Radiation is Done and Mike is Healing Well

TL;DR: radiation (28 treatments) is done; still have a few weeks with side effects. PT is also almost done and went well; I have good range of motion in my arms now. I’m feeling some more strong emotions, but am grateful for support. Mike continues to be healing well for which we’re very grateful!

I am glad to say that radiation is DONE. (28 treatments!) Well, the treatment part of it is done anyhow. I have a couple of weeks before I start to turn the corner on healing from the side effects. I am tired. I stayed home from work Monday because I was too tired and couldn’t do it that day. I also have some fairly intense skin side effects, it’s like a really bad sunburn and I use both non-prescription cream and a prescription anti-itch cream twice a day to help with the discomfort. I also have this foam dressing that I apply every day to help prevent further rubbing from clothing to decrease the discomfort. (And aloe from an aloe plant!) I’ve been warned that I may have some pretty severe skin peeling before it starts to get better so we’ll see. (I hope not!) It’s a relief to not have to go to treatment every week day.

My last radiation treatment was interesting, felt a bit anticlimactic. I did take in baked treats from Torrance Bakery for the team to enjoy, but at my location there wasn’t a bell to ring or anything (I had a friend who rang a bell when her radiation was done). It was regular treatment and then the standard doctor’s visit afterwards. The nurses did all congratulate me and give me a hug when I was getting ready to leave which was really nice. Mike was really sweet and got Torrance Bakery for us to celebrate with at home.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the dietitian coming in after to talk to me about survivorship for 20 minutes after my last treatment. I wasn’t in the right emotional place for that conversation and I wish they’d planned that for my next follow-up and “warned” me it was going to happen. (Survivorship is all the stuff you’re supposed to do to prevent recurrence, weight management, nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, etc. – while all generally healthy lifestyle stuff it was a bit overwhelming to hear it all at that appointment and I wasn’t in a place where I could really “hear” it…I guess I am thankful for the stack of handouts on all the topics?)

What was surprising to me was another few waves of extreme emotion with the completion of radiation on Wednesday. I’m still working through them. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that for the last year all I’ve had to do on a nearly daily/weekly basis was whatever my medical team told me to do. Jump you say…how high? Life, while difficult, has been very prescriptive. It’s a big emotional switch back to a more reduced doctor schedule and a more “normal” life. The list of things I’m supposed to do to prevent cancer returning is long and overwhelming. I still have a fair amount of treatment stuff to do as well. 6 more Keytruda treatments and 2 surgeries. While I want to return more to normal life I have to figure out how to do that again and what I want it to look like. Those are tough questions and not ones that are quickly answered – it’s overwhelming and there have been more than a few tears over the last few days while I realize that I have a lot of emotional things to continue to work through along with the remaining treatment steps. It feels a bit strange because I also feel like radiation completion is a big milestone to be celebrated too – why am I not jumping for joy etc.? I was lucky I had a therapist appointment yesterday to start to help me work through things. Very grateful for that!

I’m almost done with physical therapy and have had great results, my arm range of motion is good and my shoulders are much stronger than they were when I started. I’m grateful for a fabulous physical therapist! (Now I just have to keep up with these exercises when I’m done with going to PT.)

Mike is healing well and his leg feels stronger at each trip to physical therapy so we’re really grateful for that. He still can’t sit much but he’ll get there.

It’s been just over a year now since I was diagnosed, so it’s been a long road with a ways to go, but I keep telling myself that this is temporary, there is an end to the main portion of treatment. Thank you to everyone for your continued support and care, it means a lot! (Especially since this is such a long road, your continued care is so wonderful and we are so grateful!)

The now “standard” note at the end of posts for website navigation help:

Thank you for taking time to keep up with us and see how we’re doing as well as all the help!  Because, I think like me, much of the world does nearly everything on their phones…I’m adding this note to the end of posts to make website navigation easier if you are on a phone.  If you’d like to read other journal entries, please click here (oldest post is at the bottom of the page).  There’s also a “hamburger” menu in the top right of the webpage that can help you navigate between the journal, ways to help page, stay in touch, and welcome pages.   Please know that reading this page and thinking of us is help!   Thank you for your support in all forms! If you have any issues, please email [email protected].