Prostate Cancer and Vitamin D

1 in 7 men will develop prostate cancer. The preliminary research is still early, but Vitamin D was shown to shrink prostate cancer and in some cases, completely reverse it.

http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20150323/vitamin-d-supplements-might-slow-prostate-cancer-study-suggests

I have nothing but praise for Vitamin D. I highly recommend a blood test before adding Vitamin D - especially in high doses. AND ask your doctor for your results. Some doctors aren't up-to-date on optimal vitamin levels. 

Vitamin D did require an adjustment period of about 3 weeks for me. I had an enormous burst of energy coupled with insomnia that lasted during this phase. It eventually settled and now I feel "normal" and sleep well. And the benefits, well for one: my skin - oh how soft it is! All the problems with dry skin - GONE! Yay! It also reduces anxiety - which is a nice mood enhancement.

I eventually worked up to 10,000 IU 5x per week. I work with my doctor on this and get blood tests regularly. I had actually cut back my dose after a family friend suggested I didn't need to take that much, and guess what? My levels fell back into the bad range again! So now I am happily staying at this dose until my blood tests indicate I need to reduce it.

Date Night with Carma........

Carma and I had a date last night. We sat on the balcony in the mild summer weather - Carma occasionally nibbling her catnip plants and me sipping red wine. Later we came in and watched the movie "Her" by Spike Jonze.

We are trying our best to muddle through the grief over losing Gus. This week I attended a grief support group at Paws Chicago for those who have lost their beloved animal family members. The counselor was joined by the owner of the Hinsdale animal crematory. I bonded with another member of the group who recently lost her dog and we ended up going to volunteer orientation at Harmony House for Cats the following night. 

I still grieve for Gus and don't foresee a day when I will ever stop missing him. We had a once in a lifetime connection for which I am so grateful.

This was Gus's bed, but on this day Carma decided she had to be with her brother and wedged her big body in his bed.

I love Gus's expression "Hey there is a cat in my bed".

Carma in the afternoon sun - like brother like sister.

These were some of my favorite times with Gus and Carma - lazy weekend afternoons. After they ate lunch they would find a sun patch and curl up for afternoon naps while I worked on art. I do miss these moments and I think I always will.

Carma has not been the same since Gus died. She goes into the closet - a place Gus would go when he wasn't feeling well. It is concerning. They were together 16 years and survived being thrown out of a moving car in a bag together with their other litter mates to being adopted by their first kind human - who died of terminal cancer less than 5 years after adopting them. They were placed in a shelter together for a year before I met them - and yes - it was love at first sight. I went there for one cat and ended up with two. And I was lucky enough to be picked out by them.