Summer!

Huzzah! The sunshine and warm weather are here! At least for today, and that's good enough for me -- for today anyway. I'm out on the deck, admiring all the lovely containers that have been planted and are blooming and growing. It's quiet, except for the boats on the lake and the Fleet Foxes blaring on the stereo, oh yeah, and all those birds chirping and cawing. It's all good.

32 treatments down, 3 to go. A month ago the end of all this business seemed like such a long way away, but here I am on the precipice of putting my cancer treatment in the past. And I'm ready.  So if you feel a special sigh of relief on Wednesday morning at around 9am, that'll be me saying ba-bye to the radiation machine.

My eyebrows and eyelashes fell out about 3 weeks ago, and my eyebrows have already grown back in -- like wow. If my hair was as vigorous a grower as my eyebrows seem to be, I'd have nothing to complain about. But the hair on my head is growing slow as molasses, and the eyelashes are taking their time too.  They say a watched pot never boils; I guess the same is true for hair. I scrutinize my pate every day, hoping - willing it to grow - but it's ignoring me. Oh well, another opportunity to practice patience. You'd think I would be getting better at this, but so far, no.

I've got an appointment with my oncologist on Thursday, so I'll find out what the follow-up plan is. And now, back to the sunshine -- all of you!

Long Time

I know it's been awhile. First, my mac was out of commission, and then... well, whatever.

I'm halfway through my radiation, 18 sessions down, 17 more to go. I'm really looking forward to the day when I can pop in the car and head straight to work instead of stopping off at the cancer institute for my daily dose. And that day will be June 30. Oh, except that I have an appt. with my oncologist on the 30th, so let's say July 1 for putting this all behind me (June has 30 days, right? I never learned that poem.)

As for the radiation, it's a 15 minute appointment, and most of that time is spent changing clothes. When I go in for my treatment it takes about as much time to get me properly aligned as it does for the radiation. About the time I'm ready to drop off for a nap on the table, it's time to get up because it's over. So far, the side effects have been quite tolerable. A bit of a burned feeling by the end of the week, but having the weekend off gives my skin a little time to recuperate. Of course, I'm writing this on a Monday -- let's see what kind of song I'm singing come Friday.

Exercise is important throughout this treatment process, but finding the energy to do it is a real challenge. And when the doctors say exercise, they don't mean triathlon training, they mean getting out for a walk. I manage to get some exercise 2-3 times a week (ok, that's on a good week), but what I used to call a workout, and what I'm doing these days for exercise are worlds apart. Since I've been feeling pretty good, I thought I'd go to the gym this weekend with my girl. I haven't been to the gym in months and months, and I was looking forward to getting in a good workout. I spent a half hour on the elliptical machine, and I swear it was trying to shame me into working harder. It kept telling me to resume my workout -- while I was working out! I guess it pauses if your speed is too low. Ouch. That was a tad humiliating. I guess it's only up from here.

Hair update: yes, it's starting to sprout.  No news yet on the quantity or quality, but it's coming in, maybe an eighth of an inch.

And finally, the year of the yard is taking shape. Dear Heart is spearheading the effort and is making headway. Boulders have been moved, paths laid, gravel shoveled and compacted -- it's a glorious work in progress, and I couldn't be more pleased.