After I was told that I had a very high genetic predisposition to breast cancer, I knew immediately I wanted to take measures to reduce my risk as much as possible. I could very well have had an 8 out of 10 chance of developing breast cancer in my lifetime and I've seen the struggle, pain, agony and plight that commences when you are faced with fighting this disease. So, I opted to reduce my risk by over 90%, having a simple bilateral mastectomy was daunting, but I felt supremely confident that this is what I needed to do, to have a healthy life and to live with peace of mind. Nothing in life is a guarantee, but with this I know that I did my best to prevent cancer and live a full and enriched existence. 

After deciding to remove both of my breasts, I also felt from my inner being that I didn't want to have my natural breasts replaced with implants. I had this strange feeling that if I put something foreign into my body that it would reject it. After seeing my primary care physician, who had been along with me on this journey of fielding the cancer calls, and seeing family members, friends and my mother die from the disease... she supported me in the effort to have my breasts surgically removed. But as the process began almost everyone involved confidently suggested that I have reconstruction done. 

My surgeon, whom I love and adore, was firm that I review all my options. I saw additional surgeons who went over the methods of reconstruction and each time I left with supreme confidence that I did not want to have new breasts created or put in.

Essentially there were 4 different breast reconstruction options:
1. Expanders that are later replaced with a permanent implant.
​2. Flap surgery - replacing with tissue from another part of your body.
3. Fat Grafting (I didn't qualify for this option)
4. Immediate Reconstruction - as soon as the breast is taken out an implant with skin and etc is put in. 

To be completely honest, I wanted this to not consume my life. I wanted to heal as quickly as possible and go back to my active self. The stats showed the easiest way to bounce back within a few months was to just go flat. Assessing the recovery time and levels of satisfaction and success of these other procedures was concerning to me. The expanders is the most common process, but also involves going to the hospital weekly to have them filled and increased in size gradually, then after that is complete another surgery is done to take the expanders out and put the implants in. The flap surgery is a newer version and combined with the mastectomy seemed so long (to be asleep) and also involved cutting into my back and taking tissue from their and putting it in my breast pocket which would not have a nipple anyway. I was told I was too lean for the fat grafting option - oh well, LOL. And the success rates of the immediate reconstruction didn't seem to entice me at all. 

I spoke with half a dozen mastectomy patients and all 100% of the ones that had reconstruction had issues with it, or had to have the implants taken out and/or another surgery (sometimes they will call that a touch-up). I am not saying reconstruction is wrong or a bad decision, I just didn't believe it was the right decision for me. And, honestly if down the road I wanted to have implants put in I could do it later. It's just suggested to have this process started when you have the initial surgery because it is a tad easier and speeds up the process.

In the end I am still confident, comfortable in my own skin and truly content with my body. My steadfastness to go flat was the only decision I was comfortable with and I am extremely happy with it. Surprisingly (my flat chest) isn't noticed at all by others and I feel empowered, strong and supremely positive. You can always opt for prosthetics, padded bras and other means to make it look like you have curves, but it's simpler, easier and such a breeze getting dressed now not having to worry about a bra...and my clothes fit fine, although I do try to wear more tops with ruffles or those that flow instead of the form fitted ones. I believe when it comes to your mind and your body, they go hand in and hand and you have to trust your instincts. 

A few months ago I made a decision to prolong my life... Instead of living with an extremely high risk of breast cancer, I opted to reduce this risk by over 90%. I had a simple bilateral mastectomy. What this means is I had a preventative surgery involving having both of my natural breasts removed. Yes, I opted to surgically remove both of my breasts in an effort to live a longer, healthier, happier and more productive life. With that I also opted not to undergo reconstruction (get implants), so I went completely flat. 

You might be wondering why someone under the age of 40, living a highly active lifestyle and in stellar shape would decide to have this done. Well, first and foremost I am an only child to a single parent, so I don't know anything about my paternal side of the family, but what I can tell you about my maternal family is a bit alarming. When I was just about to enter high school my mom's youngest sister died from cancer at the age of 34. I remember this because I was still living at home and my mom said it had spread from her breasts to her bones and literally everywhere. This was the first time I had heard about someone with cancer in our family. Then when I was working at KHON I remember taking a call from my grandmother and she was undergoing radiation for breast cancer. Again on my maternal side cancer begins to rear its ugly head.

