[Mtngrl]

"Immune system" sounds like there's a discrete physical entity that one can tinker with and fine tune. Maybe it can be "boosted" with additives, kind of like those special fuel boosters they sell at some gas stations.

But actual, biological immunity and immune responses are complex, and they are affected by many things, including diet, rest, attitudes, beliefs, and the like. To me, just about everything I do is intended to support my ability to heal and my overall health and vitality--so I guess you could say I'm always trying to boost my immune system. Also, don't forget that there are autoimmune diseases, like type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, etc. The immune system can be an enemy if overstimulated or if it goes haywire.

I'm pretty sure it's a bad idea to conclude that just because a certain mushroom or supplement or tea had some kind of effect on cancer cells in a petri dish, that I should ingest a large amount of that stuff.

On the other hand, I'm pretty comfortable with having a colorful, fresh, unprocessed, mostly-plant-based diet with lots of herbs and spices. For one thing, it's delicious, and pleasure supports wellness. For another, there are epidemiological studies that show certain populations tend to be healthier than others. I figure it can't hurt to add turmeric, ginger, pepper, etc. to what I'm eating, or to eat foods like curry that use those seasonings.

I think one of the most under-appreciated factors affecting ability to heal is stress, and I think the people who are most vulnerable to stress are the ones who have issues with past trauma. Not to mention, of course, that having cancer, and being treated for it, are traumatic in and of themselves. Meditation, breathing, yoga, massage, psychotherapy, guided imagery and other practices can actually help rewire the brains of trauma survivors and help them heal from the chronic "fight/flight/freeze" limbic overload that increases the levels of hormones that cause inflammation and interfere with healing. Our minds, bodies, and emotions are intimately connected. For optimal health, we need to train our minds and bodies.

Most supplements are probably no more effective than placebos, but the placebo effect is a real effect. It's healing. I don't knock it.

I'm pretty sure the main reason I'm still alive and still fairly healthy 68 months after my stage 4 diagnosis is I've been getting drugs that have been scientifically proven to have anti-cancer effects. No amount of "boosting my immune system" would have done that. But I do what I can to enlist my own personal resources as well. For me it's more about emotional sobriety, having a focus outside myself, eating well, and being mindful than it is about any particular regimen of diet, exercise, supplements, etc. One of the things I'm trying to heal from is a tendency to over-plan and over-effort.

I'm trying to have the best life I can have in the time I have left, no matter how much time that is. My goal is not longevity per se but meaning. To me that means experiencing loving relationships, with myself, other people, and God.