Graeagle or Bust

I received great news today - I will be able to make the annual trip to Graeagle! Yes! I really needed some good news. This last week has been rough both physically and mentally and although I was doing my best to remain optimistic, sometimes it's hard. I met with my radiation oncologist today and he was awesome. I knew I would like him when he walked in with an aloha shirt on and his opening statement was a joke. He was going to have me wait for a month after my last chemo treatment before beginning radiation anyway so we just bumped it back one more week. I will begin what he believes will be 4-5 weeks of radiation after I get back from Graeagle. I declared my love for him when he gave me the o.k. to go. He just laughed and tried to move on but I was serious! I have a PET scan and "simulation" (to get the measurements for radiation) on July 20th. Radiation will basically "seal the deal" on the cancer cells. The side effects will hopefully be minimal in comparison to the chemo - thank you Lord! Fatigue may play a part a couple weeks in and because of the close proximity to my esophagus a sore throat may also play a part but the doctor assured me liquid vicodin would help with that!

I am so grateful for this news. I really needed something to look forward to and Graeagle is the perfect destination. The monotony of appointments, bloodwork, trips to the pharmacy and paying doctor bills can be mentally exhausting and it's just made more dramatic when I'm physically worn down. Not a good combination for positivity. Thankfully these little "down times" only happen once in awhile and I try not to let it last longer than 48 hours. I learned the 48 hour rule in a book called, "Crazy, Sexy Cancer". The author is hilarious and she basically says you should give yourself permission to feel the "bad" feelings but don't sulk in them. Feel them, accept them, get out of your pajamas and move on! I totally buy into that theory. I'm out of my pajamas and moving on!