MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I just wanted to wish everyone a very merry christmas (sorry a little belated) and all the best to you and yours for the new year!! Click on the link below for a little christmas dance from me:

Kristal's christmas dance (I believe its only available until Jan 15, so enjoy while you can!!)

I would also like to take the time to say thank you for a couple things:

- thank you to everyone who has been following my journey and have had me in their thoughts and prayers! The overwhelming support I have gotten really means alot to me, and I'm so thankful for such great friends and family!

- I'm thankful that my family is all able to spend christmas together. Even though I couldn't make it down to nice warm Trinidad as I would normally do, what makes christmas is really who you are with. My youngest brother lives up here and mummy is here taking care of me....then daddy and my other brother flew in on christmas eve. That night we had a nice dinner together, along with my boyfriend and one of my very close friends. Then christmas day we spent at mum's friend's house (a Trini household)....and in the night I went to my bf's family. So I had a really great day up here, with good company, and yummy yummy food!!

- I am thankful that it worked out that I was feeling well on christmas day, since my next chemo treatment is after xmas, on Wed. I have some friends who had their treatments the Wed before xmas, and I know they weren't feeling their best....I hope they're doing better now!

- I am thankful for being in Canada where there is so much support available, and free health care!! Woohoo!!

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I do have one more christmas wish.......a cancer free world would be nice!! Maybe that's asking for too much, but I'm hoping some little steps might help make a difference (even if its just a small difference). Since new years resolution time is approaching, maybe you can think of something you can do or change that could help reduce your chance of the 'C' word affecting your life, because if I had one wish, it would be that noone else is diagnosed with this 'disease'. Even if its something that might seem insignificant.....sometimes a little goes a long way. Here are some ideas:

- throw away all your plastic containers and replace with glass ones
- buy yourself some organic/natural products (soap, shampoo, makeup or creams for eg.)
- get a stainless steel water bottle instead of using plastic water bottles
- try to eat minimum 5-7 servings of fruit and veggies everyday....the more the better
- cut back on your sugar intake
- lower your alcohol consumption (1-2 drinks maximum in a day is a suggestion).
- exercise regularly
- learn to handle or reduce your stress (Stress can encourage growth of breast cancer)

They say there are so many things that could cause cancer, so I don't know if there is any sure way to ensure you never get it. But there is no harm in trying. Some of the things I have listed are very easy to do and many of you have probably already done alot of them....so koodos to you!!

Personally, I've been trying to do everything on that list above because I do not want to go through this again!!! It's hard to maintain for sure...a work in progress for me...but a little at a time I guess is better than nothing at all.

Feel free to update me on your steps to a more cancer free life.....I would love to hear what you're doing for you :)