Dr. Tomi Mitchell, your host of The Mental Health & Wellness Show, had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Smrz.
Biography:
Jennifer Smrz is a compassionate coach that genuinely cares about each individual & helping them live their best & healthiest life. Whether motivating participants in the gym to reach their fitness goals, assisting employees in finding new employment or educating individuals of the harmful chemicals/toxins in many products & sharing safer, all-natural options. The common factor is building relationships that encourage successful results. Most importantly, I am married to my best friend & have 2 incredible sons! After being diagnosed with breast cancer at 43 followed by 4 surgeries & 18 months of treatment, coupled with dealing with anxiety/depression, I am passionate about helping others by sharing coping strategies & helping them take control of their lives.
Click HERE to schedule a free 15-minute consultation if you'd like support to take the right step towards the great life you deserve.
Contact Info:
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.smrz.7/
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/jennifer-smrz-consulting/
Website
https://jennsmrz.wixsite.com/website?fbclid=IwAR3deLaxllz_CasdD41QLCme1jJEOzD4zM3h6FEg5ov4CN34AFsliL1iEBE
Dr. Tomi Mitchell, your host of The Mental Health & Wellness Show, had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Smrz.
Biography:
Jennifer Smrz is a compassionate coach that genuinely cares about each individual & helping them live their best & healthiest life. Whether motivating participants in the gym to reach their fitness goals, assisting employees in finding new employment or educating individuals of the harmful chemicals/toxins in many products & sharing safer, all-natural options. The common factor is building relationships that encourage successful results. Most importantly, I am married to my best friend & have 2 incredible sons! After being diagnosed with breast cancer at 43 followed by 4 surgeries & 18 months of treatment, coupled with dealing with anxiety/depression, I am passionate about helping others by sharing coping strategies & helping them take control of their lives.
Click HERE to schedule a free 15-minute consultation if you'd like support to take the right step towards the great life you deserve.
Contact Info:
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.smrz.7/
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/jennifer-smrz-consulting/
Website
https://jennsmrz.wixsite.com/website?fbclid=IwAR3deLaxllz_CasdD41QLCme1jJEOzD4zM3h6FEg5ov4CN34AFsliL1iEBE
SPEAKERS
Jennifer Smrz, Dr. Tomi Mitchell
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 00:05
Hello everyone, this is your host Dr. Tomi Mitchell from the Mental Health and Wellness Show. Today I have the pleasure of introducing Jennifer Smrz. She is a compassionate coach that genuinely cares about each individual and helps them live their best and healthiest life. Whether motivating participants in the gym to reach their fitness goals, assisting employees and finding new employment or educating individuals on the harmful chemical toxins in many products and sharing all natural option. She is the perfect go to link. She believes the common factor in life is building relationships that encourage successful results. Most importantly, she is happy of her accomplishment of being married to her best friends and having two incredible fun. After being diagnosed with breast cancer at 43, followed by four surgeries and 18 months of treatment at time this podcast is recorded, couples were dealing with anxiety and pressure. She is passionate about helping others by sharing coping strategies and helping them take control of their lives. With no further ado, Jennifer, welcome to the show.
Jennifer Smrz 01:14
Thank you so much. How are you doing today?
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 01:16
I am doing good. It's like I'm doing good of everything. Life is so busy and I really realized the healthy I have become the more I'm able to accomplish, because I want more hours in my day. So maybe you can help me figure that out? I don't know.
Jennifer Smrz 01:31
Listen, I no magic wand. But I think there are some strategies that we can do that help not necessarily give us more time, but maybe you got time more efficiently.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 01:41
Yeah, I want to like level up my game because I know I'm pretty good. But there is better. I know it. Always so much better.
Jennifer Smrz 01:48
There's always room for improvement.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 01:50
Yeah, exactly. Well yeah, I'm curious. You definitely experience diagnosis that is scary to say the least. But unfortunately, it's becoming more and more common or we're diagnosing breast cancer earlier or and or people are talking about it more. So maybe you share with our listeners your cancer experience. How it change you and your world?
