It's been a while

So it's been a while since I updated.

I'm back in radiation. Today was day 13 including the 3 days before the explosion.

There is a schedule to how things work. Once a week (on either Monday or Tuesday) I meet with the doc, nurse, counselor, dietician and anyone else who wants to see me. Every other doctor day I get my blood drawn. On Thursdays I get x-rays before the treatment.The treatment isn't hard, but it's not fun. Laying half naked on a table and not moving isn't the bad part. The bad part is afterwards. My skin is starting to burn now. It itches, twitches and my breast is doing things that just aren't normal. Though they tell you no bra, I'm still wearing one to work, but the rest of the time pretty braless and lopsided. It's already affecting my back and my sciatica is back.

Today I also had to go back and see the medical oncologist again (even though it totally wasn't necessary since he didn't need to see me til the radiation is done, but since it's not)....well I had called and told them but they told me to come in anyway.  Doc seemed surprised when I said nope not done with radiation. Had to explain to him that his office told me to come in anyway. Then he ordered a blood test, another waste since I had the same thing done 2 days ago.

On my first blood test 2 weeks ago my protein level was fine, but Vitamin D was way way low.  I'm supposed to be at 40, I'm at 17. Need to do a serious intake of vitamin D to get my levels up.

Two weekends ago I went to the Women's Weekend in Lake Geneva with my daughter Krystle and friend Wendy, it was like a 65 hour girls night out. I  recovered  just in time for my best friend, Taylor,  to come in for the weekend from Miami. We saw The Avengers at the Drive in Friday night and Saturday he helped with some more painting outside and then Mike deep fried a turkey and friends stopped by for a bonfire. I was glad Taylor got a chance to meet some of my other friends, and could spend some time with the family. Sunday I had to take him back to the airport and I cried the whole way home.

This Saturday is Sleep out for Shelter. We have been doing this for several years now, and I'm not going to let cancer stop me from raising funds to help out those who are less fortunate than we are. Our team still has over $300 to raise in just 2 DAYS!  If you can help out please do! Even if you can only donate $5, PADS is getting a grant that will donate $2 for every $1 raised, your $5 donation turns into $15. To donate follow this lin:  https://www.sleepoutforshelter.org/team/thegatheringgrove/

I also went back to work Monday, finally!  It's good to be back and I'm in a new position that is requiring me to learn a whole bunch of new stuff. But its really good to be back and making a little bit of money again!  Cancer is really expensive and FAR more expensive than the $35,000 to $100,000 estimates I found online. I surpassed the high end of that before I restarted my radiation treatments!

The end of this month we are headed to Miami to see Taylor, down to the Keys for some fishing and then to Naples to see Mike's friend Kelly.

Lots to look forward to!