Radiation is complete...I rang the bell

November 6, 2013

Day 32. The last day of radiation. I rang the bell.  Today.  For someone who missed ringing the bell at the end of chemo ( remember that the cancer recurred during chemo, thus indicating that the chemo was ineffective) it was an amazing experience to actually ring the bell.  Plus, we have evidence from the MRI that the radiation is working. The cancerous nodule is shrinking in size.  Today has been a day of celebration. I am grateful. Thankful. Hopeful. Tired.

It's been a longer journey than I anticipated. Before we started, thirty days (that's how many days I was originally to have radiation) seemed easy...piece of cake. The reality was different. Tedious. Relentless. For many of the days I drove myself. When you are sick, there are many things you have no control over. Driving myself gave me some control. I could leave when I wanted, I could listen to whatever I wanted on the radio; or not. Control.

Every day I had to drink 24 ounces of liquid the hour before I had radiation. A full bladder is helpful in keeping the bladder safe from the effects of radiation.  The last seven days, which were known as "the boost" I drank 20 ounces of liquid. And, I had the added pleasure of an ultra sound on my bladder before radiation to ensure my bladder was filled to the right amount. There was a small window of tolerance. Some days I had to drink more.  Other days it was too full, which meant I had to eliminate a specified amount. This is as hard to do as it sounds.

The boost focused the radiation on the cancerous nodule. During the twenty five days of radiation prior to the boost days, a larger area was radiated.  When you radiate the abdomen area the effects of radiation are nausea and irritated bowels. I experienced both. I learned that anti-nausea medication was my friend. I never left the house without Imodium. It was hard to eat because it seemed no matter what I ate disagreed with my stomach. Plus, by the end, the tiredness set in.

As I read through what I've written it sounds depressing. So I want you to know I am in good spirits and I was for almost all of the days. I worked every day. The normalcy of work was a gift from God. I ate what I could and for the first time in my life worried about losing weight instead of gaining weight. Chuck Reedstrom was my strength and near the end took me to radiation when he was in town. He was present today when I rang the bell. My good friend, Darrell Luthi took me several days when Chuck was out of town.  Our boys, Richard and Kirk, picked up dinner when Chuck was out of town and were so patient as I tried to figure out what I could eat.

Mostly it was a little over six weeks of having an irritable stomach, frankly a little like those early weeks of pregnancy!  I would do it again in a heartbeat to beat cancer. And that is just what the Dr. believes we are doing. Beating the cancer.

I'll have an MRI in four weeks and we'll be able to see how much more the nodule has shrunk. The Dr. is managing my expectations, she told me not to expect that it will be completely gone. She reminded me that the radiation will continue to work for three months after the last treatment.

So, celebrate with me today. Ring a bell. Keep praying that the radiation will completely kill all the cancer. We're praying the word "cure" in the Reedstrom home.

Thanks for loving me and encouraging me in this journey!

Suzy