In 2016, my mother told me that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought a courageous fight and after it had metastasized to her scull, liver, and etc she passed away in 2018. Since then my medical attempts at prevention began to increase. I had already been receiving a mammogram and MRI every six months, but they opted to do more testing. It turns out I tested positive for a genetic mutation called the RAD50 gene abnormality. This is a newer gene, compared to the commonly known BRCA1 and BRCA2,  that is associated with an increased chance to develop female breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and possibly other types of cancer. They said it was very likely that my mother passed this genetic mutation on to me. In the midst of all this cancer talk and drama, I was scheduled for my mammogram. As luck would have it they found something in my left breast. Lucky for me it was deemed benign and life goes on right? 

I had hoped that life would go on as long as possible and as long as I would like it to, so I decided to tackle the risk and opted to have my breasts surgically removed. I did a ton of research, saw several reconstructive surgeons, spoke to about a dozen breast cancer survivors and opted to have my surgery in the spring. It was an emotional time... nipple sparing wasn't an option because of the breast size and it was the anniversary of my mother's passing, my first time in the hospital (as I have never broken a bone or had surgery, I've never been under anesthesia and yes, I was scared) and it was the first time I would be staring cancer face on and saying NO. 

My husband encouraged me to document the process, I initially didn't want to but he noted that I could help so many people in the future. So, I took videos from the day before my surgery through the entire recovery and so on. Overall, the procedure went perfectly. My recovery was pleasant and now I am back to my old self again, with some limited range of motion of my arms and I lost 5 pounds from my chest... But I am doing well. I don't miss my breasts, I don't regret what I did, I am open to talking about it and interested in sharing my experience in time.

Boobs don't define you, they didn't define me and honestly when I am out in public no one seems to notice they are gone. Mainly folks who know me will say I look like I lost weight, but the majority of the time no one says anything because they don't see anything. I am healed now and able to tell my story and when the time is right I will do so with courage and will continue to wear my scars with pride. 

Some might say I am driven, an over achiever, goal motivated and inspired. What can I say, from middle school I was voted 'Most Likely To Succeed' and in High School I was voted 'Most Talented' by my peers. I've always had passion and with passion comes determination and with that comes pure drive to be the best. Once I set a goal I strive to reach and achieve it, once completed then I set a new one and so on. 
I remember when I graduated from college, I had achieved the honor of being Miss Hawaii, competed on the Miss America stage and was hired at KHON2 as a general assignment reporter. From there I set my sights on being dubbed an "Award-Winning Journalist" I also wanted to be a News Anchor one day. Well within one year I accomplished becoming the co-anchor of Wake Up 2day and the awards soon followed. With a few Society of Professional Journalist awards under my belt and a coveted Edward R. Murrow (along with being named the first Lin Media KHON2 Employee of the Year) I was on a roll. I had set out to accomplish these goals and it was time to move on. Once I left my job and started my own digital marketing and communications firm I also started freelance writing. From there I wrote for Frolic Hawaii, various blogs and websites, I helped write several TV shows/specials and most recently the Forbes Travel Guide. 

About a year after venturing on my own, one of the shows I helped write won a Telly Award, then this past year Lanai Tabura (known for Cooking Hawaiian Style, Food Network, and a popular radio/host) reached out to me to help with writing a show focused on the food alleyways in Osaka Japan. This was truly an honor because in 2018 Lanai and his team had won an Emmy for a similar show they did on Waikiki Yokocho's Ramen in Hawaii. It was a bit unconventional, as I had to research the restaurants they were visiting in Japan before they left Hawaii to shoot it. So essentially I was writing a show with content sight unseen. Overall, Lanai and his team (myself included) were nominated for 3 Northern California Area Emmy Awards. This is part of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences San Francisco Northern California Chapter, not to be confused for the daytime or primetime Emmy's that you see on TV. It is the same academy but this is focused on the regional nominees which included those in the northern pacific region. 

