Radiation-less Week!

Yup, I graduated from radiation! 8 boosts to start with followed by 25 "regular" sessions, equalling 33 appointments (notice how I did the math for you there!). I am all done and my coconut is officially toasted. They told me that the burning would continue to build during the week following, much like I was still getting treatments, but I did not experience that. In fact it has already started healing. I am peeling and the edges look like I am dirty...lovely! ;o) They also told me to expect fatigue but I can't say I suffered from that either. All in all, this was by far the easiest part of all of this and my car practically drives itself to UCSD now. I wish I had to do more radiation instead of chemo!

I think a good part of what made this the easiest part is that I loved my doctor, Dr Yashar, and I loved all of the wonderful techs that took care of me! They were the sweetest each and every day. What a blessing they all were. On one of my appointments I was laying on the table and I told them (okay, I bragged to them...whatever) that Cameron was Gaston and that we were seeing him perform that weekend. One of the girls excitedly said that he was the second person she had met that had worked as a Disney character since her college friend played a character in Florida. I laid there and asked myself whether I should share my history...I decided to go for it and said, "actually you have met 3." I then told her of my Snow White past and that I truly married Prince Charming. They loved it but it meant I had to dig up an old photo to show them. Well...on my "graduation" day all of the techs working that day all took me out to ring the bell in the lobby and then they presented me with a very special, one of a kind, certificate!

Unfortunately when my friend Wendy and I went out to the parking lot, I discovered I had locked the keys in the car! Yes I did! I was in Cam's car since she and I went on a bike ride in Coronado that morning. We got to celebrate by waiting for an hour for AAA.

My beautiful set of rings from
my family is now complete.
I just love them for thinking
of doing this for me!
SO blessed!

The next chapter in all of this will be on April 15th. I will be seeing a specialist in NY for some input on this chemo decision. No, I am not flying back there just for this. Our family is traveling back to join Cameron for a last "Sczempka vacation" since Kendall is tying the knot soon! I thought that if I could get the pieces to fall into place with seeing her while I was there then it was meant to be. Guess God had it in His plans for me because they made time in the doctors schedule to fit me in. Please keep me in your prayers for a great appointment and total clarity on this next step.

Blessings

So something hit me today. I said something along the lines of, "I have cancer" and I realized that I need to believe and buy into that I DON'T have cancer any longer. I mean the surgeon removed the cancer that we knew I had and the radiation has now made sure that any linger cells in that area are killed off. Technically I AM CANCER FREE and that felt wonderful! I guess it never really hit me before now. I AM CANCER FREE! That sounds and feels wonderful. I need to just keep focusing on that and enjoy it. After all, this second round of chemo is precautionary and I am going to only think of it that way. 

These last few days have been filled with so much enlightenment and joy. I have been overcome with a sense of peace and growth. I am sure that being Holy Week has helped with that. May you all have a beautiful and blessed Easter!