Michelle Heavens Last ski Trip of the Year!

Michelle Heavens and David went on a great ski trip to sugarloaf. I'm must confess skiing is not my greatest sport but I love being in the snow wearing all those cute outfits ;)

Moment with Tony Bennett by Michelle Heavens

I have been one of the lucky ones that has been able to check off quit a few things I wanted to achieve before I die (This is not to say that I don’t have a million more) but every years it seems to grow shorter with more emphasis on being around friends, family and people that inspire me in some way. Since being diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer I’ve come to reflect back on my life in moments, each with their own ups and downs but always unique in some way or another. We all have people we would love to meet and place’s we would love to see before that final moment. So it was a very special evening one Friday night, one month before my life was about to change forever yet again, that I had the great pleasure of having dinner with Tony Bennett.
I must confess that all my life I have loved his voice and his timeless love songs. Nothing could have prepared me for hearing him live in concert. I thought at best I would get to hear a true legend sing knowing he is now in his eighties. To my amazement his voice was breathtaking and half way through the concert he put down his microphone and sang (The Way You look Tonight) to a tear filled audience with a standing ovation. So when I found myself setting across from him at The Mar-a-logo in Palm Beach beside Don Soffer, I knew I was having one of those greatest moments that people look forward to their whole lives. He had a soft voice and a kindness about him that was undeniable. He told me I was beautiful and I remembered thinking that I was having Tony Bennett tell me something that generations of women would have killed to hear him say and I he was sitting right beside me. This is one very special moment in time!

By Michelle Heavens

Ovarian Cancer "The Silent Killer"

Often women take a back seat to their own health; life gets busy trying to balance work, errands, kids’ activities and home life. Frequently the last thing on a woman’s infamous to-do list is making a doctor’s appointment for herself. Because of this most women that are diagnosed with ovarian cancer find it in the late stages and for this reason it is referred to as the silent killer.

This is why yearly check-ups are an important part of preventive health care for all adult women. A pelvic exam is done to help detect certain cancers in their early stages, infections, STD’s, or other reproductive system problems. But an abdominal ultrasound may be needed if you are having changes such as pressure or pain in your abdomen, pelvis, back or legs. Having swollen or bloated abdomen, nausea, indigestion, gas, constipation or diarrhea. Feeling very tired all the time, urinating often or having unusual bleeding (heavy periods, or bleeding after menopause).

Don't let the doctors intimidate you! If you feel like something is wrong, GO TO THE DOCTOR! Make sure to keep asking questions and keep pushing if you feel something is wrong because most signs of ovarian cancer go unnoticed.

At 41, I knew the importance of seeing my doctor regularly for checkups and physicals. However in May of 2011, I was blindsided by a diagnosis: Stage 3C Ovarian Cancer. Six months of intensive chemotherapy left me physically devastated and mentally stunned: How had the disease progressed so far without detection? I had gone to see my doctor 5 times in the last year only to be told I was just getting older and because of this my doctor never sent me for an ultrasound. As I struggled to understand why my doctor misread the warning signals I’ve come to learn that this is a very common occurrence.

An ovarian cancer diagnosis unfortunately brings to mind grim statistics instead of optimistic ovarian cancer survivor stories. Why? The numbers can be discouraging. Each year, approximately 21,500 women are diagnosed with the disease and unfortunately more than half of them will pass away each year because of late stage diagnosis. I looked at this statistic and knew that although I have a tough road ahead of me with many unknowns, I’m lucky to have a great support system with the love of my family, friends, doctors and patients.

The reason I’m writing this is to inform people of the importance of early detection. Ovarian cancer awareness and advocacy is still in its infancy unlike Breast Cancer where there is instant recognition worldwide because of the widespread availability of support groups. However, groups like Gilda’s Club, SHARE, Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, the Foundation of Women’s Cancer, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, and others are educating women about the disease but the meaning of the teal-colored Ovarian Cancer ribbon is still unknown to many.

As for what I look forward to in the future. I plan to remain cancer free and will be avid on spreading the word of how important it is to see your doctor regularly, eat healthy and get plenty of exercise to avoid all cancers and health problems.

Wrinkles and Time By Michelle Heavens

I am not sure if it is the wrinkles that bother me or if it is what they represent. I have noticed lately that when I look down at my hands or the corner of my eyes I have a feeling of anxiety, not for the wrinkles themselves but for what they represent to me. They remind me that life is short and precious. They remind me there is so much more to do and so little time to accomplish all my hope and dreams. I think that when we are young and our skin is perfect we feel immortality as if we are vampires, creatures of the night, able to live forever with perfect bodies and skin. Now when I see that my skin has started to fade I find myself in a hurry to do all the things I believed myself possible of doing. In this body that is ever changing I sometimes worry will there be enough time? I think that many women have the same worries, no matter what path you chose. I am not sure what the recipe is or even if there is one recipe, but I do know that I have spent a large part of my life worrying about the inevitable. We will grow old and we will wrinkle. As I go through my journey I become more comfortable with this process but I am so ever thankful that each year there are new techniques and solutions to slow down the inevitable.
I guess I am happy to finally realize that time is precious even if I had to see it in my hands and the corner of my eyes, but I am also grateful that there is Botox and lasers that can buy me more time. Time is all we need when it comes to accomplishments.

Michelle Heavens

Women Run the World!

Popular Trends

I was recently watching the Today's Show where they were talking about the most popular cosmetic procedures in the Industry right now. To my surprise, Liposuction, followed by the Asian Eye Lid Surgery (Upper Blepharoplasty) ranked first. The reasons Asian people have attributed to their deciding for the procedure, was not only their personal desire for a more Caucasian look, but they felt they their eye lids made them appear tired. What is wonderful about this procedure is that it can be achieved with the use of local anesthesia and takes about 20-30 minutes not to mention a quick recovery and a fairly instant result! As for lipo, I can truly understand why it has gotten so popular. People continue to starve themselves with the latest diets only to find that there are stubborn areas that won't come off. Stubborn areas vary between men and women. For a man the stubborn areas are usually the stomach and hip area. For a woman, you will find the abdomen, hip area, inner and outer tights and occasionally knees! Many factors come to play when a successful operation is to be achieved. It is important first to have a realistic goal of what liposuction can conquer for your body. It is not a good idea to consider liposuction a weight loss device, in fact, most people will not weight much less after lipo. but their shape, contour and outline will look drastically different. As for example if you have saddle bags, liposuction is the perfect solution for getting rid of them. There are some limitations that cannot be overlooked. It is important to consider, skin tone and elasticity. These things can be affected either by age, or by drastic weight loss. Sometimes, by removing the fat, sogginess may occur. To determine if you are a good candidate for liposuction, a consultation with the plastic surgeon is a must! Let's face it.... nobody loves a love handle! Michelle Heavens

Sisters

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

‘Don’t forget your sisters,’ she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. ‘They’ll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.’

‘Remember that ‘sisters’ means ALL the women…your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. ‘You’ll need other women. Women always do.’ What a funny piece of advice!’ the young woman thought. Haven’t I just gotten married?
Haven’t I just joined the couple-world? I’m now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!’

But she listened to her mother. She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her mother really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I’ve learned:

THIS SAYS IT ALL:

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don’t do what they’re supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT………

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley’s rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley’s end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you….Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family: all bless our life!

The world wouldn’t be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still. Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful. I just did. Short and very sweet: There are more than twenty angels in this world. Ten are peacefully sleeping on clouds. Nine are playing. And one is reading her email at this moment.
Happy days!

Michelle Heavens