it upside down on the floor. She cried a good portion of the night, and 27 years have passed, and she still hasn’t baked me another coconut pie…” (41)
On May 15, 1978, Grandmother called Grandpa on his business trip and told him that what she thought had been mastitis was actually erysipelas and had been prescribed Penicillin and lots of rest. On June 27, she was informed that she had an aggressive case of breast cancer and treatments began a few days later.
On October 18th, Doris was declared cancer free. But after many months of painful irritation left on her skin from her radiation treatments, and a lot of time sick in bed, she found more lumps. Biopsies revealed active cancer cells. Chemotherapy, and all that it entails, began.
The treatments were hard and it wasn’t too many more months before her body couldn’t handle any more. She died on August 1, 1980 with her husband of 31 years by her side.
Her family of four children now includes four spouses, 20 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren in addition to my Grandpa’s second wife and their two children. She left us a loving family. Even those of us who never knew Grandma, grew up with her name in our homes, always spoken in happy reverence.
No doubt about it: cancer has definitely touched our lives.
But my Grandmother has left a stronger impression in our hearts.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and we’ve been doing our part over here on Something Swanky to spread the word and raise awareness by baking pink all week! Make sure you check out these fabulous pink desserts…
- Angel Food Cake Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream by Kitchen Meets Girl
- Nutella Strawberry Braid by Inside BruCrew Life
- Raspberry and Vanilla Bean Cupcakes by Life {Made} Simple
We all know someone whose life has been touched by Breast Cancer. My own Grandmother lost her battle when my dad was only 20. You can read her story in my Frosting for the Cause post from last year.
I hope you all can find a way to contribute to the cause. The Susan G. Komen website is a great resource for understanding breast cancer and finding a way to get involved! Take a minute to stop by and check it out! And keep in mind these healthy behaviors that aid in the prevention of breast cancer:
- Be physically active.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Choose 100 percent whole grain foods (like 100 percent whole grain breads and cereals, brown rice, popcorn and quinoa) more often.
- Limit red meat and processed meat (choose chicken, fish or beans instead).
- Cut down on “bad” fats (saturated and trans fats), and eat more “good” fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, like olive and canola oil).
- Get enough vitamin D and calcium every day. For women and men ages 51 to 70, this means 10 mcg600 IU of vitamin D and 1,200 mg of calcium. For men ages 51 to 70, this means 600 IU of vitamin D and 1,000 mg of calcium.
- Take a daily multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid (often called folate on nutrition labels).
- If you drink alcohol, limit to drink less than one drink of alcohol a day (for women and fewer than two drinks a day for men). Those who drink alcohol should try to get enough folic acid, either through a multivitamin or foods like oranges, orange juice, leafy green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals. [source]
Recipe Inspired by: Shugary Sweets, who is the queen of all chocolate trash recipes 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 standard sized bag microwave popcorn, popped
- 1 package Pink Wilton Candy Melts
- 1 sleeve Golden Oreos
- 3 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Remove kernels from popcorn and place popped corn in a large bowl.
- Melt chocolate according to directions on package.
- Meanwhile, crumble the Oreos in your hands and mix in with the popcorn. Mix the marshmallows in as well.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the mixture, mixing with a rubber spatula to coat well.
- Spread the mixture on waxpaper or other nonstick surface to let cool and harden. Break up into pieces and enjoy!