Jennifer Smrz 02:12
Absolutely. So I mean, I certainly was switched off when we got the news. It was May of 2019. And that was because it wasn't in my family history. I am a fitness instructor at yoga, a well balanced food plan. So I mean, it wasn't the ideal candidate for being diagnosed with breast cancer. But I think it's proof that there is no ideal it really. It chooses everyone and I when I was first diagnosed, I had my surgery two weeks later. So my approach was I didn't really research much. I am a worrier. I just kept myself busy. I normally do my classes during the day, but I was something I would in the evenings just to distract and keep my mind off of the reality. And I had my first surgery and it went well. And I was stage one and it had spread to some lymph nodes. But again, that's it's a very common cancer and cancer to have, so to speak. Suddenly, what I didn't realize is when they got the pathology report back 13 days later, I had my follow up appointment, thinking that the surgeon was going to say all good and let's now onto your recovery. He had there was another tumor that they had missed. So I was literally scheduled in 12 hours later and had my second surgery within two weeks. And it's all about how you react and I never had the approach of why me it was more this is what it is and I had to sort of have that strong face with my sons and I turned it to a positive it was a hit time off in the summer. Timing was in my favor. I normally instruct I was able to take time off at our cottage, enjoy the outdoors, which I think is therapeutic and best medicine anyways, then I had my five months of chemo got finished right before Christmas. So again, I think this could work out I would say that was ideal I had a week to sort of get my life in order before Santa Claus so to speak arrived and then in January is when the three month daily radiation. Yeah, it was a no question. It was a long haul and then March of 2020 I was eager to get back into the real world and at least start consider myself on the path to recovery. My hair started growing in and my family, my confidence and and strength was was improving each and every day. And then the pandemic.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 04:24
Yeah.
Jennifer Smrz 04:25
So I mean, quite frankly never realizing you would be in the state that we are in it. It gave me a chance to again continue my health journey and get myself stronger and reflect on if I could have done something different. And to be honest, I think things happen for a reason, including my diagnosis. The pandemic is a horrible thing that we're all dealing with, but it pushed me into my passion project, doing more research and preventative work and more the holistic way of living. I learned that the household products have very dangerous toxins that are connected to many illness, cancer, mental health being one. So that was a real trigger for me. I am not claiming it caused any of those ailments, but the fact that it could that it has from others, or I simply don't want anyone else to ever have my diagnosis or go through what I have been through. So if I can prevent if I could educate and empower others to make better decisions, that that's sort of where my life has taken me over the last eight or nine months. And I'm enjoying it as I go.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 04:25
Yeah, I'm so glad. You know, during the timeline in my head, I'm like, Thank God, it happened when it happened. Because imagine if it is worth just a few months off, right in the middle of a pandemic, when things were shut down, and then you have a cancer that's sitting there growing.
Jennifer Smrz 05:40
Absolute.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 05:41
What a disaster that could have potentially been.
Jennifer Smrz 05:43
It is really, really could be. And I mean, that said, when I in that March, when I was hoping to go back to work, that's when the pandemic hit. So my mammogram was delayed, however, it was delayed by a month or two, which is really nothing in the grand scheme of things. But that is when I discovered I had a third tumor with less than 12 months. So a little again, a freak of nature that it really can't be explained because I was still in IV treatments. So that's when it was a real, I've got to figure out, is there something else going on? Because my what I felt was a healthy lifestyle. There's some disconnect so.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 06:19
Wow, you know what, your listeners, we can do pretty much everything or most things right in our life, and not so fortunate things happens, right? It's ah.
Jennifer Smrz 06:30
Absolutely.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 06:31
The truth that I did.
Jennifer Smrz 06:31
That is how we react, right?
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 06:32
Yeah. It's how you really think.
Jennifer Smrz 06:33
Then how you control everything. That we have control on how we react and then steps that we take to move in, in a more positive direction.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 06:40
Yes. And I'm a big believer of a paradigm that life happens for you, not to me.
Jennifer Smrz 06:46
I love that.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 06:47
Right? Because it's so easy to have those who is me and have to navigate the world, not to whatever. And that negativity can bring you down that negative energy that your body doesn't need that the cancer can feed off because it's called stress, right?
