Has a major health concern really limited the way you feel about yourself and about fitness? If so, in honor of Women's Health Month, I invite you to reignite your motivation and try on some new ideas with our guest, LeeAnne Hayden, ovarian cancer survivor and colostomy lifer.

Meredith: I am so thankful as we bring on guest, LeeAnne Hayden, cancer survivor and colostomy lifer. She is somebody who gets up on the Fitness Universe stage in a blinged out bikini and blinged out colostomy bag and portrays the message: this is me; this is life, and I am here to take ownership and help other women feel wonderful about themselves. Thank you so much LeeAnne. We are so blessed to have you share your story today.

LeeAnne: I'd love to share it; I actually enjoy talking about it because I think people don't understand. I'll tell the story, and then I think people will get it. I've always been into working out. I've always been into fitness. I've always taken care of my body. I've always eaten healthy organic . . .all the right things.

All of a sudden, I started growing a belly. I thought, "I don't know what this is." My husband said, "you're allergic to wine." I said "hush. I am not allergic to wine!" I was getting ready to fly out to an event, and I just wasn't feeling good. Since this is women's health, I'll talk a little more openly. I thought I had a UTI. I went to the doctor, and while the doctor was examining, she felt around and said, "what the H is that?" She physically felt it. I know we always feel a little . . . well, we're in a doctor's office with our feet up. I asked "what do you mean?" At first, we thought it was just a cyst. It was a little bit bigger than a racquet ball. Turns out it wasn't just a cyst. It took a couple surgeries. Over a four month period after all kinds of tests and biopsies, it ended up being what is known as a sarcoma. Sarcomas do not shrink with chemo or radiation. In the second surgery, they said, "we've got to get this thing out. It's growing. It's growing rapidly. It's not in your blood. It's not in your lymph nodes. It's not traveling anywhere, but the tumor, itself, is growing."

On January 15, 2016, coming up on four years, they removed it. It ended up being the size of a Nerf football. Because they had to make sure they took enough of a margin out, they took all of my rectal muscles with it as well, which left me in a colostomy bag for life. Everyday, I live in a colostomy bag. Some people just don't understand what it is.

When I competed with you two years ago, I was in my colostomy bag.

Meredith: Right, I remember, it was all blinged out! Is it still named Ivan?

LeeAnne: It's still named Ivan. Why Ivan? My surgeon's name was Ivan, and I gave him such a hard time. Coming from doing fitness competitions, I didn't want to be in a bag. It's going to be ugly. It's going to look bad. I'm going to feel miserable. I wear bikinis. I feel good about myself; don't put me in a bag. He had to almost shake me and say, "I have no intentions on putting you in a bag, however, my job is to save your life. Period. I'm going to do my best, but it may happen." When I woke up, first I asked him, "did we get the F-er?"

Meredith: On social media, probably four years ago, I remember seeing your post on this. You seemed so positive about it. I thought, "this is such an awesome mindset."

LeeAnne: It was so weird because right before . . . . I'm a spiritual person. I wouldn't say religious, but I'm spiritual, and I believe that we're protected; we're taken care of. Right before I went into surgery, I was really, really scared. I had this feeling through my whole body that said whatever happens, it is going to be O.K. I felt this peace to it. So when I woke up out of surgery, the first words were "did we get the F-er?" He said, "yes we did." After that, my husband came in. My husband's the one who told me I'm in a bag. He was ready for me to explode, but I said, "OK. Alright. We'll have to learn to deal with it, because I'm alive. I'm alive, so I need to learn how to figure this out."

Since then, you know, we did a competition together, and I blinged it out on purpose. I cannot shy away from having this. I've actually had a lot of doctors call me and ask me to talk to some of their patients. I've heard stories where people have had things happen, and they've passed away; they left their lives. They gave up living because they would've been ashamed to be in a bag.

I get more and more open about it; I get more vocal about it because if I can save a life . . . .If I can save a life, then that's what my purpose on this earth is being. I'm here for that sole purpose; to continually save peoples' lives, because we're blessed to be here. So you go to the bathroom a little differently. It makes noises.

