Done with Radiation.

DONE! I have completed all 6 weeks of radiation! The whole thing, every part of it totally sucked, but I finished it!! The plan...I will have blood work done every 4 weeks and my first MRI will be on December 18th. I will remain on all of my current medications. I will do my daily injection of somovert and my monthly injection given by my ever supportive husband! Thanks babe! Until we see the tumor to shrink. This could take a while. I should not be alarmed if nothing has happened even after a year. I am praying that it happens much sooner than that. I will be closely followed by my whole team of doctors down at the University Hospital. I am grateful to be done with the everyday treatment part. I love being home and feeling some what normal.

I had a wonderful party at CB & Potts on Friday night to celebrate the completion of treatment. Thank you all that came, I had so much fun!! Thank you Joe and Jamie for planning my party and for the added touch of the lottery tickets! Although I didn't win anything more than a $1. I feel extremely lucky to have finished radiation with no problems and with the prognosis looking good! I will take that over a winning lottery ticket!!

Final stretch.

Such wonderful words, final stretch! You would think since I have less than 5 treatments left after a daunting 30 this week would be great. Well, I think the last six weeks has set in. I am tired, beyond tired! I tired I have never known before. I for the most part do really well and power through but some days are better than others. I am still having some headaches, more frequent and the intensity has increased. But when I hears words like "your face seems different?" or "your nose is smaller!" it makes all these things seem so silly. My last treatment is on Monday, Joe is going to come with me to celebrate. I am told that the receptionist Bill that I see everyday and have grown to really enjoy will give me a certificate and blow balloons. At first my thought was, why would he do that it's only radiation?? But know that I am almost done, I am looking forward to the celebration!! Having 6 weeks of radiation is a big deal, and a big deal to all that are close to me. This has challenged me on many levels over the last few weeks. I have been emotional, frustrated, sad, mad, happy, excited, nervous....you name it I'm sure I felt it. It has taken a toll (hopefully a small one) on my kids and Joe. I have needed help in and for periods of time I never thought I would. It has been a very humbling experience. Thank you to all of the family and friends who have brought us a meal, watch our kids, drove them or picked them up from school, kept them for sleepovers or playdates, friends and family that rode with me and watched me be put in that terrible (but necessary) machine, the CD mixes, the phone calls and texts, all of the prayers, love and support! If I am forgetting something it's not that it didn't mean a great deal to me and my family but there has been such an amazing amount of support it is hard to keep track! :)

As of right now, the next step is to wait. I will remain on my medication and have a follow up MRI in 6 months. They think doing it any sooner than that will not show enough results, I will still be followed by Dr. Kerr, Colin Catel and now I will add radiation oncology to my rotation. I never knew I would be such an expert on this sort of a topic! So, while I won't be undergoing radiation after next week my journey is not yet over. So if you could say a prayer for me from time to time I would so greatly appreciate it! I pray and thank god for all of you daily. It's the people in your life that help you get through the most challenging things, I couldn't have done it without all of you!!

Joe you have been amazing, my rock! Thank you for being by my side through this whole experience. It's hard to believe that I have had some sort of symptoms since before Joe and I got married over 8 years ago!! Looking forward to my new normal!!

I have added a picture of me before radiation, earlier this summer and one taken last weekend while on radiation. I don't know if you can see any changes, but I sure can!!

Week 3 down....

I have now completed week 3 of my treatments, 15 to be exact! I am halfway done, 15 more treatments to go! As exciting as it is that I have completed half, it is daunting to think I still have the other half to go. The beginning of the week went fairly well, I was able to work and was very excited to be there. My energy was up, so I didn't rest. I was so pleased with this early in the week, however by Thursday my no resting had caught up to me. During my treatment on Thursday I had a ringing in my ear, and then a horrible headache followed. I was put on IV fluids and was given an injection of dexamethasone. This is a steroid that reduces swelling in the brain which is causing my headaches. Joe was so great and worked from home on Thursday and took care of me and made sure the kids got dropped off, picked up etc. I was able to rest all day! Thanks babe! I woke up this morning to a dull headache and very tired. I went to my last treatment for the week and met with my doctor. He told me I MUST rest each day! I get it, I get it!! He informed me that during the last 3 weeks of my treatment, I could expect to become more tired, and have more frequent headaches. Yay, not quite sure I am still excited about being halfway done. Anyone that knows me, knows I don't sit around. I am a mover and a shaker. So laying around is very foreign to me. It's something I am going to have to get used too! Going to my treatments daily and seeing all of the people that are sick has been a very sobering experience, it puts into perspective for me how precious life really is. We aren't on this earth for very long, and while we are here there is so much heartache and hurt. But there is also so much love and compassion. I watch the families waiting for treatment, with their babies or husbands, wives, parents, friends no one knows what the future holds, just grateful to be right there in that moment. When I leave I try and take a little of that with me each day. I don't like that I have to do this, I hate that I am missing out on taking Emma to kindergarten in the morning and Jack to preschool. But I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to get better. While it might take a while, I believe this will work, and I will be taking my babies to school before I know it!!