Jennifer Smrz 07:02
And that self talk that little voice on your shoulder, it can be more damaging than the pollutants that I'm referring to.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 07:08
Yes.
Jennifer Smrz 07:09
It's Yes, and it's not about being positive. I although yes, that's a great mindset. It's you know, self doubt, this self negative self talk, it's taking no worries that are out of our control. It is you know, that's the oxidative stress, but is is obviously causing a lot of harm to many people.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 07:25
Definitely, I'll be curious to see rates of cancer incidents after this pandemic, because of course, we're not going to see it right away. It will be like, you know 10, 20 years and just watching what the trends are pre COVID. And after, and also which cancers would be more common.
Jennifer Smrz 07:44
Yes. Yeah. You know what, it's sad to think, the real state define our job the numbers are going to be good.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 07:50
No, I don't think they're gonna be good at all. Because talking to people, and even myself early at the beginning, a lot of the work were kind of in their homes, the world was like, basically shut down. And for those who have the privilege of having extra money to store soccer home for food, while we had our pantries full of food go, what do you do when you have your pantry full of food, you become a COVID chef, and you bake, and you eat.
Jennifer Smrz 08:13
So true. Flour was out of stock for like months.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 08:18
Yes, yeah.
Jennifer Smrz 08:19
Like, what are people doing with all this flour?
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 08:21
Yeah, baking up everything. Like baking bread, like it's going out of style. So yeah, that's a lot of that was happening.
Jennifer Smrz 08:29
Yeah, it's true. Very, very true. And I mean, we talked about the different mental health diagnosis, but even the individuals that are the increase in mental health, anxiety, I mean, that too. I haven't, I'm sure I've been able to finalize those numbers, and it's just scary.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 08:46
They ever really will .
Jennifer Smrz 08:48
No and so many people are silent and suffer inside, so yeah and they're never going to know, but it's it couldn't a decrease that I'm sure.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 08:56
No it is like astronomically high. I hear about it on a daily basis. And even those who aren't fully aware of it, when they talk to me, I'm like, this is what is going on. And they go.
Jennifer Smrz 09:07
Yeah, it's a denial thing. And I've been there, I know I'm not I'm not stressed. I'm not. That's who I am. I'm just tired. I just need sleep. Just get me some sleep. And little did you know there's a lot more going on in our bodies, as you say.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 09:22
Yeah, it's our body can only take so much. And then we reach our breaking point. And that's when the domino effect kind of goes and things are fall apart.
Jennifer Smrz 09:33
That's right. So I think it's taking healthy habits and little measures each day to help ensure that that you don't come to that burnout or breaking point. And I am not making it sound easy. I know it's harder and the amount of stress and the extra hours putting into work or double shifting and so forth. But there are things that we can do that hopefully help alleviate some of this.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 09:54
Definitely and would you mind sharing with the listeners what strategies you find really helpful might even pre diagnosis and if at all they those strategies change after diagnosis, I'm really curious to hear about the differences.