Anyway, when we received word that our show was nominated for an Emmy in the Lifestyle - Program/Special Category, we were ecstatic. The whole team (host, producers, director, editor and etc) opted to fly to San Francisco for the Gala event and Award Show. We stayed near the airport, ate till our hearts content and also saw a few sights while in town. I love SF, it's a great city and really has the best food in the country right now. The night of the Gala we made it to the SF Jazz center where they hosted your first glass from the bar, hand-passed pupus, people mingled and took photos. Once the awards began we shuffled into the center and the program commenced. Luckily our category was the very first to be announced. In the end we didn't win the actual trophy, but it was an immense honor to be there for my very first time and to nominated is truly a huge honor for me as well. I wasn't sad or disappointed at all.  Afterwards we enjoyed some light bites upstairs at the Jazz Center, went out to dinner then had an after-party in downtown. What a whirlwind! I am so grateful to be able to do what I love and also be recognized for my hard-work and dedication through the years - award or no... this has been an exceptional experience. Keep an eye out for more great things to come!

 I was recently invited to an event at the Culinary Institute of the Pacific. I didn't know what to expect, but thought the evening would include of course -- food! I arrived and found out there was some sort of cooking challenge and we were going to be separated into teams. I had hoped I was wasn't going to be cooking, because I wasn't prepared. But as luck would have it, I was placed on a team with a Chef de Cuisine (an actual student from KCC) to help us and given the task to whip up a 4-course family style dinner in one hour. I was surprised to learn that 2 out of my 3 teammates were not versed in the kitchen and while I've worked in restaurants from the age of 15-30, I was a server and never a cook. But this team building challenge helped us to quickly harness our skills, divide our assignments and truly learn patience, kindness and understanding as a whole. 

I volunteered to make the first course... a Lobster salad with a Lemon Vinaigrette, our second course was a freshly made Mushroom Risotto, main course was grilled Lamb & Asparagus and our dessert was a Chocolate Berry Tart. Time flew by, we needed help getting organized and our Chef that was assisting us was a lifesaver, he was amazingly kind, helpful and resourceful. He told us the first thing to do was to write a list of what we had and what we needed to do. Help was extremely essential to us completing our tasks and getting the food cooked on time, properly and deliciously. 

Overall, this team building experience was an exceptional time spent with some amazing people. I left with a new sense of respect for chefs, a better understanding of the challenges faced by those in the kitchen aiming to create tasty and nutritious meals, and made some new friends. The great thing about this program is it is something that anyone can sigh up for. This new event is actually a team building experience, similar to a ropes course or a bonding outing for co-workers, teams, groups, etc. 

"This innovative, hands-on program encourages groups to be actively engaged in a unique team building experience disguised as a culinary competition. Executive teams, command cadres, destination groups or any party that wants to take its organization to the next, higher performance level will find the culinary experience motivating and satisfying," Kapiolani CC staff said. 

After our meals were created, we sat down and ate the fruits of our labor together, the master chefs and instructors also gave us feedback and critiques, meanwhile we also thought about what we learned, how we worked as a team and what we gained from the experience. I highly recommend this activity for those seeking a creative, innovative and challenging yet fun opportunity to utilize your skills, embrace your inner obstacles and of course dine on homemade culinary gems. 

For more information - check out this link: ​https://continuinged.kapiolani.hawaii.edu/culinarium/

Traveling is in my blood... my mom was an international flight attendant and from a young age I was hitting the slopes in the Pacific Northwest, skipping along the beaches in New York, screaming at leeches in Vermont, skiing the mountains in New Zealand and so much more. As an adult I've trekked through Thailand, drank bubbly in Champagne, France and climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge amongst many other memorable adventures. On a recent trip to Havana, Cuba I thought to jot down some interesting and easy travel tips for those who would like to save money, ease stress and maximize your vacation. 

Once you know when you are off from work, or the time period you want to travel, then you can start doing your research. I highly recommend not traveling during a 3-day weekend, or on a Friday, Saturday or Monday. Also if there is a major holiday the days leading up to the holiday will lead to less availability and higher rates overall. Supply and demand. 

