17 Down, 3 To Go

My newest countdown is radiation, I have completed 3 of 20 so far. For 4 weeks I go 5 times a day and get zapped for about 60 seconds. It's not painful, though my position in the machine is awkward & uncomfortable. But my appointments are 15 minutes tops, and then I go about my day. Side effects are minimal so far, especially compared to chemo, and my chemo symptoms have mellowed out a lot. Still dealing with some fatigue and neuropathy, maybe a little brain fog, but mostly feeling pretty good. My hair is almost looking like a buzz cut, getting close, and I'm hoping within a couple weeks I can start getting by without covering it up all the time. That would really feel like progress!!!

I did get out and have some fun between chemo and radiation. Mindy & I spent a few days in Florida. How I loved getting my toes back in that velvety white sugar sand and seeing my pelicans swoop overhead again! And the boys and I had an amazing eclipse trip to Montreal, so deeply gratefully it all worked out and we were all together, dazzled by the profundity of totality. Cancer has a way of touching every last thing, the good the bad and the ugly, and during this interlude I often find myself flooded with overwhelming gratitude for every single bit of it that comes my way. I love this quote from Diana Nyad on seeing totality: 

After all, what more can we ask for during our time on earth than life-affirming, spiritual experiences that connect us both with nature and with those whom we love? 

                                              

In Interlude,

Julie