The Versatile Blogger Award

If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.

•  Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.
•  Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.
•  Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent!)
•  Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site.
•  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

Well first, WOW!!! Thank you to The Perks of Having Cancer for my nomination. What a beautiful gesture!

Lovely Blogs
1. All the Live Long Day
2. Austenesque Reviews
3. Yes and Yes
4. Almost Vegan
5. The Caffeinated Cupcake 
6. Green Beans and Yam
7. Kind Over Matter
8. Laura's Reviews
9. Life is a Canvas
10. Nourish Thyself
11.The Grateful Life
12.The Wellness Warrior
13.Walkstrong
14.The Purple Carrot
15.Chick Lit Plus

Seven Things About ME!

My first word was doggie

I detest mushrooms

My girl crush is Clea Duvall, ever since But I'm a Cheerleader. If I were to ever have a lesbian experience, she's my gal. ;) 

I've never chewed a piece of gum

I was a competitive pianist

I had a couple poems published in literary magazines in my early 20's

I'm addicted to Trader Joe's red licorice; it's not TJ brand, just something spectacular they carry 

10 Day Lifestyle Cleanse: Day 2

Review Previous Posts:
10 Day Lifestyle Cleanse
10 Day Lifestyle Cleanse: Day 1


Pictured is my Raw Food World order, which arrived in perfect time for this cleanse. I got three different raw cereals, and several raw snacks. Delicious.


Day 2 started at 9am with peanut butter waffles. I realize I haven't been extremely specific about the food aspect of this program, but mostly I want to eat healthy, cut the junk, and focus on detoxing, exercise, self-growth and Spirituality. Anyway, I had breakfast, then brushed my teeth, did my skin brushing while telling my body how much I loved it and took a shower. Then I headed to Coffee Girls for some fresh veggie juice and egg souffle. 

The first time I went I really didn't care for it, but Trader Joe's has grown on me. Today was my best visit yet, as I was able to get 85% of my grocery shopping there, and at a considerably cheaper rate than Whole Foods. I picked up a ton of greens of all kinds; arugula, red leaf lettuce, mixed greens, spinach, romaine, endive, etc. I bought more almonds for making almond milk and several other items. Then I headed to Whole Foods for the rest. I purchased some deliciousness from their market, so I'll have some pre-made meals. I also have a recipe for a green chili, so making that this week. 

I crashed when I got home (didn't sleep very well the night before) and slept until about 7:30. I got up, picked out some books, did some work on The Reinvention Project, a 30 day program for self-growth. More on that later. Then I warmed up some delicious quinoa patties and roasted root veggies from Whole Foods.

I started "Enchanted Love: The Power of Intimate Relationships" by Marianne Williamson while I ate dinner. Really enjoying it so far. So many non-fiction books are dry, but this is almost like a fairytale, beautifully written. I picked out my next set of books as well. 

After dinner, I spent time writing and work on blog design, than crashed around 11:30pm. 

I did some things, and not others today. Day 3 I intend to kick back, made a smoothie, do a coffee enema, oatmeal bath, lots of reading, start on my Goddess workbook and Vision Board, and meditate. Of course I'm going to eat some good stuff. I have a recipe for a kale, avocado, red pepper, tomato and something salad I'll make for lunch. I'm probably going to make my simple gluten free pasta recipe for dinner since the basil has been hanging out for awhile. 

My Beautiful flowers from Trader Joe's! Goodnight! See you for Day 3. 

Health Update

I cannot express how grateful I am to be home from the hospital. It's a beautiful thing to be in your own space. I've had some amazing helpers bring me food, play with Triton, and just send the most loving notes. My Mom has been incredible, even when I get cranky with her, keeping things clean, taking me places, etc. So how am I doing? Here are a few little tidbits:

