Breast Buds

Breast Buds WE WILL HELP YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH / PREVENT A BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS

10/05/2024

In Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month- Myself, and all of those affected by this awful diagnosis:

Another day, another Breast Cancer Awareness Fact:

Breast cancer can develop without a lump. Other symptoms include skin changes, ni**le discharge, or breast pain (National Cancer Institute, 2020).

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, myself, and all the women out there who have been diagnosed with, are current...
10/03/2024

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, myself, and all the women out there who have been diagnosed with, are currently battling, who survived their battle, or who lost their battle to breast cancer, here is today's Breast Cancer Awareness fact:

Only about 5-10% of breast cancer cases are due to inherited gene mutations like BRCA1 and BRCA2. The rest are due to lifestyle choices and circumstances such as stress that can be modified to reduce and prevent risk.

Welcome to October!WHEN NEW MEANINGS TAKE HOLD...For 13 years, I dedicated the month of October to my sweet little Brie;...
10/01/2024

Welcome to October!

WHEN NEW MEANINGS TAKE HOLD...

For 13 years, I dedicated the month of October to my sweet little Brie; a significant part of my journey who brought joy, smiles, so much wisdom, and a whole new meaning to being a mother on October 16th, 2009.

It was no accident that my little gem was born in October- Down Syndrome awareness month.

Then, last year, October took on a new meaning. I would now share this month of awareness with my daughter Abrielle, as a woman diagnosed breast cancer- a diagnosis that came on June 8, 2024.

My cover photo, which I created last year, is symbolic of two significant moments in my life. The birth of my sweet daughter, and a photoshoot with Chappelle Photography on the day before my double mastectomy- a farewell of sorts captured in a raw, real moment of life that I shared with all of you publicly.

So- this month, instead of just posting Down syndrome awareness facts each day, I will also be posting Breast Cancer awareness facts in hopes of educating all of you and spreading awareness in areas that hold deep meaning to me- ones that need to be talked about more.

Feel free to share my posts to help with these awareness efforts.

Love and prayers to all of you!

A FAITHFUL FRIDAY MESSAGE:REJECTION IS ALWAYS GOD'S PROTECTION!I was rejected today- I woke up to a message that I had b...
05/03/2024

A FAITHFUL FRIDAY MESSAGE:

REJECTION IS ALWAYS GOD'S PROTECTION!

I was rejected today- I woke up to a message that I had been kicked out of a holistic cancer support group that I had joined last year to be surrounded with like minds. I had actually PAID to be part of this one and they said they are refunding my money.

I have learned that we need to be grateful for rejection. God helped me heal from my fear of rejection several years ago- and I am so glad that he did.

I have experienced so much of it in my life from my intentions being misunderstood, misinterpreted, or because people felt threatened by or jealous of me in some way.

It used to hurt- it still causes confusion at times...

BUT

I now thank God when I am rejected by others and know that it is a door that either never needed to open or one that needed to shut to protect me from negative things.

One of my consistent prayers the past 3 years or so has been for God to remove the things and people from my life that don't belong and to bring into my life those that will fulfill HIS purpose for my life.

EVERYTHING HAS A SEASON

I have also learned that everything has a season and it serves some sort of purpose in my life. This group was also that. I made some lifelong friends through this group, and I am SO blessed to have them in my life.

Just know, my friends, God protects his people from strife, false prophets and people who do not have your best interest at heart. Accept rejection with gratitude , hold that head up high and carry on with a smile.

If God removes them, you don't need them.

xoxo,
Shell

MY COVETED SPROUTED GRAIN BREAD RECIPE:So many cancer connections I have made over the last year have asked for this rec...
04/29/2024

MY COVETED SPROUTED GRAIN BREAD RECIPE:

So many cancer connections I have made over the last year have asked for this recipe, and I gave it away to many along with several other recipes I have created.

I have not posted this recipe or others in the "groups" because they are recipes that are branded as my own. I was not "allowed" to keep the branding on there if I was going to post.

I chose to leave a 32 year career as a beauty professional due to my cancer diagnosis and closed my commercial bakery last year. My financial business in "maintenance mode" has been my only income since all of this. That is why I am having to reinvent ways to make money to provide for me an the kids...

www.Shellskillerkitchen.com
www.CasualandComfortableclothing.com

Although selling recipes is one way I am trying to pay bills and put food on the table for my kiddos, I have decided to give this recipe to everyone who sees it for FREE today.

I am a generous human- I always have been. I give to others when I have nothing to give, and because of that, I know that God has blessed me with all that I need; He will continue to do so despite how uncertain things are.

After a "mean girl" moment this morning in one of the cancer groups I belong to, I decided to be extra generous today.

INGREDIENTS I USE IN THIS RECIPE ARE IN MY AMAZON STORE UNDER THE SPROUTED GRAIN BREAD INGREDIENTS CATEGORY.
amazon.com/shop/shellskillerkitchen

I must disclose that I make a 1-4% commission depending on the category on anything purchased through my store link-

Full Disclosure: I have earned a total of $89 in commission since I was approved to open the influencer store- so trust me, I am not getting rich off of your purchase, you probably spend that on a night out for dinner. By purchasing from me, however, you are helping a determined mom get one step closer to provide for her family of 3 with every purchase you make.