Jennifer Smrz 10:08
Yeah. And I would say absolutely, they are different. So for myself being in the fitness background, staying physical and doing, you know, whether it's a walk or us, you know, a strength training workout, or no playing tennis with a friend, whatever it is, it doesn't have to be anything extreme. But exercise was very, very helpful for me. Fortunately, I'm a morning person. So I pretty much get up, maybe do a few things, but then my workout so that it's not out of the way, that's not the approach. And that's not the way I want to say it, again I do enjoy it. But as the day gets busy, you can put it off, right, so by I get it done in the morning. So that has the only constant that stayed throughout my life eating a well balanced food plan, I like to say because it's not a diet, and I don't believe in diets. I just eating well is truly well balanced. I personally, I have a sweet tooth. But when I do my baking, you know, I try to choose healthier options, or natural sugars, if there's not that's a cure, but it's a little bit better. So those are things that I think are important just thinking of your your food and the exercise of keeping busy but what has changed since my diagnosis, and also dealing with no anxiety and depression is more of the mindfulness side of things. So although I was yoga instructor, and at the end, we have our savasana, or meditation, and you know, you share that with everyone to talk them through it, I never really saw the true value of it. So I have a monkey brain and it's always thinking, and what I realized is meditation is different for everyone. Yes, I'm not going to be someone that sit for hours in the solitude room and not talk or you know, that's however I can sit quiet space and focus on my breath. And as the thoughts and stuff come up as they will for me more often than most just bring the attention back to the breath. So I found that very helpful. Whether it's in the car when you're in traffic when I was waiting for a doctor's message fighting with my kids, just being able to use meditative deep breathing is pretty key. Also mindfulness. I know it's it's sort of a popular word in the last couple of years. But for me, all mindfulness doesn't have to be anything scientific. It's just being in the present moment. And I think so often times, and I'm very guilty of this, I'm multitasking, and I'm thinking that's a great thing. Not really, you know, if you're in a conversation with your kids, give them their full attention. If you're eating, sitting at a table without a TV on or without your phone, or when you're going for a walk and I've done it, you know, I have my phone and I'm walking my dog getting out in nature and calling a friend. But there's other times that I'm like, No, I'm just going to be in nature. I'm going to be aware of my senses. What am I hearing? What am I smelling? How does that my feeling my shoot silly things, but when you are present northwest of the world shuts up for a little bit. And I think we all need that that time. So those are the sort of the practices so to speak, gratitude journal, realizing each day, what did go well, we had a ton of things that didn't chemo was not fun. So to finish that day and say, well, I'm with chemo, you know what I was one I was one chemo down, or, you know, I had wonderful nurses. So each day, I tried to find three things that went well. And those are the types of activities and positive moments that I have now continued and incorporated into everyday life, which I didn't do pre my diagnosis, let's say or even when 10, 15 years ago.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 13:23
I love it. So you slow down and smell the roses.
Jennifer Smrz 13:26
Yes. I did.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 13:28
Right? But how at the same time despite slowing down, you also picked up because there was a pivot.
Jennifer Smrz 13:34
I had a pivot. I did well you, I took the opportunity. Not I was again I haven't been able to go back to instruct the almond instructor and good light just based on the pandemic and then I had a double mastectomy when they opened and they were opening again this past July in Canada and I had another scheduled surgery a month ago. So what I am now focusing on is being a part of various podcasts like yourself just sharing my message sharing my strategies, my tips, any way that I can help people whether it's a cancer diagnosis, whether it's another health ailness, whether it's going through stressful situations, anxiety, depression, so I've been guest speakers getting my story out sharing that information. And then I have gotten involved with a wellness company that that offers natural household products and again once I learned that there was that connection between the toxins in our product and various health ailments and certainly just the fact that I want safer products for myself and my family I've been able to share those products and it's just been rewarding and watching other families become healthier and just makes my bucket feel full.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 14:40
Yeah, I love that. I love how glue mindful about what you put in your environment because you know, environmental wellness is the part of that wellness wheel. It's an important piece that a lot of people don't think about, right? They it's just their household things like you know, we mark our floors, we clean our counters, you know we brush our teeth. Tell a little bit about this wellness company that you participate in.
Jennifer Smrz 15:00
Yes, so what it, it is a normally wellness store which again during the pandemic has been brilliant because one, we couldn't go anywhere. So just the convenience and others were just scared to be around other people. So it's the convenience of your own home, which I love. The fact that it's natural products, obviously is key for me, I treat jewelers in less than 12 months, I personally chose to detox that we think things were going to be natural and clean. And I realized that not everyone is going to go that extreme but and affordable. I mean to have love supporting various companies that have natural products, but they're often out of reach for so many people. And I would use you know, the skincare because it was on my skin again, kind of oblivious to these other products that I use daily, but wasn't connecting that they too should be clean. So the fact that they are household products that people use anyways, that they can buy it conveniently from their own home, just add to a cart, it's delivered within a couple of days, it's affordable, I can't speak enough about it, and that the products are all guaranteed. So if you're not happy, maybe you don't like being the essential oil that they use to help scent. That's certainly what some of the fragrances are because other fragrances that we buy are often chemicals and certainly not safe. So for the products that do have scent, it's often that well certainly things in nature like lemon and and essential oils are common. But if you don't like a product, you return it without a hassle. And there's not many companies that that will do that. So that's after it's open used, you know, they just really believe in their products.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 16:35
Wow, that's awesome. Very cool. Actually use a product called Melaleuca at home, I have used it for a decade now. I mean, interesting this today, my youngest she I, like any mom make mistakes. I think I didn't have a bottle of tightened properly I had on my bathroom counter and it splashed on our face. And honestly, the first thing that came in my mind was, well I think this was Melaleuca and not like some of the other stuff, which was like bleach.
