The Girl Behind Like A Mountain Girl
Basic Info
Name: Susan Pedigo
Age: 36
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Occupation: Marketing consultant
Hobbies: Gardening/plants, yoga, anything in the sun, reading, skiing, and rafting
The Real Stuff
I started Like A Mountain Girl while living in Colorado, I now live in Idaho.
Every time I tell someone from out of state that I now live in Idaho, almost everyone responds, “Idaho? I’ve never been.” I had never been either. Idaho had actually never crossed my mind as a place that maybe I would live one day, but after 9 years in the mountains of Colorado, I was ready for a change. My family and I have now lived in Idaho for a little over 2 years and feel very grateful to call it home. I never thought I could live anywhere other than the mountains…ok, maybe a beach…but in many ways Idaho has been exactly what we needed.
I am a wife, mom, and stepmom.
Three things I certainly never thought I would be. When I lived in NYC, I didn’t see myself as the family-type. I was addicted to my job, in what felt like a good way. I loved working and playing in the city and just didn’t see a family as a priority I would make.
Fast forward a few years, after moving to the mountains I met my now husband. I came into my stepson’s life when he was 10 years old, and we had my daughter 5 years later.
Being a wife, stepmom, and mom, have easily been the 3 things have challenged me the most in life. Each in their own way have pushed me to grow in ways I never anticipated. They are also the roles in life I am most grateful for.
I am a 17 year cancer survivor.
During the summer in between my freshman and sophomore year at the University of Michigan, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Days later, I began chemotherapy, followed by radiation therapy. I have been very fortunate over the last 17 years to be cancer free. On Christmas Eve 2024, I celebrated the anniversary of my final (radiation) treatment.. This year was special for me, because it is the first year since I was diagnosed that I feel like I am in charge of my own health, that I know how to prevent disease in my body and create true, lasting health. For the first year since my diagnosis, I don’t live with a lurking fear of cancer in the back of my mind. Reaching this point in my life is a huge reason I feel compelled to share my story on this blog.
In 2020, I had a double mastectomy.
My daughter was born 6.5 weeks early due escalating pre-eclampsia symptoms in my body. We spent 5 weeks in the NICU in Denver, 100 miles away from home, which were easily some of the most challenging weeks of my life. My pregnancy being cut short was a reminder that my body had been changed by cancer, a fact I had largely ignored since I going into remission. This bump pushed me to research my long-term effects from chemotherapy and radiation therapy. I found out that my chances of breast cancer were over 40% at my current age of 31, and 80% by the time I was 60. I felt like a ticking time bomb. When my daughter was 10 months old, I decided to have the surgery. I had to be 6 months out from breastfeeding, so my first surgery ended up being in June 2020, the heart of COVID. It took 2.5 years and 3 additional surgeries to complete my mastectomy and reconstruction. By the end, my body, cortisol levels, emotional and physical states were all out of control. During this time is really when my healing journey began, leading me to the healthiest body and most peaceful mind I have ever lived in.
I struggle with social media.
Since I have grown the community of Like A Mountain Girl, I have struggled with what I want my presence on social media to be. In my own life, I set rather strict boundaries with social media time, so contributing to the infinite scroll for other’s is really difficult for me. I also have known since the beginning that the constant push for consumerism that is present on social media would never be for me. My goal with this blog is to bring a longer format to the platform that I can be proud of, sharing information that could potentially help others instead of contributing to the pieces of social media that I in my eyes take away so much value from our lives.
I’m a health enthusiast, but also a realist.
I am very thankful to live in a healthy body, be able to move on a daily basis, and have a calm mind. I have also worked incredibly hard to get here. I have done years of research and tried more supplements and healing modalities than I care to admit. There is so much fear mongering in the wellness industry that I believe does more harm than good. My approach to wellness is wholistic and realistic. I have healed my own body and mind through balance, establishing a healthy relationship with myself, and thoughtfully adding in the extras (supplements, devices, etc). In my own experience, I have found that outsourcing my healing by applying exterior solutions is minimally effective without establishing health from the inside. I look forward to sharing my journey through this medium to reach anyone else who is desperate to heal and approaching wellness fatigue.