So back to Ivan. My doctor's name was Ivan. So I asked what I could name him, and he said name it Tori. I said no; Tori sounds like a girl's name. I'm not doing that, so it's Ivan. It's a guy. It's Ivan so I can disassociate it with myself. It makes noises. I don't feel when I have to go to the bathroom. I don't feel when I have gas. You don't feel any of that. It just happens. It makes noises, and I go, "it's just Ivan."

Meredith: You've shared a lot on social media. I've noticed that you are a really positive role model of how women can really overcome struggles. Big ones. Big healthcare things . . . and somehow find a positive mindset. I notice how you live that healthy lifestyle and be that role model, so I'm wondering if you can share any tips on how you shift your mindset on those really rough days when you have bad news regarding health. How do you say, "I'm here. I'm healthy. I'm going to do everything in my power to take care of my body, and my family, and everybody around me?"

LeeAnne: Yeah. People send me messages and ask how I stay so positive all the time. Don't let me fool you on Facebook. I have kicking moments. I have wall kicking moments. I remember there was one time when I was in my closet trying on clothes. Everything I put on, I could see my bag through. I had to get rid of half of my wardrobe. One day I just sat on the floor in my closet and cried my eyes out. I allowed myself to feel. I felt it, but I didn't stay there. I didn't stay in that moment. It was one of those conversations, "OK, you cried. It's OK. Now get up. Just get up. Get off the floor. Take a step. Go look in the mirror and put a smile on. You can't cry when you have a smile on." You can't cry with a smile on your face. You can't be sad with a smile on your face. This one of the tricks that I always do. When I feel it, I allow it. I don't hide it; I don't ignore it, cause if you do that, you're just burying it. You're not being real with yourself. You get to the moment . . . ."go look in the mirror and smile. Go say hi; I feel pretty now. Life is OK now."

Meredith: I'm going to try that next time something bad happens. I'm going to get to the point that I recognize I'm done with this, now let's put on the smile. I remember Cathy, our coach, saying "you get the five minute pity party, and then move on. Get back into life."

LeeAnne: Yeah, you have to because it can be all consuming. There was one moment in the hospital right after everything had happened. I was sitting there and they were teaching me how to change my bag; I had to find products that worked for me. Some are ugly. I think mine are cute. They were teaching me, and I felt this dark cloud coming at me. I felt it. I felt the dread. I just felt the dread. I said, "please don't let the darkness take me. Please don't let me go here. Please." All of a sudden, just from me saying that, I felt this white cloud come back and block it out. It was that moment of, "I know this is coming and I really don't want to feel this way. I don't want to go here. I know if I go here, I'm not going to get out of it." I knew that was coming. I didn't want that, so I just shifted to "you're not allowed. You're not allowed; it's not allowed."

Meredith: It sounds like you have a lot of those really positive mindset boundaries with yourself; you're really good about staying in tune with what is coming right now and how to set that boundary with yourself, and know that you are going to move on and accept peace and help.

LeeAnne: I think, too, a lot of that comes with age. I'm over 50 . . .when you go through a lot . . .. I started meditating a long time ago. Probably 20 years ago. I meditated for 20 minutes every day. Every single day. I've kind of gotten away from it now, but I still take moments where I get quiet. It's not a sit down for a full 20 minutes, but it's OK to just take a moment right now. I know how to shut the mind down and get calm; get centered; just get there. I also exercised 5-6 days/week. Even running to the gym for half an hour, just moving my body or going for a walk, and drinking water . . . . Those little things right there . . .. It's the small steps over time that teach you the most lessons, so when those big things happen, you have a way to deal with it.

Meredith: Yeah; you had those practices to come back to. When someone says, "I have no idea how and no time to meditate, how should they begin if they want to start to try this practice?"

LeeAnne: The people that say "I have no time," are the people that really need it. That's when you know you are running so fast in life that you are missing things. Some people get up, go to the bathroom, and before they pick up the phone they meditate.

Here are a few practices. There are a couple of practices that I do that really, really work.

