RADIOACTIVE BABY!

I have been waiting to write about my radiation. Thinking that at any moment something dramatic was going to occur and I would have interesting information to pass along. That is not going to happen. I finished 37 rounds of radiation on Wednesday. All I have to show for it is large burnt circles on the front of my chest and on my back. This is where the beams hit my skin.

When I had my first visit with the radiologist he told me a number of side effects that could happen. From nausea, fatigue, painful skin burns, and a burnt esophagus (which would have made eating impossible) all the way to a small chance of being paralyzed because they were radiating my spine. Could you imagine coming this far and then end up paralyzed? After he had his meeting with me I overheard him say to the nurse, "yes, 37 times but let's see how much she can take." I figured I had a rough road ahead.

There were days that I was tired and stayed on the coach the whole day. One Friday night at 3 a.m. I woke with a terrible sore throat and thought, "here we go with the burnt esophagus," only to have it subside 2 days later. So, as of now I am finished with treatment. I have received several phone calls from friends and family congratulating me on ending this long journey. However, to me it feels a bit like a being a baby bird thrown from its nest. The question being, will I fly? Now we just sit back and wait for the next scan in February (ironically, almost exactly one year from the first day I landed in Aspen Valley Hospital) and hope that there is nothing new to report. I do have many other things to share with you so stay posted.

I hope everyone has a great holiday with their families. I am spending this Christmas with Ryan and Ruffus at home. We don't exchange gifts because we already have so much. So this Christmas we are just happy to feel healthy and feel very lucky that we have each other.

Sending big love,
Kristine