Today, June 26th, marks the last day of my love's radiation treatment and first round of chemotherapy. This is very exciting for everyone who loves and cares about the love of my life.
Daily chemotherapy mixed with five days a week of radiation for six weeks is far from easy. My love describes treatment as "uncomfortable." I can't imagine it being anything other than uncomfortable when one's head is squashed inside a mask that is bolted to a wooden board that you have to lay on without moving for 15 to 30 minutes per treatment. My love has been very strong and brave throughout this process and has complained minimally, always managing to find ways to look on the bright side of things. I've said it before, and it has certainly not changed; my love inspires me.
Today is also a little scary. It marks the end of one of the first battles, but we won't know until late July what exactly we still have to face to win the war. Which means that the next month will be a nerve-wracking waiting game. My love stops taking the chemo pill after tonight and, as far as we know, will not start a new chemo regimen until after we see the oncologist on July 25th. Of course, the radiation and chemo stay in one's system for a while, so it will still be fighting the cancer cells, and my love will continue getting stronger through various therapies, rest, and eating, allowing the body to continue to heal. Yet, it is still hard at times to know we will have more time on our hands because we won't be going to daily radiation appointments. With radiation, we had a routine, it was exhausting and at times hectic, but still a sense of normal. Now we have to find a new normal, a waiting normal, as we wait for the results of the MRI and know what else we're facing and are given a new plan of action. I know we can find a new normal, it just may take a little adjusting.
In the midst of trying to find this new normal, I am taking some time to visit my family in Iowa. I had originally planned to do this at the end of July, but I now think that time period may not be the best, so I will leave tomorrow and return before the fourth. It is extremely hard for me to leave my love, but I know I want and need to see my family and that my love is in very good and capable hands with her family. It's just weird to think about missing physical/occupational/speech therapy sessions and not being physically there for several days. I am trying to quell the "what-ifs" though and let go so I can enjoy my family.
One more interesting thing we found out about yesterday... there is going to be a 5k walk/run in support of brain tumor/cancer research in Grand Rapids on August 4th. I am planning on signing up soon to participate. I have to talk with my love and my love's family, but I'm hoping we can form a "Team Sundheimer" in honor of my love and the fight my love is waging against this disease. I know my love intends to be there and participate as well, which is really awesome! I will post more information about it and how to get involved, if you so desire, as soon as we figure out what exactly we're doing.
But yeah, most important thing today is the celebration of the end of a significant battle in this war. A celebration of my love's strength and positive attitude. Bring on the frozen custard!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Movin' Right Along
Well, I have been slacking with updates once again!
Things are continuing to go pretty well. Yes, there are some days with more pain and/or fatigue and/or nausea than others, but overall, my love has been feeling fairly well and hanging in there marvelously.
We are down to 7 more radiation treatments, with the last day of treatment still scheduled for June 26th. Can anyone say "Party!"? An MRI is scheduled for July 11th to find out how the radiation went, but we won't hear about the results until we meet with the oncologist 2 weeks later on the 25th. So that will be a couple of nerve wracking weeks, but I'm sure it will be fine.
My love's poor incision seems to be infected a little. My love hasn't been running a fever or anything. But there was greenish oozing stuff coming out of part of it yesterday. So today a nurse and a doctor looked at it today and prescribed an antibiotic, so that should nip any problems in the bud.
So yeah, lots of stuff coming up, but we're keeping busy in the meantime between 6 hours worth of physical/speech/occupational therapy appointments each week and radiation every weekday, plus other appointments and meetings and stuff periodically.
Sorry this is kind of a quick update, but my love and I are off to Gilda's for a 20's and 30's Social Night at Gilda's Club consisting of a barbecue, games, and socializing with other young people in similar situations. So yeah, should be fun! I'll try to update more often.
Things are continuing to go pretty well. Yes, there are some days with more pain and/or fatigue and/or nausea than others, but overall, my love has been feeling fairly well and hanging in there marvelously.
We are down to 7 more radiation treatments, with the last day of treatment still scheduled for June 26th. Can anyone say "Party!"? An MRI is scheduled for July 11th to find out how the radiation went, but we won't hear about the results until we meet with the oncologist 2 weeks later on the 25th. So that will be a couple of nerve wracking weeks, but I'm sure it will be fine.
My love's poor incision seems to be infected a little. My love hasn't been running a fever or anything. But there was greenish oozing stuff coming out of part of it yesterday. So today a nurse and a doctor looked at it today and prescribed an antibiotic, so that should nip any problems in the bud.
So yeah, lots of stuff coming up, but we're keeping busy in the meantime between 6 hours worth of physical/speech/occupational therapy appointments each week and radiation every weekday, plus other appointments and meetings and stuff periodically.
Sorry this is kind of a quick update, but my love and I are off to Gilda's for a 20's and 30's Social Night at Gilda's Club consisting of a barbecue, games, and socializing with other young people in similar situations. So yeah, should be fun! I'll try to update more often.
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