Special Day

This date has been circled on my calendar for almost 2 months. It felt like 15 weeks of treatment, but the calendar confirms that it was only 5 weeks. 5 or 15, my radiation & chemotherapy is now complete!! I was ready to celebrate, ready to do a small victory dance, but the last few days of radiation has really beat me up. So, I'm happy to be home trying to eat something, instead of out celebrating this long 5 weeks of treatment.

The first 4 weeks went very well and life was close to normal. Not so this last week, even though I was able to ride and ski earlier in the final treatment week. My body handled the chemotherapy very well, but the last week of radiation was really rough. Since Sunday, it has been difficult and painful to eat and talk. Swelling and burning from the radiation is supposed to continue through the weekend, even though the treatment has ended, so I'm not out of the woods yet. I was able to eat 3 small meals today, 1st time in 4 days, so I'm hopeful that each day is better than the next and my body continues its recover each day. I've lost 11 pounds in the process, and suspect it will total 15 by the time they weigh me next week, so their is some benefit!

Overall, Doctors were pleased with my body's response during the treatment. We'll know the results on March 13th, when I return for a PET scan & Endoscopy that will remeasure the tumor and direct the surgical plans. Surgery is expected around the end of March. I'll return to the blog on March 13th to provide an update.

Thanks to each of you who read this blog and were so complimentary. Thanks to all those who kept me positive through those 5 weeks and continue to offer up prayers. I am so blessed that God responded to your prayers and accepted the burden of this process - he made it quite easy on me.

Part of the journey has ended, with much more still ahead of me.