Getting Close to the finish line

Hi everyone. I have only six more radiation treatments to go, one full force tomorrow and then five boosts (just to the area where the cancer was found) and I'll be done on September 8. I'm still doing well, a little sunburned, but the doctor thinks I'm doing great considering how fair skinned I am.

Our biggest excitement this week was Maya's first day at kindergarten. She's such a pumpkin and was so cute in the pictures her parents sent us. We'll see her and her brother this Saturday morning along with her parents, Jason and Robin, and their two new kittens, Dash and Bandit. Maya's brother, Jonah starts preschool next week on the 2nd of September. They are getting sooo big!

Jessica and her son, David, were over last Sunday to celebrate a belated birthday for Jay (Papa). Jason's family couldn't come over because of a virus that they were passing around, gotta save Grandma from getting sick so close to the end. Thank you, my Funk family!

This weekend, two of Jay's three sisters are visiting us. Sandi and family are visiting from Bettendorf, while Ray and Taylor run a race downtown Chicago on Sunday. Gail is driving down from Milwaukee area to visit all of us on Sunday, too. We're looking forward to a fun weekend.

Have a fun three day weekend everyone! I'll talk to you soon.

Lazy Days

I've now completed over half of my radiation factions. Fifteen more factions to go, or three weeks. I'm still hoping I'm finished on September 8. The radiation treatments are still going smoothly, so nothing really to report.

We're enjoying these last days of summer, Jay's golfing today with the guys and tomorrow with me and another couple. Next Saturday, we'll have Maya and Jonah over night, we can't wait! It's always so fun and exhausting for all of us. Their mommy and daddy (aka Robin and Jason, who are celebrating their 10th anniversary) will pick them up on Sunday and cousin David will come over with his mommy (aka Jessica and maybe John, who are celebrating their 9th anniversary) to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. All this celebrating in one week of August! We're looking forward to a wonderful weekend and a cookout to celebrate life.

Relax and enjoy life everyone!

What a Week

Another beautiful week has flown by and I've now had 13 of the 33 radiation treatments. For the most part, my radiation treatments run smoothly, except when the machine gets an 'attitude'. The attitude happened on Monday after a rather active storm on Sunday. Although the staff said the storm didn't have anything to do with it, both machines shut down at the same time. Mine shut down while I was getting my treatment. I wondered if it was something I was thinking that made it mad. The techs sent me home and luckily called me back later that day when the 'attitude' disappeared and the machine worked again. Some people had that treatment added on to the end of their treatments. I'm really pushing to have these all done by September 8.

Tuesday my golf game was called off due to thunderstorms, so we went to breakfast. On Thursday, Jay and I went and played nine holes because the day was so beautiful.

I'm also going to my workout club. I've added a Yoga class and a Total Body class besides my two water classes. It feels great getting back and having my body remember the muscles that have been dormant for awhile. Taking IB relieves some of those memories.

Friday, while Jay golfed, I did back to school clothes shopping for two the cutest three and five year old grandchildren I know. Of course, the cutest eighteen month old scored, too. Grandma is such a sucker for her grandchildren!

Today I did garden work and was the household drudge doing the laundry and ironing. I also worked in my nap with the cats. Jay was golfing again. We golf with another couple again tomorrow. Can you tell Jay is getting ready to go back to teaching soon?

Stay well and enjoy your weeks!

My Week

This week I started two new water classes at my workout club, which, by the way, is part of my hospital. On Monday, it was Yogua (water yoga) and Wednesday it was Ai Chi in the pool. My friend joined the classes with me and we really had a nice time in the therapy pool. I'm ready to join my favorite land classes, too. Maybe next week.

Today was a great Thursday. Jay and I started it with a 6:14 a.m. tee time. I was pretty lukewarm until I got to hole 9, 10 and 12, I parred all three! I had to do a little par dance on 10. Yeah. Jay birdied hole 12, so he did one stroke better than me, but we had to leave the course and get me to my radiation appointment after that hole.

My radiation appointments have gone like clockwork, still. I get there, change, have the radiation and I'm out. Today, we arrived a little early, my appointment was at 10:15 a.m., but we were driving out of the ramp at 10:17. I've done seven of the 33 sessions, only 26 left. Of course, we were hungry so, we went out for breakfast and then came home for a nap.

Such is my life with radiation. I still can't be called Sparky. The pain I've felt so far is similar to the muscle pain of doing push-ups when you aren't used to doing them. Otherwise, my skin is doing fine and my doctor said I'm handling the treatments really well. Oh, boy. I'll have to come up with a little dance for end of all my treatments!

Be well and stay cool.

Radiation

I have now been drawn into the world of radiation. My first three of thirty-three sessions are done and I'm not glowing in the dark, yet. Jay is joking about calling me "Sparky," but so far, there has been no need. My sessions last about five minutes, it takes longer to dress and undress (top only) and get set up on the table than it takes to have the radiation. So, five days a week, I drive over to the hospital, sign-in, go put my gown on, and get my radiation. Works like clockwork.

Scheduled completion date is September 8, barring any skin complications, i.e. blistering (apparently radiation can cause sunburn like effects that can blister). However, the staff will be monitering me daily and I'll see the radiologist weekly, so they take care of any burns immediately.

We're traveling up to Milwaukee this weekend and we'll be seeing the Brewers with Gail and Ted on Sunday. We're really looking forward to the trip, especially since I don't have any food (or drink) restrictions anymore! Yeah.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Weekend Fun

I'm dedicating this blog to my sister-in-law Gail (lives in Milwaukee), who spent a long weekend with me while my beloved husband took a much needed break in Arizona with his buddies golfing.

Gail arrived Thursday afternoon bearing gifts including supper her husband, Ted, had marinated for us. Unfortunately, Gail couldn't grill Ted's awesome chicken until the next evening because of rain, but Friday's dinner was delicious with his corn on the cob and chicken. We had to wait on the s'mores, but we had them as a meal on another evening.

Gail and I relaxed on the deck, had massages, went to the movies, rented chick movies and watched all three, went out to eat three times at great places I wanted to share with her, shopped, went to the Fine Art show at the Naper Settlement, and I even squeezed in naps in the afternoons!

Thank you, Gail, for taking time out of your busy life, both work and family, to come and spend some down time with me. I really appreciate that you gave up your days and nights at home to make sure I got my medicine, my rest, and my nourishment, both mental and physical. You are very special.

Last Chemo DONE!

My chemo treatment was uneventful today. Yeah! Blood counts were good and I am finished with that leg of our breast cancer journey. We are all thrilled it is over. The nurses even gave me a certificate to commemorate having completed all my treatments, signed by everyone of them. How sweet.

I'll move on to my radiation treatments starting the 23 of July for 33 treatments, so that puts me through the first week of September and my treatments will be over. I will be taking some kind of estrogen blocker drug for the next five years or so, but I'll deal with that just fine.

Everyone comments about my attitude and thankfully, it's a positive attitude that has carried me through along with a lot of prayers and wishes from all of you.

It is a beautiful day here, nothing but sunshine, flowers, birds, and contentment. I hope all of you are having a good day, too.

Be well.