Jessica Oldwyn with her now-husband Danny in 2010.

By Shelly Najjar and Carla Alo

“I was deciding between heading to law school or picking which master’s program looked like the most fun,” says Jessica Oldwyn, a Green Lake resident. “I was at a turning point at age 29, ready for a new challenge. It’s ironic, I got what I wanted, just in a different package.”

On Friday, April 9, 2010, Jessica was snow shoeing, and after an impromptu snowball fight, she knew something was wrong when she felt a massive headache. Suddenly, she was unable to see.

“I felt like I had been blindsided, with my skull cracked as if with a metal baseball bat. I couldn’t hear and I lost all of my senses. I felt like I hovered above my body. Slowly, with a throbbing headache, my vision returned, starting with stars. Everything around me looked overexposed. Eventually the pain which had originally been all encompassing, shifted to the left side of my head, and faded back to the upper rear area of my skull.”

Worried about her health, she asked for an MRI. At first the doctor refused to give Jessica an MRI, but Jessica insisted. This was the first sign of her perseverance and strength.

Jessica's tumor

On Tuesday, April 13, 2010, Jessica, who had “never even broken a bone before,” was diagnosed with brain cancer when the MRI showed a tennis-ball size tumor, officially classified as an infiltrating/diffuse astrocytoma (a type of glioma).

After intensive online research, Jessica and her boyfriend Danny (now her husband) flew to Seattle where they agreed on a partially awake craniotomy at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Danny and Jessica in surgery prep before her first brain surgery.

“Flashing back to the ICU, I remember asking the speech therapist if I would ever read again, and asking the physical therapist if I would ever run again, and they said, “We don’t know.” That is something that can truly break your heart. But little by little I kept advancing.”

Pushing through headaches, and determined to walk again, Jessica was not defeated. By the end of September, Jessica completed her first 10K.

Some of the crew that ran and walked Jessica's first 10K.

Jessica continued researching her treatment options, and opted out of radiation.

“The crazy part, according to my radiation oncologist, is that radiation will not even extend my life. Not at all. The argument from my doctor was that radiation would slow the effects of the tumor. But that seemed like nonsense since I would have immediate effects, both short and long term, from the radiation.”

“Anyway, it just didn’t add up. Instead, I chose to use research-based alternative medicine. The strongest link to survival is other survivors and I’m learning from their success. Medicine should go back to its roots, ‘First Do No Harm.’ In my opinion, the risks of radiation, in my situation, outweighed the benefits.”

Jessica read about the nutritional effects of food, and focuses on her health, eating foods research has suggested to be beneficial for people living with cancer.

“Here’s a myth that makes me frustrated. Doctors are still saying, ‘Eat whatever you want.’ My surgeon, and oncologists all say I can eat whatever I want, that it doesn’t matter. That is ridiculous […] Cancer researchers say that 95% of cancer is environmental (I read that from a researcher at MD Anderson in Houston). If that is the case, then I believe it’s ridiculous and harmful to state that you can eat whatever you want.”

Today, Jessica openly shares her blog, “Toom-ah, What Stinkin’ Toom-ah” as a way to express herself.

“My doctors warned me against the typical support groups that they know,” she says. “They were weary that I would see late-stage patients and it would depress me. I took their advice and I’ve just used the blog as a therapeutic outlet […] I get a mind blowing amount of support from my readers.”

Jessica with her friend Jess, who flew in from Abu Dhabi for the surgeries. "She demanded to shave her head in solidarity," Jessica says.

To others with cancer, Jessica says, “I recommend finding a great group that will help you through this crazy ride that is cancer. It’s important to be able to vent, or cry, or laugh. The human connection is everything. It’s important to know that you’re not alone and that people are rooting for you to survive.”

On her blog, she connects with supporters and shares her experiences, lessons learned, and other things of interest, including reflections on life in Green Lake and book recommendations.

“The best book that I recommend is Cancer: 50 Essential Things to Do, by Greg Anderson. I just ran into it at the Green Lake Library, and checked it out. It was so inspirational, and so positive it just thrilled me. It’s a book to help you become a survivor, not a statistic.”

Jessica’s journey of being a survivor teaches her many things, including not being afraid of hard work, appreciating the love and support from friends and family, and taking charge of her health.

“There’s always seven or more ways around a problem,” she says.