Jennifer Smrz 17:02
Right it would have been a trip to the hospital.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 17:05
Oh my goodness. Yeah. So everyone listen to this podcast. Just be mindful, like accidents happen.
Jennifer Smrz 17:13
Absolutely so quickly. Yeah, it's, and that's it. I mean, sort of touches on the other thing, when I when I used to clean my hands, you know, I put my gloves on open the window, you know, because it was so strong, and it's okay. And then I've got my young toddlers that are walking around putting head down. Again, I feel like I'm a smart, educated person, I never really thought about it. Right. And I mean, my kids, boys are obviously older and not putting everything in their mouths. But it is great to know that there's companies like Melaleuca that don't need safety seals because their products are biodegradable, safe and effective. I think again, that's, that's the key and affordable.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 17:51
Yeah I know it for sure important so for everyone listening, it just really take inventory that works you're putting in and on your body and in your environment that really as our bodies literally have sprung, we do have over lotions and potions that we place on our body. And we'll get inside of you.
Jennifer Smrz 18:08
Yeah and you know what, and I think the the stats that were serious for me is that it takes 26 seconds for whatever is in the air. Right. So certainly in a home, it's more concentrated to land on your skin and get into the bloodstream.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 18:23
Wow.
Jennifer Smrz 18:24
Wow. So again, pollutants outside, you know, yes, we can move into, you know, I would have a city and so forth. We have a little less control with that we there's certainly things that we could do, of course, but inside our home, we have control. As you say read the labels. Just be more aware. I think Information is power, and you can make your own decisions for what's best for you and your families.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 18:45
Definitely and you know, specifically for breast cancer, one thing that has really been brought to my attention more over the past I would say two years is now this might not be a popular opinion, spoiler alert over listening, but there is a correlation between worsening breast cancer outcome with alcohol consumption.
Jennifer Smrz 19:03
Yes.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 19:04
And my big cautious life is both enjoy the glass of wine after a meal but.
Jennifer Smrz 19:09
Be cautious.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 19:09
Be cautious.
Jennifer Smrz 19:10
Everything in moderation.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 19:11
Yeah.
Jennifer Smrz 19:12
I think I'm a firm believer in that with every aspect of my life with exercise in moderation.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 19:19
Yeah.
Jennifer Smrz 19:19
I mean, if you can eliminate it all together, all the best year.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 19:22
For sure, even better. But yeah, that's the plug I have to put out there. And obviously we know the obvious things that weren't smoking. I don't see a loss on that whatsoever.
Jennifer Smrz 19:33
No, and you don't we haven't tapped into is the sleep component.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 19:38
Ah yeah.
Jennifer Smrz 19:38
Right and I should have answered that as well because that's an area not that I didn't value sleep before I always have valued it. I am not the best sleeper. So I've tried all sorts of different things, different apps and keys and all sorts of things. What and again, it depends on the day but what I do ensure is that I try to go to bed at the same time each night and a nap that varies sometimes. So essentially go to bed at the same time, an hour before, make sure you're on electronics, we all hear that it's sometimes harder, making sure your room is dark, you know, maybe not meeting a couple hours before. So these are all things that if you incorporate into your daily life, it will help ensure hopefully a more restful sleep. No guarantees, but it's helped me tremendously.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 20:25
Yeah that was good, rest is restorative.
Jennifer Smrz 20:28
It sure is.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 20:29
It is.
