We have week one of radiation under our belts! Friday was the last day and it's a good thing since we are expected to have a really big winter storm here. And for those of you that are not familiar with Texas, winter storm here usually means ice more so than snow. And while I would take mom anywhere she needs to go, we are not slipping and sliding our way to Medical City! I have this fear of sliding off one of those overpasses and plummeting roughly a hundred feet to my doom – hey…it could happen, so better safe than sorry. ;)
Friday was the completion of our first week of radiation. Everything went well and mom was having a great day. It’s amazing were and when you sometimes cross paths with people from your past.
Once mom was through with her treatment, she came out to the family waiting area and told me that she had run into her oncologist who treated her for breast cancer back in 1998. Talk about being a small world!
Mom said that she and Dr. Gilbert chatted for awhile and he asked how she was doing. She gave him the condensed version of the past five months and he asked her if he could sneak a peak at her chart. Mom said he scanned though it reassured her that she should see some good results at the end of her treatment.
When dealing with cancer, doctors never really say “everything is going to be fine” or “you will be okay”, which I understand because you never really know what will happen, especially when you are dealing with anything higher than a Stage 1 cancer. But as far as Dr. Gilbert’s comment, I think for my mom that was just about as close as you can get to saying to saying “everything’s going to be fine.”
We left Medical City anticipating that we would probably skip Monday’s treatment and take a radiation snow/ice day. I had to swing by the store and get the basics before the bad weather set in and asked mom if she wanted to come along.
I swear to goodness sake, that woman is at the top of the “Who’s Who” list for The Colony. We could not make it from one end of the store to the other without people stopping and asking how she was doing. Those that know about the cancer just lit up when they saw her and those they didn’t know gave her a hand squeeze or hug when she told them. I think it does a lot for her psyche to get out and about again and visit. The woman is a true social butterfly!
She gets stronger by the day, even though radiation makes her tired. I suggested she set aside a specific time every day, just an hour or so, to take a power nap or just lie down and recharge. Now, for those of you that know my mom, she will tell you that she doesn’t “do naps” because she thinks they are for old people. News flash! Val takes a power nap every now and then and I told her if it made her feel better, I would be more than happy to nap along with her at my house! Now that’s sacrificing for the one you love, people! ;)
Things are moving along in a positive direction. This month she is going to take me up on an offer I made before Christmas – to take her to a Woman’s Cancer Support Group meeting. They meet once a month for coffee and fellowship and I think it would be really good for her, and now that she’s not doing the chemo, she said she is feeling better and would like to go.
While I would like to think that I could be all things to all people – it’s just not so. There are certain things that I can not identify with and that is having cancer and moving through the treatment plan. I have done all that I can do, but I think mom still has some healing to do on the inside. I know during some of our conversations, she sometimes still asks why she had to get cancer twice. One may never really know the answer to that question, but I think it would be extremely helpful to be able to sit with other survivors and at least ponder the question.
That’s our update for the week and now we are going to hunker down and brace for the lovely ice storm that is headed our way!
As my mom always says, “be kind and loving to each other” and know that your prayers are being heard and your kind thoughts are being felt.
Love to you all and thank you for your continued support!
(And don’t make fun of my early morning artwork…I hadn’t had my first cup of coffee and without Photoshop, I was working with limited resources – dried up makers! ;)
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