“I’ve [also] learned that everyone has a story, that everyone has something that they’re going through and it’s important to be kind to others even when they may not reciprocate.”

On Toom-ah, What Stinkin’ Toom-ah, she constantly reminds her readers to be their own advocates in healthcare situations.

“Take charge of your health. Remember that in our medical world you may be a patient, but you’re also a customer. You should be treated with respect.”

Now she wants to take her message beyond her blog. Her dream is to get on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

“Somehow it popped into my crazy brain that I neeeeeed to get on the Ellen show. She’s so positive and fun, hilarious and kind. I want to share my brain cancer story, and inspire others to overcome challenges, band together with friends, find ways around walls, use nutrition, exercise and anything you can when faced with a medical challenge. And above all, have fun with life.”

Jessica on a weekend away with her friends. Top: Libbey, Lauren, Kristin, Jenny, Michelle, Laura Bottom: Jessaca, Meghan, Julia, Jessica

“If I could just get on her show for five minutes I think I could inspire others to believe that they’re worth the effort, and that each day, a hundred times, we make choices,” Jessica says. “Choose to follow your dreams. My dream is to be healthy and live a long life, and I refuse to give up.”

To help Jessica Oldwyn see her dream fulfilled, tell Ellen DeGeneres about Jessica by filling out this form and mentioning her blog, jessicaoldwyn.blogspot.com.

©Shelly Najjar for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2012.

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Post tags: health

Dr. Elise Hansen of Lifestyle Chiropractic is offering a free event at the Green Lake Library (7364 E Green Lake Dr N) next Tuesday (January 17, 2012) at 6:30 p.m.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2012.

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Post tags: advertiser, health, library

Kat is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory, an advanced reporting class in which students produce news stories and packages for local neighborhood and ethnic newspapers and online sites.

Peggy Snyder (left) and Elaine Mesh posing for a team photo before last year's Winter Pineapple Classic race. Photo courtesy Peggy Snyder.

Five years ago, way before she raised over $37,000 in total for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through the Winter Pineapple Classic, Peggy Snyder never thought she’d have to fight the disease she was already helping others fight.

This Green Lake resident started participating in the Hawaiian-themed, obstacle-filled 5K race to support her friend and fellow Adobe co-worker, Eric Cox, the event’s founder.

Cox created the race in 2006, after his two-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia and his wife was told she had breast cancer. Luckily, both Cox’s son and his wife were able to pull through — they’re both currently in remission.

“We got to a place where, once we were through the hard parts, we wanted control back,” Cox said when talking about why he teamed up with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to create the event.

Joined by her co-worker and friend, Elaine Mesh, Snyder stepped in and became one of the event’s top fundraisers, likely using her experience working in sales with Adobe to help rack up the funds.

But in December 2009, the Winter Pineapple classic became much more personal for Snyder.

What she originally thought was a rash on her legs turned out to be Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma.

“My doctor said, ‘People who have this die, but not from [the lymphoma],’” Snyder said, modestly downplaying her cancer. “But [my diagnosis] made me more aware of how many can be impacted by leukemia and lymphoma.”

She saw a specialist from the University of Washington for diagnosis and treatment, and got her lymphoma under control. At the next Winter Pineapple Classic in 2010, Snyder raised $16,000 for The Lymphoma & Leukemia Society, the highest amount of money she’d ever raised in a year — she had an even more compelling story, after all.

“It gave me a whole different view of what was happening [at Pineapple] and by the people who are impacted,” Snyder said.

Mesh, who moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, still flies to Seattle every year to compete in the race as Snyder’s partner. Together, they climb over the obstacle course’s walls and through its tires.

“It’s a reminder that we’re all connected together,” Mesh said. “[The Winter Pineapple] does help people who are struggling with illness to have support.”

And Cox, whose family is doing well — he and his wife just had another child — is especially grateful to Peggy for the support she has given.

“Peggy is a special person, she’s so selfless,” Cox said. “She’s always there for people, the Pineapple — with the utmost grace, she takes it.”

The 2011 Winter Pineapple Classic will be at Mountain Meadows Farm in North Bend on Saturday, Nov. 12.

©UW News Lab for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: fundraiser, health, running

Kat is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory, an advanced reporting class in which students produce news stories and packages for local neighborhood and ethnic newspapers and online sites.