Start with 2 minutes. Start with "so hum," which means, "I am." Sit down; close your eyes, and just say "so hum." When you breathe in, you say "so;" when you breathe out, you say "hum." It is a very calming meditation. A minute might seem like an hour, and that is O.K. Next time say, "I want to do it for two." Set a timer on your phone. You can build it up over time. A lot of people are afraid of "I'm going to meditate, but I'm not supposed to think." I've got my eyes closed going so hum, so hum, so hum, and all of a sudden I realize I've got to go grocery shopping, so why am I doing this? I have to go to the gym; there's so much going on . . . It's normal, and that's when you go back to "I'm talking to myself right now. So hum. So hum. So hum, and you just calm it down." The noise in your head starts to quiet down a lot more over time. It takes time.

Meredith: As a cancer survivor, you are super motivating. What does it look like to say "I'm a cancer survivor and a woman in my 50s living a healthy life? What does a healthy lifestyle look like?"

LeeAnne: I would eat all the right foods. I was doing a lot of the grains and raw vegetables and fruit, and I was actually gaining weight. I was in the hospital just a few months ago because I had a blockage. Because of all the surgeries, I have adhesions, and the adhesions had attached to the bowel. High fiber foods can't process. So here's what I actually do: I do drink coffee with full fat cream. I eat 6-7 times/day. I eat white bread. I eat white pasta. Every day. It's against everything that I have known. I cook my vegetables really well; I have to. It's the only way my body can process it. I do eat lean meats; I eat some fruits. I eat differently than when I thought I was eating healthy. Now I know I have to supplement, so I take some vitamins. That's me, and that works for me.

I exercise 5-6 days/week. The doctors from my last surgery told me that I bounce back so fast because of this. In my last surgery, I was under anesthesia for 9 hours. I was supposed to be in the hospital for 7-10 days. My surgery was on Friday. I went home on Tuesday. I had a mindset. At the time I was working with Tyra Banks and had to be in California. The surgeons said I wasn't flying, and I said "yes I am. I will get up. I will walk." A week after this surgery, I flew across the country. I think because I didn't sit around; I didn't stay there; I got up; I walked; I moved; I just kept my body going. I ate a lot of vegetables and fruits and ate health and exercised prior to the surgery, my body bounced back faster because I took care of myself.

Meredith: What advice would you give to women that have a lot of health or mental obstacles or big stuff to deal with in life? How do we get back to health and move forward from where we are at?

LeeAnne: You don't have to do it all at once, but you have to do something every day for yourself. If you have a huge health issue maybe you can't exercises. That day you can make choices with food and drink more water; that can make you feel better. It doesn't have to be a big thing. It doesn't have to be "I need to workout for an hour, and I need to eat 6-7 meals that are clean and health, and I need to drink more water, and I need to meditate . . .you're going to be stressed out." You can't do that. The stress doesn't help your health. Start with small things. Start with one thing today. Say "today I'm going to . . ." (example: eat four times and make the right choices. I'm going to drink a little more water than the last day; I'm going to go for a walk or I'm going to go to the gym). Do them one at a time, then add. Then you will start doing all of those habits over time. You're drinking more water; you're eating better; you're starting to exercise; you're adding meditation. It's not "and, and, and, but rather ALSO." "I'm here. Now I have the ability because this has become a habit." Drinking water has become a big habit of mine. Going for a walk is just a habit. It's like brushing your teeth in the morning; you don't go out and talk to people without brushing your teeth.

Meredith: There's a definite focus on taking an action instead of thinking about taking an action. We actually do the toothbrushing; we don't put it on the to do list, and then we move on. We're in a new moment. We say, "I'm here. Now we go for the walk." I really appreciate how you focus on taking the action instead of shoving it on the to do list "and train."

LeeAnne: Exactly. Next thing you know, you're living a healthy life. You're happy. You do have your moments. You have things that you need to deal with, but you can get through it better. It doesn't mean it's not going to happen. I have wall kicking days. I have moments where I'm devastated. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I'm like really? I really would like to not have to deal with this today. I don't want to be in a bad today. I don't want to do it. But I am, It's part of me. It's been almost four years. It's become a part of me. For me, it's easy to to deal with.

