Round 8 update, radiation, and some rambling....

Well, I'm a few days into round 8, and thought it might be time for an update!  Life is SO much better without the shots!  It was still painful, but the aches and pains resembled more of a really bad case of the flu than the gut-wrenching pain of previous rounds.  I'm still sore, and ridiculously tired, but I am feeling a little bit better each day.  My feet and hands are burning and tingling still, but I'm hoping that will end soon.  And the best news - which I am still absorbing - is that I DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK!!  I don't think the full weight of that has really hit me yet, but it's beginning to. 

I went to my friend's wedding this past weekend.  I spent what seemed like forever figuring out how to put on fake eyelashes (I am down to FIVE eyelashes now.  Sigh...), painting on eyebrows, and getting my wig on, but it was such a treat to feel like I looked sort of normal.  It's really hard to look sick all the time, to have people look at you, like they're trying to figure out what's not quite right - and even if it's all in my head, it's really hard to know that I don't look "normal" most of the time.   With the taxol chemo, it usually didn't hit me until Saturday night, so it was wonderful that her wedding hit at a time when I felt good enough to go! I feel like I've missed out on so much because of cancer, and I was thankful to be able to be there.  Here's a picture of Dave and I (low quality because it was on the cell phone - sorry!).

I start the radiation mapping process on Wednesday of next week - June 2nd.  I don't think it will be too bad - but for some reason I'm kind of nervous.  They said they might have to inject dye into me, and we all know how I feel about needles.  Blech.  I'm hoping that I get the other dye option.  Also, I have to have some kind of scan (I forget which one), but I think it's the kind where you have to lay still and get stuck in a machine.  I'm kind of claustrophobic, so that should be a treat for all involved.  And, we'll have to make the decisions about the tattoos or the really sticky things (you can root for the sticky things with me!). Dave will be with me, and I know God is always with me, so that should help.  And of course, I'll be sure to update you with the details once I find them out!