Last Wednesday (October 19, 2011), a My Green Lake reader spotted these mushrooms near the Greenlake Boathouse (7351 E Green Lake Dr N):

“I was standing on the cement path when I took the picture — the ‘shrooms were about a foot off the main path and very visible,” the reader wrote in an e-mail.

She thinks they’re amanita muscaria, the same type of hallucinogenic smurf-like mushrooms we think were spotted at Green Lake Park last fall.

We called the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) to ask about amanita muscaria mushrooms – what happens if a child or animal ingests one?

We were told, first and foremost, that the only way to correctly identify mushrooms is to send a sample to the local mycologist.

But if we did have a set of amanita muscaria on our hands, we were told by the Poison Control Center, a child or animal would likely become sick from consuming the mushrooms – varying degrees of sickness depending on the child or animal’s size and the amount consumed. The best idea would be to immediately seek help by calling the local poison center.

If you’re set on learning more about mushrooms, the Green Lake Library  (7364 E Green Lake Dr N) will be hosting On the Wild Side: A Mushroom Hunt Primer this coming Tuesday (October 25) from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Participants will learn about safely gathering wild mushrooms, preservation techniques, recipes and other “wild” things.

You can also contact one of Seattle’s mycological organizations, the Puget Sound Mycological Society. They’re dedicated to all things mushrooms, and have mushroom identification clinics Monday nights at the Center for Urban Horticulture.

Note: the poison control number listed (1-800-222-1222) is a national hotline that will direct you to a local center according to your phone’s area code.

©UW News Lab for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: health

Mr. Millsap received the award at the State WAHPERD Conference this past weekend (October 14 and 15, 2011).

Congrats, Mr. Millsap!

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: daniel bagley elementary, health, schools

Beth Baker

Beth Baker of Running Evolution and Courtney McCliment from Four Loaves are presenting a Learn to Run/Seasonal Eating Survival Clinic at Super Jock n Jill (7210 E Green Lake Dr N) on Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 9:00 a.m.

Beth and Courtney will tag team “to get you moving and eating the right way, and arm yourself for the holiday season, and not be in a fitness hole in January.”

The clinic will include a Couch-to-5K training schedule, a running workshop for beginners, nutritional handouts and gift bags.

Attendance is limited to 40 people. Participants should wear running shoes. The cost of the clinic is $10.00.

Disclosure note: Running Evolution is a My Green Lake advertiser.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: advertiser, food, health, local businesses, running

The film’s official website provides the following synopsis:

“TAKE A BOW – The Ingrid Clarfield Story” is the extraordinary life story of a remarkable contemporary educator and inspirational figure. Ingrid is a respected Professor of Piano at Westminster Choir College at Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. She has traveled extensively giving workshops and lectures to thousands of students and teachers from coast to coast.

On March 29 2007, after returning from the Music Teacher National Association conference in Toronto. Ingrid experienced a devastating stroke that paralyzed the left side of her body. This should have been the end of her career. However, Ingrid has shown us how she resume to teaching and that the stroke taught her to reinvent herself to be even better than before.

The film takes an intimate look into Ingrid’s background, her passion for teaching, and her close relationships with her family, colleagues, and students. The film gives a realistic insight to Ingrid’s struggle, challenge, and the sheer determination to overcome her limitation to become a champion in the end.

For more information about Saturday’s free screening, contact ilactivitiescord [at] hearthstone.org.

The Hearthstone is a My Green Lake advertiser.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: advertiser, bargain alert, film, health, older adults, the hearthstone

Zoka's Queen Anne coffee roasting facility. Photo courtesy Zoka Coffee Roaster and Tea Company.

On Sept. 9, 2011, Zoka Coffee Roaster and Tea Company received a warning letter from the Public Health Service of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The letter related to an April 2011 inspection of Zoka’s coffee roasting facility in north Queen Anne.

During the April inspection, FDA investigators documented serious violations of FDA’s “Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods,” including a failure “to take effective measures to exclude pests from the processing areas and protect against the contamination of food on the premises by pests.” Rodent excreta pellets and insect larva were found in the facility.

The letter from the FDA did not make mention of the Green Lake Zoka (2200 N 56th St), and Washington State Department of Health restaurant inspection records do not indicate any history of rodents or insects at the Green Lake Zoka.

Earlier today (Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011), Zoka posted several current pictures of their roasting facility on their Facebook page. You can view the whole set here.