Meredith: I love how you share your message of empowerment. Stuff still happens; people don't want to deal with things, but you say "this is who I am. This is who I am today. I'm a powerful woman, and I'm going to move on with life."

LeeAnne: Exactly, because I'm here. I'm here. We're all here for a reason. I used to roll my eyes at that, but we are all here for a reason; we truly are. With me being in a bag, I never have to worry about finding a bathroom, ever. Stuck in traffic? You're on your way to work drinking your coffee stuck in traffic and go "oh no," and you're trying to run in somewhere . . . that's never going to happen to me ever again. It's not, so I remind myself of those things. The good things. Life is full of a lot of good things.

Meredith: I really appreciate you sharing your story; you've overcome so much in the healthcare world. People look at that and say that not a lot of people are going to bounce back and be the motivational light that you have. I also noticed that you are still into beauty and makeup; I see some posts; are you selling a makeup line now?

LeeAnne: I do. I found a company that I align myself with. Your skin is the biggest organ, and I do really care about what I put on my skin. I know I said I eat white bread, but I do really take care of myself. I am now with a makeup company. It's makeup; it's skincare; it's haircare. It's all natural. It comes from Europe. The company's been around for 68 years, but they are new to the US. They just brought it over in January. I'm loving everything about it. The quality is amazing, and it's so inexpensive. You'd think something would be wrong with it, but the quality is crazy good.

Meredith: That's a cool opportunity. I know I saw a post with 50 different colors of eyeliner; I would wear them all . . . probably at the same time.

As we close, is there anything else you'd like to get out there to busy women who say, "I'm not going to take time to make time for myself, because I have this, and that, and the other thing, and maybe I have a health issue, but I'm going to ignore it and put it on the back burner."

LeeAnne: We have to take care of ourselves. The more we grow, the more we have to take care of ourselves, even it if is only two minutes. The better we get, the more we can take care of our families. I'm a mom of five; I'm a grandmother now. I would always be the last person I thought I was taking care of, but when I didn't take care of myself, I couldn't take care of everybody else. If I'm not in a good place, then my family isn't in a good place; my relationships aren't in a good place; my work's not going to be in a good place. You just run through your day, so you have to take the moment, especially if you're busy. It'd doesn't have to be a power hour. Just take two minutes and do something for yourself that day.

Meredith: I really have a high appreciation of how you said DO something, because so many of us think about doing something and put it on the to do list.

LeeAnne: Don't put it on the to do list. Do it! If you say, "I need to meditate today," sit down and meditate.

Meredith: In closing, is it OK if I share some contact information? If there is a woman who listens to this and thinks "health just has me so underwater right now, I don't know where to begin. I feel overwhelmed," or if there is a woman who thinks "oooo, healthy makeup, I like that idea," can they contact you?

LeeAnne: Absolutely. Facebook is the go to place (LeeAnne Hayden); you're more than welcome to message/follow on Facebook and Instagram. Even e-mail. I love getting to know people, and the more people I can help, the better; THAT's why I'm here. That's why I'm here: to help people.

Meredith: You are a true walking model; that is why I reached out to you; with everything you've overcome, you are that model (not just on social media). You're there saying, "hey, I've had a bad day, but look what I am able to do; this is what I can bring forward; look at this beautiful life." You are an absolute walking role model. That's why I very much wanted to bring you on for Women's Health Month, to hopefully inspire some other women who have big challenges to say "we can work through this."

LeeAnne: You can, and you're not alone. There's a lot of people out there doing the same thing. I think, more and more, we start linking arms together just to be surrounded and help lift each other up.

Meredith: Thank you so much.

LeeAnne: Thank you so much for having me on; I truly appreciate it.

Please feel free to reach out to LeeAnne if you seek a guiding inspiration to get back on your feet in difficult wellness circumstances, if you have questions about her journey, or if you have interest in natural makeup, skin, and haircare.