YAY!! RADIATION IS COMPLETE!!

My treatments are officially done! Oh my gosh, I never thought I would get here, but here I am! Six weeks of radiation, five days a week, 30 treatments, and I am done! Yippee! Now mind you, it is not without pain. True enough, radiation didn't make me sick like chemo did, but lemme tell ya, I am BURNED pretty badly across my chest and most significantly under my arm. My skin is badly blistered and a very deep red. Under my arm, it's beyond red and is a black color. The doctor gave me ointments, soaks, cool packs and the like to put on the burned areas, and these things help. But it is still quite painful. BUT COMPLAINING, I AM NOT! I guess I am now considered to be cancer free! I hope this is true, and most of all, I hope this horrible beast never returns to threaten my life again.

In the radiology oncology office hangs a very large marine bell. On it is engraved, "THIS BELL RINGS FOR ALL WHO HAVE WALKED THIS PATH." And along the bottom of the bell is engraved: "Courage, Hope, Triumph, Strength, Faith, Love." On the last day of treatment, patients celebrate by ringing this bell, and it is LOUD. So today, I got to ring the bell! And I let it CLANG, too! There are several ladies I have shared the waiting room with over these last several weeks, and we have kind of become our own little support group (though I am still the highest of them all, at stage three; and I am the only radical mastectomy while the others are all lumpectomies). Anyway, knowing it was my last day today, one of the ladies brought me flowers. And when I rang the bell, she and another of my "buddies" were in a photo I had taken of the event. I will cherish these fellow breast cancer survivors forever. And Linda (the one who gave me flowers) and I plan to meet for dinner soon. I also plan to go back next week, when it will be the last day for many of these ladies, to watch them ring the bell too. The bond we ladies formed is very touching and meaningful to me.

So everyone, another milestone reached. Now I am "off" for a few months, other than checkups with all the various doctors on my team, one of whom is the plastic surgeon. I will see him at the beginning of April, and hopefully, he will be able to give me some idea of when the reconstructive surgery can be expected. WHEW! I can't believe how far I've come, and ..............

I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR WITHOUT THE LOVE, THE SINCERE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF ALL OF YOU OUT THERE!!!!!! Gosh, the cards, the gifts, the prayers and the good wishes sent my way throughout this process have been very instrumental in successfully getting me to this point! And the cheering me on! I don't know HOW I'd have done this without all of you! It has NOT been an easy journey. In fact, it has far and away been the most difficult physical challenge I have ever faced. It's true what they say: "Breast cancer is not for sissies." I am so blessed and so thankful for all of you who have kept me close at heart all this time. My personal thank-you's are coming soon, as promised! My right arm (my writing arm) is still very weak and difficult to use, but it is getting better every day. And I have not forgotten the importance of letting loved ones know on a more personal level than a blog, what the support of all of you has meant to me! THANK YOU!

I have taken many photos throughout this journey, and they include all the things my beloved supporters have sent me along the way. Everything from cards to flowers to gifts have been photographed, so I will forever be able to enjoy and remember the love and prayers that I have been so blessed by. There are also photos of me going through this process throughout, a couple of which you have seen (for example, that shot of me in bed, so chemo-sick, I could hardly think). I have begun a scrapbook of this painful process. It seems an odd subject matter to make a scrapbook of. Most scrapbooks contain happy memories. While my journey has not at all been a happy memory, it is, nonetheless, a year of my life that has significantly changed my life forever. One day, I hope to look back on this, look at what I went through and how far I've come. And I hope to say, "WOW! What the HECK was THAT???!!!"

I am not done blogging though, as this process is not yet over. I will still be blogging and keeping you up with checkups and the reconstructive surgeries (though I don't think I'll post photos of that!). And with this 30-pound weight gain (caused largely by the steroids in the chemo treatments), as well as my very, very SHORT, GRAY hair (still so short I continue to wear my wig), I am not exactly eager to post photos. But I WILL still be blogging! So please check in from time to time, comment if you are so inclined, cuz I LOVE reading your comments. And always, ALWAYS remember how much each and every one of you mean to both me AND my angel, Larry!

Love to all, and prayers of thanks, too!
Deb 333333333333