This bread is delicious toasted with avocado, as sandwich bread, with butter, herbed olive oil or all alone. It is PACKED with whole food nutrition and will NOT raise your blood sugar if you are diabetic.

A LOT of science and a whole lot of love goes into each recipe I create

XOXO
Shell~

Shell's Killer Kitchen

Happy Saturday!Thank you to all who reached out on my post about my procedure yesterday. It went well. It was super weir...
03/30/2024

Happy Saturday!

Thank you to all who reached out on my post about my procedure yesterday. It went well. It was super weird being totally awake while a surgical procedure was being performed on me.

Yes... you read that right, I was totally awake while the surgeon and his assistant performed the surgical procedure to create new ni**les. Only local anesthetic was used- so my nerves were on overdrive as I prepared for that. But once the doctor turned on 80's music in the room it took the edge off.

Last night at about 11pm that anesthetic wore off and the pain/soreness set in, and I am really feeling it this morning- and quite honestly, as painful as it is, it's pretty miraculous and makes me happy.

You see, when you get a mastectomy, they scoop out all your breast tissue, kind of like you would when using a melon baller (for sake of a visual). With that, all your nerves and blood vessels are also removed.

They tell you that you will likely never have sensation and remain numb, so even though that's a hard thing to process, I had accepted it. After my mastectomy, my chest was completely numb, and that lack of feeling was really strange. I mean, you could take a sharp object and poke my chest with the tip and I couldn't feel it at all, (yes, I tried it..ha!)

However, about a month after surgery, my feeling and sensation started coming back...and now, 6 months out it almost feels normal.

I KNOW without doubt after all the research, that it's due to the food I am eating causing the regeneration of nerves and blood vessels, otherwise known as Angiogenesis.

It's a true testament of how our creator built our miraculous bodies. When we nourish it with what He created, it works as it should. When it works as it should, our body is able to fight battles against foreign things, heal itself, regenerate, and we live long vibrant lives.

God is good... and I am in awe of his miraculous work every single day.

Happy Easter Eve!
He is Risen❤️

SHARING MOMENT OF WRITING....Another Test Result, Another Procedure... 3/28/2024As I sat with my morning coffee watching...
03/29/2024

SHARING MOMENT OF WRITING....

Another Test Result, Another Procedure...

3/28/2024
As I sat with my morning coffee watching Joyce Meyers Everyday Answers which has been my morning ritual for the past 7 years, it happened...

An e-mail notification popped up "You have new test results in your portal" and my calm collected mood changed instantly as anxiety took over. As I walked towards my computer, my heart began to race and my palms moistened with the memories of what it was like to hear that word... cancer. A flood of emotions came over me and what was only a few feet became the distance of a football field.

Thoughts raced through my mind just as they did 3 months ago with the last test result, and will likely continue every three months until they decide I don't need this test anymore; I know it will be at least two years. I look forward to the day when I am free from this cage in my mind- but also know that being released will be a constant battle because the continuum is real no matter what path you choose to heal, but my path is the one less chosen- the path some don't even know they can take which is why I share so much.

As my mind was being attacked with all the what if's, I sat down at my desk, took a deep breath, put my hand on my racing heart as if to calm it and spoke aloud "God, I trust you, no matter the result."

I opened the portal and tears flooded my eyes. Another negative result! That makes 3 negative tests for circulating tumor cells/DNA in my blood since surgery. As the tears left my eyes and danced down my cheek, I praised God... for He is my comfort, my healer, the almighty strength in every storm I have faced, and He is so incredibly faithful- it was a good day.

Earlier this week, as I began to prepare for phase 3 of my reconstruction which is scheduled for tomorrow, I asked my daughter Baleigh Talbott to come take some progress shots for memory sake. The first time she took pictures of me was the day before my double mastectomy.

I shared my favorite photo from that set with all of you on August 28, 2023- showing the intimate moment of saying goodbye to cancer, and my breasts. The emotion she captured was breathtaking, and the outpour of love and support from all of you was a wonderful blessing during a very difficult time, so thank you, again.

Tomorrow is phase 3... the ni**le reconstruction, and although some may question my motive in sharing this new picture, I can assure you it is not for anything other than knowing there is someone out there going through this, or who will go through this that needs to know it's all going to be okay- that you can feel physically whole again, even if you no longer recognize what you stare at every day in the mirror. You will become a new you with new wisdom, new resilience, new appreciation and a new beauty that shines from within.

Once again, my daughter captured that beauty in a moment yesterday. If you zoom in you will see a small round band-aid on my face- and I asked her that when she retouches this photo to leave it there for the sake of significance in the memory. This shot is raw, straight from the camera with light from my bedroom window on a rainy day.

Yesterday, just before she came to take pictures, I had a small biopsy done at the dermatologist of a "spot" on my face that has been there for 22 years. Nothing has changed about it, but my new "normal" is not normal- and we did not want to take any chances dismissing it.