If you are renting a car or staying in a hotel, it is advantageous to sign-up for the rewards, honors or preferred membership. Most of these are entirely free and you'll reap the MAJOR benefits. For example with car rental you will have preferred car pickup, less of a line, easier drop off and sometimes better rates. For hotel you could have free happy hour, complimentary upgrades, mixers, coupons for breakfast, discounted rooms, rewards points, etc. 

I am embarrassed to admit, but I have accidentally booked things in the wrong place multiple times. Like did you know there's a San Jose in Costa Rica and California, also I've booked a car rental in Florida but not at the airport. You type in a specific location but sometimes your booking is somewhere else. So when you arrive you are lost and don't know where to go. Well guess what the car isn't at the airport it's off-site and I often mistakenly took the cheaper option which wasn't at the airport at all. Look at the address and double check by inputting it into your maps. 

Third party apps and websites appear to offer great deals, but sometimes they don't include the taxes, parking and fees and you end up paying the same price at the hotel anyway. With that if you didn't book with the hotel direct you could see some problems and issues with your reservation... then the hotel can't do anything to help you because you didn't book with them. Most of the time it works out ok, but I have found that you think you're getting this great deal but you end up paying the same price or more and are at more of a risk. *Pro-tip, if the hotel is under renovation you will see cheaper rates, but with that comes some construction noise and mild inconvenience with the potential for stellar views.  

I like to use websites as a barometer to judge what the climate is going to look like. All these hotels offer this rate and this car rental has this rate. Then I go to the site direct and book straight from the source. My husband and I both do this and it helps with gauging where you want to stay and with whom you want to book. 

It's best to buy your snacks, meals, food and beverages off site. I mean if you are going to the airport and on a trip the cost for your meal is going to be way cheaper if you get it outside of the airport. (Example $4.99 sandwich versus $10.99 sandwich). Also if you buy water, gum or other essentials at a hotel the cost is going to be 3x higher on-site than if you stopped at a nearby market or even a convenience store. We get all our snacks and sandwiches/chips prior to heading to the airport. *Pro tip, remove the food from your carry-on luggage prior to TSA screening and keep it separate until you're in the terminal. TSA requires you take the food out and if you don't you may backup the line and have to send your bags through again. If coming from Kauai, Kulolo has to be taken out and unwrapped. 

Overall I am huge fan of Air BnB or VRBO, when looking for a place to stay always look for the amenities, Even in a hotel, do they offer free parking, free wifi, early or late checkin. These are conveniences that are essential and could end up costing you more if you are unaware of whether these are provided. It saves you a ton of time and peace of mind to know your next place to rest your head has everything you need to be comfortable. Look for pool, parking, AC, internet, transportation, location, the view, nearby eateries, are things walkable in this neighborhood, etc...

I am not sure if I am ready to talk about this... The fact that I am entertaining the idea of writing about this means I am ready to some degree. Writing has alway been so therapeutic for me and I know this will help. With it being Mother's Day of course the timing is appropriate, but at the same time it is also very hard, difficult, challenging, heartbreaking and emotional. But here I am with tears in my eyes hoping that down the road this will bring some relief...

Last year, in April 2018, my birth mom passed away at the home I grew up in on Kauai. She died after a very admirable years-long aggressive physical, emotional and taxing struggle with breast cancer. A few years before that my hanai mom also passed away, while I was on a trip out of state. Thinking about my life and how I am literally alone with no parents, no siblings and no biological family within a few thousand miles is hard to take. But I am grateful for the exceptional friends who have become my family over the years and my absolutely incredible husband who each and everyday goes above and beyond for me and shows me the utmost unconditional love. 

So why am I writing this? Well, no one wants to hear a sad story or a sob story for that matter... I almost always try to post positive, uplifting or educational/beneficial content for others to enjoy. But this is part of the healing process and this is how I cope.

My mom was from Brooklyn, New York. She wanted to get as far away from the east coast as possible and stumbled upon the island of Kauai. She felt the islands called to her and that this was where she was meant to be. She was a world traveler, an impeccable writer and a woman with a lot of passion. She raised me as a single parent and did the very best that she could. She taught me many lessons about life, focus, being driven and determined and also the importance of education. 

