I Have Completed Radiation!

Below is a picture taken today following the last radiation treatment. Arlene has been one of my radiation therapists from the beginning and Jesse became my second radiation therapist a couple of weeks ago. Lori and Shannon at various times were also one of my radiation therapists but they were not around today when the picture was taken.

I have seen Arlene five days a week for about seven weeks and even though it has been for only a few minutes each day she has become very dear to me. I will also miss seeing others who were there for their treatments and their spouses. In some sense we became a support group for each other.

With chemotherapy completed and now radiation I am very hopeful that all microscopic cancer cells have been totally eliminated! I am further hopeful that continued Herceptin infusions will stop my HER2/neu gene from over expressing.

I am very thankful that I have health insurance and the opportunity to continue receiving these benefits through COBRA. Through October the cost of three surgeries, chemotherapy, and prescriptions for steroids and anti-nausea meds totaled almost $49,000; not included in this total are costs for numerous lab tests, prosthesis, x-rays, CAT and Bone Scans. The radiology cost through November is $31,000. The cost for Herceptin infusions alone is $3,300 and I have one infusion every three weeks. Additionally I am very thankful for the State Disability checks that I have received twice a month since May.

Continuing with this theme of thankfulness – I am thankful that it was only the last two weeks of radiation that have been tough and that in two to three weeks the burns will be healed. And I am very, very thankful for RadiaDres Gel Sheets, Neosporin, and ibuprofen that help me to be more comfortable. I have several small burns under my arm and scattered over my chest and I have one open wound in the middle of my chest that is approximately 1.5 inches wide and almost 6 inches long. The treatment for the burns is to keep them covered with a very thick coating of Neosporin and then covered with a RadiaDres Gel Sheet to hydrate the wound. Last week I increased my intake of ibuprofen to every six hours during the hours I am awake.

I will end this post with Pollyanna’s “Glad Game” - I am glad for the physical pain that I feel today because it means that a treatment was available for my cancer.