That band-aid is a reminder of my new normal- and another reminder that a cancer diagnosis is a continuum- but God reminds me that so is the life that He gave us.

So don't waste one single moment of it, and know you can live for eternity, no matter how short your time is here on earth.

EXCERPT ALERT:From my second book... (manuscript not yet complete)Fighting for The Happy Ending By Shelley GiardMarch 2,...
03/03/2024

EXCERPT ALERT:
From my second book... (manuscript not yet complete)
Fighting for The Happy Ending
By Shelley Giard

March 2,2024

I can't believe it has been ONE YEAR!

One year ago today at 4:56 PM, I sent my boyfriend James a text to tell him that I had just found a lump in my right breast. It's really hard to process all that has happened in that year.

Cancer cannot be explained in words- even by those who have experienced it. There's too much to explain, and you can't wrap your brain around any of it due to the fog that clouds each thought. It's like an out of body experience where you feel everything intensely while also being completely numb. You shift into autopilot, just going through the motions you need to go through to survive... literally.

It is a journey that continues with or without you being emotionally present.

If it could be explained in words, those words would change on a moment by moment basis because a cancer diagnosis is an ever changing continuum that will now be with you for the rest of your life. You become consumed by thoughts of it, reminders of it, fears of it, and remnants of it no matter how much you want to forget about it. It doesn't define you, but it does become part of who you are.

The most difficult and paralyzing thing that very few people discuss is the emotionally distressing wave that crashes onto the surface of your life but fails to leave shore... it just hovers, waiting to pull you back in. YOU MUST STAY STRONG, otherwise, you will surely be sucked out to sea and drown.

Being someone who decided to refuse traditional protocols to battle cancer was, at times, a very lonely and confusing place. Doctors called me crazy telling me I'd be dead if I didn't do what they said with the aggressive cancer I had growing. Those who showed empathy and support in the beginning when they learn you have cancer begin to disappear when you don't "look" like a cancer patient.

I remember when I started looking for online support groups to find connection and insight into a world I did not want to be part of. I was so confused being rejected by groups of breast cancer patients who chose the traditional path because I didn't look/feel/ experience what they were going through physically. I was actually deleted from 2 groups that I had joined just because I was going to try and beat it holistically.

I guess "my body, my choice" doesn't apply to cancer patients.

So my search began for groups of "Natural & Holistic" cancer patients and survivors offering a safe place to share experience. However, I was confused once again, by all the rules, like the fact that you are asked not to openly celebrate your wins or give advice even when based on personal experience until you are "out of the safe zone". I was told this is at least 2 years of survival, but more like 5, or actually 10 because as it was shared, "we have celebrated people too early who later died." I'm sorry, shouldn't anyone doing their best to beat cancer be allowed to celebrate their victories regardless of some stupid timeline? Don't you think that others would be inspired by others simply sharing that they too, are in the trenches? Why would a "support" group delete posts that encouraging and inspiring to others?

So, you are left wondering... where do I actually belong?

When you feel like the answer is nowhere, you create a community of your own, one of acceptance and celebration- one where even the smallest of victories are worth a mention simply because of the courage it takes to stare this diagnosis in the face. You become your own group even if you are the only member that ever shows up- and you decide to WIN anyway!

God joined my group and supported me every step of the way. Although I did end up with several supporters in the "group" I created God was the only member I ever truly needed.

A year has passed since the day I found that lump, and the tornado of physical and emotional events that have occurred since then leave remnants lying all over my life. However today, I am celebrating a victory, and that victory is that I did it... I am here, I am alive, I am well with no sign of cancer in my body and that is worth celebrating no matter what the timeline.

XOXO,
Shell

IF YOU HAVE BREAST CANCER (or want to prevent it) EAT SOY!!!"According to the latest clinical studies, in addition to it...
02/23/2024

IF YOU HAVE BREAST CANCER (or want to prevent it) EAT SOY!!!

"According to the latest clinical studies, in addition to it's anti-angiogenic effects, (stops blood vessels from forming) soy can suppress breast cancer by epigenetically (changing how genes work) activating the power of a tumor suppressor gene. The job of these genes is to prevent tumor growth. When the genes are blocked it becomes easier for breast cancer cells to grow even though there are still other health defenses that cancer must overcome to become deadly" (Li, 2019, M.Z. Fang et al., 2005).

Don't ever feel guilty for saying no to someone so that you can say yes to yourself.We do this more than we should.We do...
02/17/2024

Don't ever feel guilty for saying no to someone so that you can say yes to yourself.

We do this more than we should.

We do it to be liked...
Accepted...
To feel needed...
To keep the peace.

BUT peace within us is more important than the peace of how others see us.

You have to say yes to yourself to prevent illness.

Don't feel guilty, don't feel afraid.

This change will improve your life, your health, and increase your level of joy and inner peace.

Xoxo,
Shell

Happy Valentine's  Day!
02/14/2024

Happy Valentine's Day!

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