Radiation--Next step on the "Yellow Brick Road"

Sometimes I feel like Dorothy, making her way through dangers untold to the Emerald City where she hopes to get her life back to the way it used to be.  In the meantime, she (and I) chant: "There's no place like home!"

Steve's parents are home.  Yeah!

I finally have more to report on my road to good health.  I have finished convalescing from surgery and started the radiation process.  (No, you will not be able to use me as a nightlight on moonless nights. ;-)

Yesterday, I got to have a mold made of my upper body so that the radiation team will be able to position me in exactly the same place each time I arrive for radiation.  Radiation is targeted very specifically where my cancer used to be, so it will not effect my whole body like chemo did.  It will be like getting a sunburn every day in that spot, and I may be a little more tired than I would otherwise be, but that's all.  (After chemo, everything else is a cake-walk anyway.)

I made Megan a rainbow cake for her birthday.

The radiation treatments start in earnest on November 14th.  Actually, that will be a dry run.  I'll get my first dose of radiation the next day.  (Watch out for the Incredible Glowing Woman!)  I get my dose of radiation every weekday (excluding holidays) for 11 to 15 days.  Speaking of which, I have officially signed the papers to participate in the study that decreased the amount of days I have to get radiated from 6 weeks down to 3.  WAY better!  I'll be finished during the first week of December.

I will be living with my sister Janelle in Pleasant Grove for the duration of my treatments.  (Thanks so much to everyone who offered me a place to stay--you are wonderful!)  I have mixed feelings about my temporary move.  I'm kind-of excited to get a taste of the single life again.  I have a long list of things I want to do--including sewing projects and writing.

But, at the same time, I know I will really miss my family!  And I'm worried about my 4-year-old "baby" missing me.  This week, we were only gone for 2 days, and she cried on the phone when she talked to me.  Sad!  Plus, I have gone to very few cancer treatments without my wonderful husband.  He's been my constant companion and comfort in this whole ordeal.  I know I could never have gotten through cancer without him.  Going to treatments for 3 weeks alone will be a challenge.  I hope I'm up to it!

I dream of Genie, and Cinderella

Nancy Drew

Black Cat

While we were at the Huntsman this week, we looked into the exercise and wellness programs they have.  We talked with a very enthusiastic secretary who wanted us to try everything.  I nearly burst out laughing when she very earnestly urged Steve to try acupuncture.  (Those of you who know him well understand why. ;-)  As it turned out, I won't be able to take advantage of their programs, because we decided to get my treatments at their South Jordan facility, thus shaving about half an hour off my commute-time. 

So, I have a big change coming in my near future.  This step may prove to be the hardest of all on my journey--not because of the treatment itself, but because of the separation from my family.  At least, we'll be together on the weekends and for Thanksgiving, and the process will only last half as long as we originally planned.  So, I am grateful for that.

My sister-in-law writes about something she's grateful for every day during November.  I think that's an awesome practice, and one worth implementing not just for a month, but for the entire year.  I just can't be gloomy when I start counting all my blessings!