Week 2 down....

I have completed my second week. While it is still not something I enjoy, I am settling into a routine of waking up at 615am to make it to my treatments in Aurora by 8am. I walk in and quickly begin my treatment, walking out of the hospital at 826am. I feel good in the morning, but as the day goes on I usually get a headache, upset stomach and the newest thing has been dizziness. After talking to my doctors, the headache is a good indication that the radiation is hitting the tumor so it is swelling causing the headache. So while I have to have a horrible headache, at least I have comfort in knowing it is doing what it needs to be. This week was a little more stream line on the home front this week. Jack did start preschool on Tuesday morning. He likes it a lot, and seems to be doing well. Emma is settling into everyday kindergarten. She is still tired at the end of the day, and she still says it takes to long when I pick her up. But she too, is doing well. Joe was busy this last week with Town of Erie stuff, he did however help pass the golf cart law. He was very excited about this victory!

Thank you to all who has provided meals this week. Thank you to Randy and Bev for taking care of the toll expense for me, this is a HUGE help! Thank you to Jamie for making me my count down cards with a very motivating quote in each of them. It helps get me going every morning, and Fridays Jamie when you come with me to my treatments and you treat me to breakfast. Not to mention all of the help you have all given with the kids, getting them to and from school and allowing me amble time to rest. I am so very fortunate to have such a strong family and friend base. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Joe took this picture last Friday after my first week of treatment. I was tired, but doing well!

Setting In...

Well week 1 is under my belt! There were a lot of firsts last week for many things, which made it a much more emotional day. Today going in starting week 2 wasn't as scary. It was however daunting! The thought of still having almost 5 full weeks, 24 days is still so much! Ahhh! Trying to just take one day, one treatment at a time.
I feel pretty good after week 1, no real side effects. I noticed being a little more fatigued on Saturday while setting up the concert. It has also been really hot, so this might have something to do with it. My somavert dose was increased to 20mg daily injection, which has left me feeling very ill all day! As if radiation weren't enough! I am grateful for Jamie for taking Emma to school, and keeping Jack ALL day! Thank you so much!! and Michelle for having Emma for an after school play date so I can rest. Thank you both so much, I couldn't have gotten through it today without you! Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better, and I can keep plugging away at all my treatments.

Visual...

I am a visual person, I thought some of you all might be too. I took some photos today after my 2nd treatment. One of the pictures is the mask I wear every treatment, the other is the machine and the 3rd picture are two of the radiation therapists that I will see most days if not all. Their names are Theresa and Cara. Both have made this as painless as possible. I'm sure over the next few weeks, I will become good friends with them!

The 2nd treatment went better today. I had much less anxiety than yesterday. I am not loving doing this still, but I am feeling more positive and liking the fact that we are getting this thing out of my head. I'm sure the more I drive down there and do it the more routine it will become.

Jack had a great birthday, very low key but nice. Emma is all bathed, tucked in and ready for school tomorrow. I know she is ready and is so excited, but Joe and I still can't believe our baby girl will start kindergarten tomorrow. Although this bump in the road seems quite big right now, I know that in the coming years it will seem less. I am so very fortunate to have the life that I have!

1 down!!!

Who said one didn't count??!? Well it counts a lot for me! I am down 1 treatment and have 29 more to go!!! As I stated earlier this morning, Joe and my mom went with me, while the kids were with my younger sister Emily. Once I arrived they quickly took me back, (I once again didn't even sit in the waiting room) Joe and my mom went with me. We went right to my treatment room where they had everything set up. Joe put the mixes that John and Kate had made for me on his ipod, so when I got there I was able to plug it into this stereo. There would be NO way I could wear ear phones. They made some adjustments to my mask, so it's pretty tight. Joe and my mom stayed in the room while they bolted me to the table. I began to cry, such an unreal situation. Prior to being bolted Joe and my mom both came over and kissed me. I think it was pretty difficult for both of them to watch as well. Once I was bolted in, they both went back to the waiting room. The radiation therapists got me set up and took some xrays before beginning, once they had the pictures taken my radiation oncologist Dr. Gaspar came in to check the machine to ensure everything was as it should be. Once they began it took about 20 minutes, 4 songs! Other than the mask being tight, it didn't hurt at all, I didn't see anything or feel anything. Once I was done, my mom Joe and I all met with the Dr.'s I think I did a good job of relaying the same message the Dr.'s did, however I was glad that Joe and my mom had a chance to meet them and ask questions.
I have felt pretty good today, I have had a pretty upset stomach and have been a little tired. I don't know if this is because of the treatment or just because emotionally this has been such a difficult thing.
I am so glad day 1 is over, looking forward to doing a blog saying I have 1 day left. But like I said this morning, you have to start to finish. I'm relieved to have started!!