In many ways I am somewhat like my mom and she always said I got all the good parts. In the end she was very proud of me and my accomplishments. I feel as though she instilled in me to always pursue my dreams and to work very hard. She was an animal lover, a very elegant and classy lady who loved the ocean.

Before I was born she would swim the waters of Kalihiwai Bay. When I was a baby she would bring me to the beach in a portable crib and all the locals thought she was crazy. Even as an adult when I see neighbors they would comment about how she would swim back and forth in the bay and I was on the beach playing, swimming and etc. It was only fitting that we scatter her ashes there where she was most happy and when we did my husband paddled me out. I said a few words in my mind thanking her for everything and when I poured her remains in the water at sunset she appeared to swim out to sea. 

Every day is a new day... I will always remember the good times we had and the memories we shared. Mother's Day is a very hard day... but with that I am so grateful and know that she lived a great life. 

So, I am going to start by saying... this incident occurred in January of this year (2019) and my husband and I did not sustain any injuries from this event that took place. 

Ok, I am motivated to write this blog because this was a learning experience for us and it has impacted me for a few months now...

Let me paint the picture for you - every month I go to Maui for work. My amazing husband was able to come with me during a weekend getaway with a small mix of work. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning and we got some drinks, snacks (sandwiches, chips and treats) at the store on the block down the street from our hotel and we happily loaded up the car and proceeded to head to the beach. 

Parked next to us was a man in a utility plumbing truck, the one with all the metal on the back-end... he was lackadaisically sitting in his truck bumping some tunes and chilling in the driver's side seat. We carefully buckled up, started to back out of the parking space, of which the truck was directly next to us on the driver's side. We reversed, then pulled forward and started to make our way down the aisle and out of the parking lot. At that same moment the truck started up and all of sudden started backing up. It backed right into the rear end of the car we were driving and tore off the rental car's bumper. As you can imagine there wasn't even a scratch on his truck. 

The driver of the car immediately got out and said "I am so sorry this is all my fault, I didn't even see you guys. I watched as you both loaded up your car and got into your car, but I didn't even look..."
​

So here's why I am writing this blog... (as you can see the photos above truly tell the story). The rental car agency was great. We took the car back and got a new one. I called my insurance and we got the business card, license plate, driver's license and insurance card from the guy who hit us. BTW his name is Jason, so I am just going to call him Jason from now on. 
There coincidentally was MPD at the same location we were at when the incident occurred, but the rental car agency said it wasn't necessary to file a police report since there were no injuries. 

In the months following the incident, Jason did claim responsibility for the accident, but I still had to file paperwork with the rental car and my insurance. Hawaii is a no-fault state but it appeared Jason's insurance was going to cover everything. My insurance even said that his insurance should cover all the cost- repair, fees, loss of use, etc. 
Fast forward to April, we are now 4 months after the incident and a collection company on the mainland is calling me because Jason's insurance did not pay for everything. They paid $7,800 (reportedly) for the damage and repairs. Now the collection agency was asking me to pay just under $400 for the loss of use. This translates into the days the car was not capable of being used or rented while it was in the shop. I texted Jason and asked him about it and he said he paid enough already. Which is untrue he only paid his deductible his insurance paid for the damage. He also felt that the additional fees were a scam and didn't think the car was even worth the amount paid to fix it. However it was a brand new Nissan. So here's what Jason says once the collection agency started asking me for the money...

​

So in the end... when we did nothing wrong and this fool backs-up without looking into our car... he felt he had done everything he could. I asked him if he would at least split the other cost with me and he ignored me. Ok, I get it... your insurance paid most of it so you are done. 

Now here's where I learned a great deal, aside from this debacle that we were complete innocent bystanders, that were about 7 seconds in the wrong place at the wrong time...

Both insurance companies said they would not pay the loss of use fee from the car rental company. Essentially the rental is saying the car was not i use so we lost out on this daily amount of money. Both insurance companies (Jason's and mine - btw my insurance initially said it would have been covered) claim that the rental car company has to be able to show proof that all 100% of the cars on the lot were booked and they lost money from not having the car available. They suggested I call my credit card that held the deposit or take the rental company to small claims court. What a mess right?!