The company also sent the following letter to the community:

September 29, 2011

Zoka Coffee Roaster
Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA) Letter

To our valued customer, friends and members of the community,

Several media outlets have reported that we have a mouse issue. We want you to know we do not.

We had an issue that has been remedied, and it was an anomaly. This is the first time we have had an incident of this nature. We have always scored high on our inspections by the Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA). And, five months after the incident, we received 93 out of 100 from the WSDA on a follow-up inspection.

Clean facilities and strong business practices are what we pride ourselves on. That is how we have built our business over the past 15 years. We also believe in clear and concise communication. This letter is intended to set the facts straight on what the Seattle PI reported on its blog today.

You should know that we addressed the issue as soon as we saw evidence of a mouse and that we have been in full compliance with the FDA throughout the process. The sad part of this entire situation is that the FDA has not provided accurate information in return.

The facts:

• April 11, 2011 – We noticed mouse activity in our production facility. We dealt with the issue right away.

• April 15 – A random inspection of our facility by the FDA included notes about the mouse activity. The random inspection was the result of a new food safety act that required more inspections, but did not include budget for them to assist in providing counsel or assisting with solutions. That inspection sparked an investigation by the FDA. After the investigation, it was our understanding that the FDA would follow up with the WSDA. The WSDA is the routine inspection agency for our plant.

• On April 16th – Once we realized the extent of the issue we voluntarily shut down our production facility for 3 days and we put in ALL of the corrections that the FDA/WSDA required, and we implemented the ones they suggested but did not require.

• April 16th-18th – We re-sanitized our 10,000 square foot facility from top to bottom. We verified that there was no more mouse activity.

• April 18 – The WSDA cleared us and we began to roast again.

• April 18th – The WSDA noted that we had done an amazing job cleaning and correcting our issues.

• September 9 – The FDA posted a report on its website that paints a very disturbing picture of what could be happening at Zoka Coffee. We did not know the letter would be posted. We received the letter ourselves on the September 12th. We have been told by the WSDA they had provided all pertinent information that Zoka Coffee Roasters was in compliance of the request of the FDA at the time of the corrections and the FDA has not responded or used that information.

• September 14 – WSDA came back for an inspection and we scored 93 out 100.

Once again, we want everyone to know that Zoka has a long track record of exceeding health requirements and that we addressed this issue upon immediately finding out about it. If you have any questions about this information, we invite you to visit our facility or visit http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150308784871555.344815.304116271554&type=1.

We are open to the public. Feel free to drop by:

1220 West Nickerson St
Seattle, WA 98019
Open from 9AM until 5PM, Monday-Friday

Thank you again for your support and respect of a true and fair process. We look forward to serving you!

Sincerely,

Jeff Babcock
Zoka Coffee and Tea
Managing Partner

Disclosure note: Zoka Coffee Roaster and Tea Company is a My Green Lake advertiser.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: advertiser, coffee, health, local businesses, queen anne

Dr. Troy Hull at the 2010 Halloween Candy Buy-Back event at Greenlake Kids Dentistry

Greenlake Kids Dentistry, located in the Circa Green Lake building on the NW corner of NE Ravenna Blvd and Woodlawn Ave NE, is hosting their annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back program on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011, 3-6 p.m.

Last year, the dentist office collected 150 pounds of candy to benefit Operation Gratitude. Operation Gratitude includes donated candy in care packages that they assemble and send to service members overseas.

This year, Greenlake Kids Dentistry hopes to collect 300 pounds of candy. The office will be accepting candy donations for the entire week following Halloween.

Seattle-area kids aged 12-and-under will be rewarded $1 per pound of unopened candy that they donate (up to to 10 pounds per person). Letters to service members will also be collected at the event. Kids must be accompanied by an adult.

“To see the generosity from the kids in our community inspired us last year,” Dr. Troy Hull said in a press release. “It’s amazing to see families pull together and donate candy for a great cause. Kids were genuinely excited to part with their candy knowing it would bring a smile to a serviceperson’s face.”

For more information, contact Greenlake Kids Dentistry at (206) 387-4131 or info [at] greenlakekidsdentistry.com.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: circa, halloween, health, kids, local businesses

The outdoor workout is for parents and their children aged 4-7. All instruction will be in Spanish.

Registration is required.

©Amy Duncan for My Green Lake | Seattle's Green Lake Blog, 2011.

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Post tags: bargain alert, fitness, health, kids, woodland park