Miracle Melatonin

Hello friends! Yesterday I was so exhausted that after my volunteer time at the retirement home, I walked back to the house, stepped into pajamas, and fell into bed. I slept for three hours. I've recently started taking 21 milligrams of melatonin at bedtime. Not only does it help your sleep rhythms, it boosts your immune system (among other things, increasing the number of your natural killer cells) and has been shown in clinical trials to extend the survival time for a multitude of cancers (including gliomas). I'm only going to take melatonin on the days that I'm not doing high doses of artemether or sulforaphane, just to be safe, but I feel like it's a great addition to my cancer fighting cocktail (for the record, I took Monday, Tuesday, and today off of high doses, I hadn't been feeling very well so I figured I'd give my body a break). 

Melatonin cleans your body of free radicals which are necessary for my artemether, so I'm pretty sure that it's a bad idea to take it during high dose times. Other pharmaceutical chemotherapies have been shown to work synergistically with melatonin. It's actually pretty amazing. It's too bad that doctors are scared to include melatonin during chemotherapy, it would increase efficacy and extend survival time. There's several research studies proving it. If you're interested, check it out. There are a few studies in the United States, but most have been conducted in Italy. 

Anyway, since I've started taking melatonin, I'm sleeping better, but I've also been pretty exhausted. I take it as a good sign though. I hadn't been getting enough sleep, and the melatonin is forcing me to sleep more. 

On the walk to the retirement home, I saw this amazing creation. I don't even know what to call it. Someone tied a bunch of red carnations into a type of mobile. It's beautiful, and such a fun surprise. What a cool act of kindness! Someone was really in the Valentine's Day spirit. 

The first daffodils I've seen around the lake!

Twinsies!

Oh those little faces, are so cute! They're even wearing a Team Jess shirt - that's so rad!! This photo jumped into my email inbox, and instantly I started laughing. It made me feel like I could drink another cup of that disgusting natural chemo. There's something about laughter that settles the stomach :) For those who don't recognize them (they are getting so big), these cuties are Hazel and Owen, the sweet babies of Matt & AJ (you may remember them from Movember For Jess). Thank you for inspiring me to keep my chin up! Their gesture to make me smile completely spun me around into happiness and immediately filled me with energy. You made it so easy to keep going!

This morning I got the chance to meet with a new friend, Polly who consults with cancer patients and survivors. She partners with them, figuring out a plan of success. Recently, she asked me if I'd be interested in writing a guest blog. The topic is "advocacy." She said that I seemed like a great match. What a compliment! How fun! So, the other day I sat down at my computer and started free flowing on what advocacy means to me. It was thought provoking, and a great treat sharing my perspective. It should be up on her website in the coming days. Once it's posted, I'll share a link. For now, if you want to check out her website, it's incredibly informational and fun - there are some great blogs, check them out (Navigating Cancer button). Polly is a wealth of knowledge, wrapped in a warm, kind hearted shell. If you know someone in the Seattle area who has cancer, or is a survivor, her resources, education, and can-do attitude would no doubt help you jump to the next level of health. I can not say enough about how amazing she is.

On my way home (in typical fashion, I ran to meet Polly for tea, and ran back), I spotted this beautiful green plant. I recognized it from my mom's garden. Can't remember the name of it, but it made me think of my mom, my dad, and all of the wonderful memories we've shared on their patio. Sometimes life is just that simple, a little wink from nature can bring a smile to your face.

Fill It With Happiness

What a difference a day can make! Ever since I lost my cookies (I wish it was cookies, but more like curcumin, sulforaphane, piperine and such), I've been feeling better and better. My brother and his daughter Isla came by this morning, and we had the chance to have lunch with our buddy Burke.

Life is so complicated, and then in the very next moment, so beautiful and simple. Kaal, Isla and I walked down to Green Lake and tried to feed the ducks, seagulls, and any other feathery friend we could find, but alas it was raining and we ended up tossing peanuts into the air for no good reason other than our own laughter. Actually, that's a pretty damn good reason :) It was fun!

I'm so lucky. My only goal in life is to survive, and on that trail that I'm trying to blaze, I just want to be able to show my love to those around me. Hugs, kisses, laughter, and love - it's the whole point of living. My life would be so different if I wasn't battling cancer. This journey continuously reminds me of the true meaning of life. I don't want to take anything for granted. It's nice to just live in the moment. Life passes by so quickly, and there's joy in every moment. If you can't see it around you, just take a deep breath, close your eyes and think of something that makes you smile. Life is just that simple. You can make it anything you want, fill it with happiness.