Jennifer Smrz 20:30
Someone that's gone without sleep or sleepless night, but it's debilitating, certainly over extended periods as Muslims, we know that. Right, the hours of when we wake up with the children and so forth. But at anytime sleep is necessary. And I think many people simply don't get enough.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 20:47
Yeah, and that's true. And also a quality sleep is necessary. Some people go to sleep, but they're not getting restful sleep.
Jennifer Smrz 20:54
Right. Right. So yeah, it's just taking a few actions that hopefully will help us fall asleep and stay asleep.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 21:01
Not nah, for those who are listening, we talk about sleep hygiene, and that basically you want to relax before going to bed, not the right activities that revs you up or gently theme and your bedroom should be ideally personally for sure.
Jennifer Smrz 21:15
Yeah.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 21:16
That many of us it's working studying because COVID has brought work into your home. So I'm guilty of that.
Jennifer Smrz 21:23
Yes.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 21:24
But ideally, we should have a separate place, or even a corner for our home office.
Jennifer Smrz 21:28
I agree. Yeah, I actually when I started my online business, I was in the kitchen just on the island, which and I did it for many months.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 21:36
I did that too.
Jennifer Smrz 21:37
I mean, most unhealthy no, because you're I mean, you're getting distracted.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 21:41
Yeah.
Jennifer Smrz 21:42
It's always there. You're eating and now I have an office. And that's where my computer is. And I do not bring it down. Right. That's I leave it there. And there's a space for stuff. And yeah, certainly during the pandemic, and I'm sure many people have not, especially when they're homeschooled.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 21:57
Oh, yeah.
Jennifer Smrz 21:58
There's three of them on one desk. But yeah, having a separate space for, as you say, for work or sleep or for sex.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 22:10
Exactly. It's really, really important. And you know, this is the mental health and wellness show. So obviously, when I talk about mental health, I need them that like many others who goes through a significant diagnosis, depression and anxiety is very common. So what does that look like? What it is, you're like me because everyone is different, right? It's not necessarily the cutter.
Jennifer Smrz 22:29
You know what, yeah, so for myself, certainly, when I was going through chemo, I did go into a deep depression, I knew and was able to identify it because I had actually been through it previously. So it wasn't my first rodeo so to speak. And I know very quickly some of my symptoms so certainly when I'm worrying all the time, or when I noticed my sleep when I can't fall asleep, his thoughts are in my mind or I'm waking up. So those are some of my triggers or things like yes, we all have tick lives but we normally can cope and we can you know add some humor and but when that humor and can't hold up for things that normally you can, I personally do enjoy, you know, cooking and baking and so forth. Once I would notice that that was more of a more of a stressor and just thinking about the meals and the grocery shopping. So those are sort of my triggers. So specifically, when I was going through chemo, I had a total of 16 treatments for the first four before I was actually in good mental state my hair I chose to shave it off so that I mean that there are obviously emotions with that and I continue to instruct until for the first two months and then again these warning signs signs came pretty quickly. And sadly I think you can talk yourself into it if you feel running down that rabbit hole is a way people describe it because I've been there before it's like oh my gosh, here I go again, instead of trying to find ways to get out which he definitely wants to do. But you feel like you can't and if it spirals fairly quickly and then obviously being at home not having the energy not having my exercise that is a part of my life losing weight you know just going through the normal symptoms and emotions that you've seen on TV with people going through chemo it was tough it was really tough and I think people are and I had a great support system for you know coming up with meals and helping with the driving the boys or in hockey and so forth when it when you have cancer or some health you know like heart disease or something people are much more open once mental health that the I mean it's it's getting better but I, I honestly I have really close friends that did not get it and they pretty much would avoid me right you know and no fault of their own but they just didn't know how to react or what to say maybe didn't want to say something that would make it worse. And it is it's a lonely lonely world when you're going through that. And I luckily had you know, my parents and my sister in law's that were my guiding light like to check in and tap them, and so forth. But it's debilitating. And I wouldn't honestly wish it upon my worst enemy, which I don't have any but it's just I've say it honestly that I would go through cancer again, if I could avoid another bout of depression. It is that horrible when you're in the midst of it.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 25:19
Wow, that's profound.
