Between Chemo and Radiation

It's been five weeks since my last chemo treatment and I've had two weeks worth of daily (5 days a week) radiation treatments, with three more weeks to go. It's been so good to gradually leave the side effects of chemo behind. I still have a nagging cough and low energy and my hair has a lot of growing to do, but I feel much better than I did.

Since I finished chemo:

...we enjoyed a visit from our niece, Natalie, and her husband, Scott, from Nebraska.We had last seen them when we went for their wedding last fall. Scott had just graduated from college before they came here.

...and an all too brief visit with our dear friend, Lori, who's more like family, and her children. They've been living in Virginia for the last two years and are headed to England where Lori's husband will have his next tour of duty with the Air Force. I wish we could have seen him too, but he had to stay in Virginia.

Our oldest granddaughter got a clear pathology report after her third surgery and has recovered well, for which we are so very thankful.

We learned that our eagerly anticipated sixth grandchild is a granddaughter too and we can't wait to go to Iowa meet her in the fall.

Our San Antonio Spurs won the Western Conference and are in the NBA Finals.

I had outpatient surgery to have my mediport removed. It served me well while I needed it during chemo, but I'm glad to be rid of it.

My medical oncologist referred me to a radiation oncologist and Rick went with me for my initial consultation. We both liked him a lot. He was friendly and compassionate and has been treating cancer patients for a long time. Rick thinks he looks a lot like his brother, Steve, and after he mentioned it, I could see the resemblance too.

I went for a CT scan and got tattooed and marked up with markers. Then the doctor worked up my treatment plan and I went to the treatment center for a sort of dry run called a "validation" or "simulation" before starting radiation treatments.

I may have some radiation burns before this is over, but I've had ten treatments now and so far, so far good. The treatment center provided some skin cream, which I'm using faithfully along with aloe vera gel.

I'll have 25 radiation treatments and possibly a few more called "boosts" after that. Fatigue is a possible side effect, but I won't be rid of the chemo-induced fatigue for awhile anyway, so I don't know if I'd notice a little more. I'm still working full time and driving an hour round trip five days a week for my treatments, plus staying up late to watch the Spurs in the NBA finals on game nights. I don't know how I could be anything but fatigued, but life is still good and God had given me much to be thankful for.

There are worse things than fatigue, like cancer for instance.