So here’s a shot of me as I waited to get my first brain radiation. Looking pretty snazzy if I don’t say so myself. I love patterns and especially layering them! Yesterday my friend Arden sent me this amazing scarf that I was excited to wear! Here’s another shot of it in all its glory!

We waited hours and hours to get into radiation which is very common but everyone who works there is so nice and once I got onto the machine it took no time at all. I also got my 4th of 5th pelvic radiation yesterday (last one on Monday). So after Tuesday I’ll be all done with radiation. I cannot wait to be done with all of it. The pelvic radiation has been taking a harder toll on me than I expected. It’s made me have terrible nausea and have other digestive issues that I will spare you. I’ve also just felt overwhelmed by everything in a way that I’ve never felt before and its SO HARD. I don’t know how to articulate it but it just feels like, woah, this is a fucking lot to deal with and I long for the day when this is behind me. Or at least till I am at a point where I don’t feel so bad all the time. It’s exhausting. Plus, I haven’t really been able to sleep because I’ve been on steroids for 2 weeks now. Steve and I are vegging out in bed right now and it’s so fun!

The other day we made this amazing healing soup from a recipe from The Seaweed Man. Rachel had made it the week before but I ran out so my mom and and Steve helped me make another batch. It’s so amazing. Here is the first “poem” part of the recipe:

Here is a recipe for a calming soup.  The most important ingredient is the calm mind of the cook.  I suggest these thoughts:  Relax. Pay attention. There is nothing to be done. It is all covered. You do not need to worry. You will get exactly what you need in every moment of your life. Your Great Perfection, liberating you into the Light, is already accomplished. Relax. Center your breath in the Heart making the sound of “Ahhh” and be grateful. Trust Spirit, put “other” in place of “self” and breathe deeply, relaxing into the Great Presence.  Now make a peaceful soup. 

The order is this: Heat water (3-4 quarts) Add seaweed Soup Mix  (a teaspoon per serving) (to make a nutrients-dense broth), Wash grain (three times), swirl and strain, (half a cup oats, rice, or barley). Add grain, shiitake mushrooms, ginger root. Cut root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, rutabaga). Dice an onion and some garlic, saute’ with thyme. (Choose your favorite oil: sesame, olive, coconut.) When grain is softened, add root vegetables, tamari. Finish off with a generous amount of greens: Kale, parsley, celery.  Add the onions. If you have fresh herbs, now is the time! This soup gets better on the second day, and you can add pasta sauce, noodles, and cut corn, totally renewing the flavors. Enjoy!

Here’s a shot of the soup plus some AMAZING eggs from Ellen’s chickens!

I seriously think eggs are the perfect food. SO filled with nutrients, so delicious, so pure. Ah, so much love. It’s even more special when they come from chickens from someone you know. You really can’t buy them at the store. Farmer’s market ONLY is my rule. Not even Whole Foods. Otherwise, you just don’t know what you are getting and how those lil chickens were treated, what they feed them, etc.

Anyhoo, Reiki has continued to be transformational for me and given me so much confidence in my recovery. This woman Lourdes has been coming and I absolutely adore her! Yesterday she gave me an amazing suggestion to visualize the game Ms. Pacman in my body and Ms. Pacman gobbles up all the cancer cells. How amazing is that? I used to LOVE to play that game at my favorite bar in college. I kinda want to make some kind of animation of the different parts of my body where Ms. Pacman is going to work! And she’s gonna get lots of pretzels and cherry bonuses along the way! Haha. Lourdes is also organizing a weekly group reiki session for me where at least 6 people will give me reiki at the same time. Wow!

Well, my lovelies, I think I am going to respond to some long overdue emails now. I love you all out there and hope that you are having a beautiful Saturday! xoxo Lauren