Since my last update, four months include major improvements for my health and healing. Radiation combined with oral chemotherapy of Temodar has been completed. Reports then showed positive outcomes through my MRI. Now one month later, I’ve been receiving dendritic cell vaccines for immunotherapy in a clinical trial.

Alive & Awakening

Radiation plus Chemotherapy: Cancer Treatments and Whole Person
As I endured my brain tumor journey since 1998 trying to avoid radiation and chemotherapy, for myself I personally learned that cancer patients sometimes need necessary conventional cancer treatments in various chapters. After choosing and entering my radiation plus chemotherapy treatments this year, I maintained a positive focus that helped to give me more vigor through my mind-body connection.

Yet radiation and chemotherapy were not easy for me. Physically my stomach hurt with nausea, lack of desire to eat foods, and impaired ability to poop. Fortunately I applied certain integrative cancer strategies to successfully address some of those factors. My body also experienced fatigue toward the end of treatments, and my blood work results explained certain symptoms. Through the process, I was able to track and improve my energy levels with specific diets, supplements, and other integrative wellness strategies to feel better and help support outcomes from radiation and chemotherapy.

During the radiation and chemotherapy, I had to work usually Monday through Friday, and then got ready for the daily trip to UCLA. My parents continued to stay in Los Angeles after my surgery November 2013 for my recovery and further necessary treatments. Their help included offering many forms of support as I navigated the conventional cancer arena and much more, including my ongoing process to settle in Los Angeles via my move from the San Francisco Bay area.

My parents and I took the Monday thru Friday radiation trips with some together time. En route, we’d always take a walk to increase my oxygen levels and provide other physical as well as emotional enhancements. Then at UCLA on the B2 floor toward the waiting room for radiation, for some fun I’d stop by the appointment area to check my weight. My body on the scale showed ongoing weight loss that I really enjoyed, and yet woven through superficial levels of distraction for a 40-year old in the midst of getting radiation to treat a brain tumor.

Mentally and emotionally parts of me felt more power and strength than ever before. I indeed focused on the efficacy for my health and healing fully assisted by my conventional cancer treatments and other actions for optimal wellness. I did my best to feel balanced with daily professional work through my business, and many strategies including imagery, visualization, journaling, communication, osteopathy, massage, and other mind-body self-care priorities. In my healing, I continued to work on my ego, which involves specific patterns and blocks that no longer serve who I really am. Through self-awareness into further consciousness of Self, the absolute comes from a transformation into high energetic frequencies of LOVE. That involves maintaining an open heart, my open heart of love to others and myself. I continue to engage in the path and more will come.

Through the journey of it all, spirit held me. Spirit’s presence already vigorously gave me more angels into my world for many years since diagnosed with a brain tumor over 16 years ago. As I went through the radiation plus chemotherapy, I experienced more visitations and relationships with the other side. Spirit is always with me visible and invisible.

As I advanced my insights to live life more fully, to love, to heal, and to cure in whatever ways possible, I developed a deeper personal relationship into the bigger picture of embodied awareness connected with the universe and myself Earth and sky. Closer to my destination, I’ll achieve complete oneness and wholeness.

Dendritic Cell Vaccines for Immunotherapy
Previously, I explained that my brain tumor research brought me to UCLA for the best of the best. Thankfully, the brilliant Linda Liau MD, PhD at UCLA amazingly performed my third awake brain tumor surgery last November of 2013, as I have mentioned in earlier blogs and My Cancer Story. With further gratitude, Dr. Liau then took me into a UCLA clinical trial providing DCVax-L immunotherapy with a dendritic cell-based vaccine. I got my first dendritic cell vaccine on May 29 and then two more in June. Each vaccine was developed through a portion of my brain tumor cells Dr. Liau removed during my surgery, and my white blood cells from leukapheresis taken from my blood the middle of May. The pulsed dendritic cells were injected back into me through the vaccine. The goal is to teach the immune system to recognize any brain tumor cells as “foreign” to the body by effectively presenting unique tumor antigens through the immune system. The vaccines give me extremely worthy benefits.

Purpose in Service
These intense experiences feature the importance for my purpose in this lifetime. Only in the darkness can some new insights surface into the light. Edges provide gateways from challenges into opportunities. In my work with services as a Cancer Coach, Writing & Consulting, and Public Speaking, I am extremely eager to further expand my work. Along with those links with more information, you can also learn some of what people have said about who I am through my services in Testimonials.

Gratitude for Support
A powerful course in whole person health and healing always highlights social community. I can only extend immense gratitude to my family and friends who gave me care, kindness, and even necessary support. Without some assistance and incredible love, I could not have gone through the last chapter on my own. I’ve received help in the past, and the episodes through surgery and radiation plus chemotherapy entered me more into my capacity to let go and surrender.

My parents with almost six months in Los Angeles gave me more than I could possibly articulate in their absolute love to me. We also connected much more than ever before in my adulthood. I am externally grateful and with presence give my heart to them forever. My brother John gave me his ongoing care, leadership, and his never-ending eternal love. My sister-in-law Megan showed me the way through her pervasive kindness, loving understanding, and her creation of my angels’ nephew James and nieces Anna and Mae. My James, Anna, and Mae help me to learn even much more about my heart with omnipresent love and life. They are the best precious kids to me in my world.

My friends old and new also gave me so much, including some financial support through GoFundMe and other ways to address my cancer related bills. I wish I could see everyone in person for me to say thank you. We are connected, and forever in oneness.

Thank you and I love you ~