My Story: From Cancer Fatigue to Cellular Recovery

By Stayce Jones, Founder & CEO, Earthkiss Wellness

Regardless of the illness or type of cancer someone is diagnosed with, one of the first things almost everyone will tell you is this: the fatigue.

When you hear the word "fatigue," you might think it just means tired. It's not. I've been tired — and it felt nothing like this. Fatigue is tired on steroids. No amount of rest or coffee can relieve that unrelenting feeling. It sits in your bones. It lives in your body. And it doesn't leave.

The Signs I Didn't See

Months before I was diagnosed, I was planning my wedding. I'm a DIY girl, so of course I did the planning and decor myself — with the amazing help of my bridesmaids, my besties, and my sister. I was also working full-time and supporting my husband by attending his events. So when I started feeling this unusual exhaustion, I chalked it up to that.

I remember pulling into the parking garage at work and thinking, I just want to take a nap. But of course, I couldn't. It didn't help that the fatigue was also accompanied by shortness of breath — but that's another story.

About 60 days before my wedding, I visited my mom. She's a worry wart without a filter — typical for an older mom from the South — so I'm used to it. But as soon as I walked through her door, the first thing she said was:

"Hey baby, are you okay? You look so tired."

I rolled my eyes. Chalked it up to her being dramatic. I thought nothing of it. Why would I?

The Wedding — And What Came After

Fast forward to my summer wedding. The days leading up to it were full of events, errands, flowers, and wine with my bridesmaids the night before. After a beautiful ceremony and dancing all night, my husband and I stayed local for the weekend just to catch our breath before a short trip to Florida.

But the days after the wedding felt no different. I felt even less energized. Something else was going on.

Here's the thing about me: I've always been health conscious. I'm an avid juicer. I'd never been sick or hospitalized. I rarely even got a cold. So when I experienced this prolonged fatigue, the first thing I thought was, Maybe my son is going to have a sibling.

Why would I think anything as extreme as cancer?

The Diagnosis

I'll share more about my cancer journey another time. But what I really want to focus on here is the fatigue — before, during, and for at least two years after chemotherapy.

In the months leading up to my diagnosis, I experienced insomnia on top of the exhaustion. Who wants to be tired and unable to sleep? Once I was officially diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, it had already spread to both sides of my chest wall. That's why I had trouble breathing, sleeping, and lying on my back.

I was blessed to be accepted into a clinical trial with a success rate in the 90% range. But it was aggressive — because my cancer was aggressive. The protocol required a constant infusion for five days, followed by a 21-day recovery period with only a few days of wellness in between before the next cycle began.

Part of the protocol included steroids, which is common in chemotherapy. So I experienced both the exhaustion and the inability to sleep.

Redirecting My Energy

After several months of frustration, I decided to redirect my energy — since I was going to be awake anyway — into research. I used what I already knew and dug deeper into ways to mitigate side effects and support my recovery. I checked with my oncologist to make sure nothing interfered with my protocol, and once I got the green light, I went shopping.

I also spent time online engaging with the natural wellness community. And I found my people — but I also noticed something troubling: an intense debate and deep divide. Who did it best? What was the best solution? Should we even trust doctors?

That led me down another path — searching for solutions backed by recently concluded studies. I spent hours compiling research and building my own medicine cabinet. That's when I discovered NAD+ and functional mushrooms, which I'd already begun exploring before my diagnosis. I added other staples like soursop and beets — ingredients I'd used for general maintenance.

Let me be clear: this is not a sad story. It's a story of triumph. I'm here to tell it — and so many others weren't granted that opportunity. I'm grateful every single day.

I understood the long list of side effects from treatment. But I thought: no side effect could be worse than death. I have no regrets.

The Fatigue That Wouldn't Leave

One of the unanticipated long-term effects was extended fatigue. I thought it would clear up a month or two after chemo ended. But to my surprise, I struggled to get my feet under me even past one year in remission.

I took vitamins. I did all the usual things. Nothing worked.

So I started incorporating all of my research into my daily routine. And finally — around the two-and-a-half-year mark — I started to feel better.

There's nothing more debilitating than living in your own body and not feeling like yourself. And nothing you try seems to fix it.

Why I Built ReBuild

I thought about how many other people were experiencing what I experienced — whether from chemotherapy, recovery from illness like COVID, surgery, or even just burnout.

It took me several years to develop this formula. And when I received my first sample from the manufacturer, I was hooked. I thought: Oh my God, I have to share this.

So here I am.

My energy increased almost instantly. But beyond that, I experienced a complete gut transformation — the prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber made me feel genuinely good about what I had created.

The most important lesson? No amount of quick fixes, milligrams of caffeine, or artificial energy jolts are the solution.

Rebuilders, Not Biohackers

I also realized something else.

For the average person, "biohacking" isn't on their radar. If the 78% of Americans who report chronic fatigue are anything like me, they don't want to optimize — they just want to function.

Biohacking is for people who are already healthy, chasing marginal gains, maybe trying to live forever. Well, newsflash: none of us are getting out of here alive. But while we're here, can we just rebuild? Can we just have the energy to show up for our lives?

The answer is yes.

Join Me

I invite you to join me on this journey. I'm counting down the days until I receive my first Founder's Batch — a very limited supply of the supplement that's helping me rebuild from the inside out.

If you've been tired for too long, if nothing has worked, if your doctor says you're fine but you don't feel fine — I see you. I was you.

Let's rebuild together.

[Join the Waitlist →]

With love and hope,

Stayce Jones Founder & CEO, Earthkiss Wellness Cancer Survivor Author, "Healthy People Get Cancer, Too"