Jennifer Smrz 25:21
Yeah, and it's I mean cancers no fun by all means feel as alone. I'll tell ya and you don't feel yeah, it's like yeah, anyways, that's truly how I feel.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 25:30
Yeah, I actually last night, I was scrolling through Instagram, I saw this meme. And it was, you know, someone who was in a hospital for some physical thing. And they like balloons get better and all jobs are guests. And then the second one is home with depression, and they were on their own crying. And it's just a different way for response, sadly. But it depression hurts.
Jennifer Smrz 25:52
It sure does. And I think again, it's it's the awareness is becoming more recognized and so forth. But we are so far from where it needs to be. So it just it takes individuals like you and me, you doing this podcast me sharing my story and how I've like come out of it. And I'm you know, I'm thriving, and I'm helping other people. So there's hope there's absolutely hope it's just awareness and yeah trying to get through day by day.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 26:16
Yeah, I like that for grieving instead of just surviving.
Jennifer Smrz 26:20
Right.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 26:20
I definitely am in the heat of thing but maybe force to survive.
Jennifer Smrz 26:24
Yeah.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 26:25
Surviving is an option.
Jennifer Smrz 26:26
It certainly is for sure.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 26:29
It look to you. I'm curious because you are young. Right? Because to have that diagnosis. You only 43.
Jennifer Smrz 26:36
I was 43. Yeah.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 26:38
Right. And then your sons is not old they were young.
Jennifer Smrz 26:41
They were fit yeah, so my eldest now is 15. So he was 13. And my youngest was 11.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 26:47
How was that sharing the diagnosis with them is that ah you..
Jennifer Smrz 26:51
Yeah. So I mean, they knew I had quite a few appointments. So when you go for the mammogram, then they ultrasound and then go back to the mammogram and the biopsy. So they were half aware. But I mean, it sounds horrible. They were boys. So they're, in their own little worlds, the night when I, when my husband and I went to get the diagnosis, we brought them home. And even at that point, I neither of us were crying. We just sat them down. And we're very matter of fact, no. And we have had, you know, distant relatives have cancer, but no one close to us. So this was I mean, we had to be careful. And their reaction when we told them was almost nonchalant, which you don't want them to break down. But it was a part where you're like, Did you hear what was just said? And my youngest just said, Mum, are you going to come back home? And I'm like, Absolutely, I'm coming back home, we're gonna go to the hospital. It's literally I could walk there in five minutes, and I'll be home that day. And that sort of was the end of it. And again, I kept myself busy for the two weeks. The harder news was when I went back 13 days later, and was told that I had, you know, it's the last week of school, my eldest son was turning 14, and I was just hoping to move on, not be scheduled in 12 hours later. So we drove home from the hospital and because it is so close, it wasn't until we got home. And the boy said, Oh, how did things go? That that's when I just started to ball and you know, then they come over? And my husband just said, sadly, you know, they, there's another tumor, Mom's got another surgery, but no, everything's gonna be fine. So we just, we kept it very positive. I didn't hide what was going on. We also didn't talk about it a lot, either. If they had questions, I mean, we did turn it into a joke when I was going to lose hair. You know, buying my wig and mom you can have curly you can have we were able to add some humor into it. But it was resorted just to like to carry light on as per usual. Work for our family.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 28:53
And now it past at everything heal just figure from.
Jennifer Smrz 28:59
I'd like to say yes. They I mean, I think they're more aware of healthy choices. I mean, I've raised them on that. However, I think having me and they do say they're like, how could you of all people have gotten sick with your whole wheat bread and your fruits and I show them.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 29:16
I know it's no long.
Jennifer Smrz 29:18
How could this happen to you that type thing? So I think it did give them I mean, it's not that they're always making the best food choices. So don't get me wrong, but I think it did make them realize it can happen to anyone. So I think from that standpoint, it's it was a hard lesson, but a good one for them to learn that you have to take care of your body, and that's food, that's environment, that's for now it's now it's products as as we talked about, but there's things that they need to do and then seeing me go through even the the down periods, I'm very open with them telling you you know, how you feeling and you know, if you're feeling overwhelmed and about that test, I'll sit down and explain the deep breathing or you know, the thoughts they're going through their head when they're going to wanna hockey try out, and just trying to use again, my experience to help them as they go through life.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 30:05
I like him. I love the way you're open with family, and you keep it real, but don't make it the center of universal, that doesn't define you.