• I did gain 7lbs in this last week since leaving the hospital, so we up'd my meds and I've started to lose that again. I can definitely tell it's working. Don't fret if we go out and I disappear for awhile; I didn't get lost in the bathroom, I'm just peeing like the Energizer Bunny....it just keeps going and going and going....
• The tumors in my armpits appear to be smaller, so yipee for that!
• I went to Trader Joes on my own today; drove myself, parked, walked the entire store on my own, carries the bags to my car, into the house, and unloaded all on my own. This is HUGE. I NEVER would have been able to do that a week ago. I'm getting stronger, walking better and have more energy
• I'm still sleeping bizarrely.  I sleep in the late afternoon/evening, then get up, and sometimes am up for hours in the night, and then sleep some more. I think I'm still screwed up from being in the hospital.
• I've been going visualization exercises to get my body to function properly. I already know this helped dissipate the tumor in m lung pressing on my trachea because I haven't felt it in months. I have no doubt I can use this to heal the rest of my body.
• I am going three times a week to do the MOPA machine, which sends electronic pulses through your body, killing microbes, which then kills cancer cells. I'm going to say this is contributing to my improved health. 
• My Cancer Protocols have changed some. I dropped the Budwig Diet, am focusing on the Cellect and working on creative ways to eat it. We just started doing some juicing, I'm doing the B17 (cancer killing vitamin) and several supplements for the heart including Niacin. 
• I haven't been doing the Vibe machine because stairs are still an issue, but we are looking to move it and that should help. I heard a few stories recently of people who shrank tumors within weeks by doing this, so I'm getting on it!
• Overall I am improving and looking forward to going to the Harry Potter theme park at the end of October! I KNOW I will be healed to the point that I will be able to fully appreciate the experience. 

I want to take a moment to address something. I received an email (which I will respond to soon!) that suggested I had made a mistake going holistic and that I needed to give it up and go for the chemo to save myself. While I appreciate that this person is concerned for my welfare, I still believe that using chemicals to "heal" is a poor idea. I choose to address this because I think that she is not alone in wondering why I don't just do chemo. A few things a) At this particular moment my heart is not strong enough for treatment, we'd need to wait to build it up b) I have never been told that I could be "cured" by chemo, that is it a life extension, and likely cancer would return and I would have to go through this process, maybe several times c) I've seen what it does to people, and I'm not a fan d) My main issue with western medicine is that the doctors don't encourage you to make any life changes when diagnosed with cancer, in fact, they spend a lot of time making sure nothing has to change. Cancer came for a reason, and by not changing any aspect of my life, even if the chemo eliminate the tumors, there is a reason people always get them back. By doing things holistically I'm not only protecting my body long term from chemicals and not experiencing the harsh side effects of the drugs, but if forces me to change my lifestyle. I've had to improve my diet, face my fears, get in touch with my emotions, and I've learned how to be happy and am on the way to becoming truly joyful. I do not believe this would have happened if I had chosen the other path. For those concerned about stats, just because you don't hear about people healing themselves naturally, doesn't mean they aren't doing it. Big Pharma spends a lot of time shutting people up, many doctors who heal patients with natural medicines have to move to Europe or Mexico. I personally know people who have healed themselves, and follow blogs of several who have either a) completely healed or b) are healing from natural remedies. People are often talked into treatments out of fear, and I've always stuck to my beliefs. I appreciate any concern that certain community members may have, but know this, I WILL heal my body, and when I do I will truly be healed. No damaged nerves from chemo, no fretting over when things will return and if I'll survive the next round of treatment. I will be healthy and happy and well balanced and better off than I started. And this, is why I've chosen to go holistic. Feel free to email me if you wish to discuss this further. 

I'll wrap this with a little Love and Gratitude:

• I've been loving listening to holiday music this week, especially the fun songs like Rocking Around the Christmas Tree and Jingle Bells and also loving some of the rarer songs such as Carol of the Bells
• Conveniently Natural has delicious vegan food, home delivered, and I've enjoyed it thoroughly this week. Gratitude to Andrea for bringing me some and to the owners for dropping off some free samples. What a beautiful community we belong to!
• Trader Joes quiche is delicous!
• I am grateful for the comfort of my water bed, love it, always
• Gabby Bernstein's new book Spirit Junkie comes out in two weeks! Plus, Tori Amos has a new album out the next week AND I have a gift certificate for Best Buy from my Birthday, so freebie for me!
• I am grateful for the nicer weather and opportunity to chill on my back porch, watching Triton play in his pool, and chase squirrels in the yard
• She & Him are releasing a Christmas Album this year; I think I'm in geek heaven
• On Thursday's blog you'll see my pics for Fall TV; there is a TV show based on fairytales. So excited for that one. 
• I love sleeping with stuffed animals. I'll be sleeping with them when I'm married. They make me feel good. 
• Did I mention HARRY POTTER THEME PARK IN OCTOBER!!! Yeah, just a tad bit excited
• The symphony is doing Pops in the Park this weekend. Anyone want to go crazy early and get a close parking spot, have a picnic, chit chat and listen to some kickass music from Star Wars and Pirates of the Carribean? So much fun!
• Love naps, so refreshing.
• I am grateful for my parents and everything they do to support me. Love you Mom and Dad

Love and Gratitude,

Shanna