In the end, what it comes down to is when you book your rental car and they try to sell you on the added insurance and they tell you that the insurance you have doesn't cover the time the car is in the shop - they are telling the truth! if you opt to pay the $10-$12 a day for the additional insurance that would cover that issue, apparently. If you do your research it seems this can get pretty messy with people going back and forth with their credit card, insurance and even credit agencies and court documents getting involved. "in a 2012 Colorado case in which the state's supreme court ruled car rental companies could collect damages even if they didn't suffer any financial losses." according to USA Today. 

In the end, be sure to review your rental agreement, make sure you know your insurance policy and that of your credit card, consider getting the extra insurance, and drive carefully. Even though we were completely caught off guard and didn't do anything wrong I still had to pay hundreds of dollars to resolve the matter just because a guy named Jason admittedly saw us but didn't think to look before backing out - thus we got hit by a truck and the last thing he chose to tell me was... "Once again I am very sorry.' 

Located in Rotorua, New Zealand - Wai-O-Tapu is a national park of jaw dropping proportions. The Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Park is an all natural wonderland highlighting an active geothermal area featuring volcanic remnants that teases the eyes and stings the nose. Created thousands of years ago this completely all natural landscape features 18-square kilometers of volcano craters, mud pools, green sulphur lakes, hot springs, and the Lady Knox Geyser (which erupts daily at 10:15am). 

When you arrive there is ample parking and if you go in the afternoon, be sure to bring an umbrella and some water. It can be very hot and very much like the dessert. There is a strong sulfur smell some people were slightly sickened because of the heat, the smell and the sulfur fumes. But it is not that bad. 

The visitor center is state of the art and has AC, restrooms and lots of things to buy from natural body products to amazing paintings and of course trinkets. The are open everyday, 365 days a year, tickets for entry range from $11 to $32.50. Once you enter the park it is like any national park with some trails, slopes, steps, outlooks, limited shade and lots of photo taking opportunities. 

Be sure the really enjoy the views, the Champagne Lake was phenomenal and breathtaking. The natural state of the former volcano is really unique to see and the colors are so vibrant. You make have to wait for the wind to shift as depending on the way the wind is blowing you can see less or more of the crater. When the wind blows the sulphur away, it reals brilliant colors and vibrant hues of green, blue, orange and yellow. 

The Devil's Bath is also a fluorescent green pool which is truly a sight to see. There are many tourists from all regions and of course lots of cameras, selfie sticks and etc. If you take your own course away from the crowds you will find it peaceful and tranquil. As with any other park please keep your litter to yourself, be sure to stay hydrated and eat prior. Be prepared for some mild walking. I would recommend shorts and covered toe shoes. 

You can choose one-three routes for your walk, which can take 30-75 minutes. Noted as one of the most surreal places in the world it definitely is a must see.
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
201 Waiotapu Loop Rd
RD3
Waiotapu, Reporoa, Rotorua, New Zealand

https://www.waiotapu.co.nz/

Gosh, I must've been in elementary school when my mom took me to an allergist to find out the source of my allergies. The test came back and I was allergic to various things including pollen, dust and wheat. While over time I've heard much of the human race is allergic to wheat, or eventually grow out of it as a child and into adulthood... There are many people out there that are noticing a difference when they eliminate wheat or gluten from their diet. For me, I actually don't practice any elimination, I think as a result I may have one nostril that is habitually clogged, but I found that I can live with it. Overall, people tend to feel better when they eliminate wheat and gluten from their diet and I have found there are great options when it comes to making this decision. Before we dive into this I also want to note that there is a difference between wheat and gluten. Gluten is a protein found in grains including wheat, wheat is a grain that contains gluten. So what does that mean exactly? Well, if you are allergic to gluten there are other items that may have gluten in them besides wheat. So it's best to get checked to find out what you are allergic to and how to best avoid those things. 
Fabulous health food store Down To Earth has a wide variety of wheat free and gluten free items. I wanted to showcase some of my favorites so you can try them with ease as well. 

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or in the medical field, these are my opinions and views alone and if you have any serious concerns please consult your doctor.