Jennifer Smrz 30:14
Right.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 30:14
Right. Absolutely. Your friends are watching and they're learning from you on how to deal with challenges.
Jennifer Smrz 30:20
You know what? Absolutely. And I mean, by all means, I wish that they didn't see me again more the depression than the cancer because that journey is there to control and you've sort of feel depression is within your control, although I that's another topic.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 30:33
Yeah.
Jennifer Smrz 30:34
But the fact that they see me come out and at the world again, thrive, I think is, is encouraging. And that's that's a plus, I wish they didn't seem yet the lowest that they've seen yet the highs and that the real individual that I am. And that's, that's important for me.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 30:49
Yeah we talk a full authentic to you. So they know that when they go through tuition, which will happen online, but it's okay to have a look, let's see how, I know they will see that.
Jennifer Smrz 30:59
Yeah, absolutely. And when life is so perfect, then you know, when you are faced with a horrible situation, that's when oftentimes people their life falls apart, where.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 31:09
That is so true, that is so true, I found with this pandemic and other situations, those who have that, quote, unquote, perfect life, and then suddenly have this inconvenience, maybe didn't handle as well as somebody who that's all they've known. So that yes, they've got them so used to having, okay, that didn't work out as something else. Like for me, the pandemic didn't faze me like, it didn't. I was like, okay.
Jennifer Smrz 31:31
You should continue doing everything that you were right.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 31:34
Yeah, I make adjustments. Right.
Jennifer Smrz 31:36
Exactly, exactly. No, you know, what it's all on the experiences that you're given and how you react and learning from them.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 31:44
Learning from. So you have a lot of interesting stuff familiar with helping people live healthier lives, be mindful about what's in their homes and building relationships. And you know what, you're very easy person to talk to every single day. Right?
Jennifer Smrz 31:59
So, well thank you.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 32:00
Yeah, so for our listeners, because I know many of them have been diagnosed with cancer because of the breast and other cancers. How would they reach you if they wanted to talk to you both your coaching and this other service?
Jennifer Smrz 32:13
Yes, so I I'm on LinkedIn so they can they can look me up Jennifer Smrz. The last name is S as in Sam, M, R, Zed. I am on Facebook. I am not a huge social media fan, but I am I am on Facebook. I also people can reach out through email. My email is jennsmrzed@gmail.com and my website I was hoping it would have been up and running by the time we did this podcast told me but it's it's jensmrzed.com And because of my most recent surgery, it is not live as of yet but.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 32:54
While by the time this podcast launches, we will make sure it is live.
Jennifer Smrz 32:58
There we go.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 33:00
User weigh it people can check out your jam.
Jennifer Smrz 33:02
That sounds wonderful. I absolutely would love to connect with, with whoever is interested and just sort of learn more about them and if I can make suggestions on some healthy habits so that they can live a better life i that is my that's my passion.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 33:17
I love it. You know out of adversity, we can either sink or we can rise and I 2020 I said it before was probably my hardest year of my life. And like I've been near death so I can relate to those experiences like.
Jennifer Smrz 33:32
Yes.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 33:32
Scary diagnosis, your livelihood safety interaction and then realizing that something has to give and you need balance and making those steps wow has changed. Many it crowded.
Jennifer Smrz 33:43
Thank you so much and that means a lot.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell 33:46
Yeah. So to listeners who are listening I know you receive a bunch of gems today and that you are courage to make those steps towards a holistic healthy lifestyle and know that help is just a phone call or text or email address away. All right, everyone, this is a document we're wrapping it up with a lovely and wonderful Jennifer Smrzed till next time, not much later, Dr. Mitchell from The Mental Health and Wellness Show. Thank you.
Jennifer Smrz 34:17
Thank you