10 to go

After today's treatment, I have just 10 radiation treatments left, Lord willing! Hurrah! The end really is in sight!

I am experiencing more fatigue, though is comes and goes. I also have a bit more discomfort/pain. All this is to be expected, and has stayed rather mild, all things considered! God has been very gracious to me. (He knows what a wimp I am about pain!) The rash I have been fighting with since before treatments began is finally starting to improve, and my skin is a little red, but looks great. So I am overwhelmed by God's gentleness to me!

On Monday I will have a CT scan to plan the last part of my treatments. After having whole-breast irradiation for most of the time, the last 7 or 8 treatments will focus on a smaller area around just my scar and the area where the tumor was. The CT Scan will help with the calculations for this smaller treatment area, and then the smaller treatments should start next Wednesday or so, if the Lord wills. I am grateful to be moving into this stage of the treatment, and though the rides from friends have really helped the time to move along, I will be glad not to travel to Santa Fe every day.

About a Month after the radiation ends, on October 1, I will have another PETscan/CT to compare to the one that I had prior to my surgeries. They will be checking for any cancer spread, but also looking at the pesky lymph nodes from the first scan, and checking the adenoma that is on my adrenal gland (this is likely nothing at all, and I will do a non-invasive follow-up test on that in October as well, along with a test to look at the lining of my uterus. Phew. I feel tired just thinking of it!) The uterine test (a hysteriosonogram) is needed because of some possible side-effects from the tamoxifen that I am taking.

In all these things I am grateful to live in a time when they can test and treat so much... even if the treatment is often difficult. God has been gracious, and I thank each of you for your prayers!

And here are some specifics for your continued prayers:
*Praise God for how well my skin has tolerated the radiation
*Praise God for the gift of treatment and good prognosis
*Praise God for the army of friends that has prayed, helped with rides, and continues to lift my spirits with e-mails, cards, notes, etc.
*Ask God to make the treatments effective, the side-effects few, and my recovery rapid
*Ask God to allow the treatments to finish on schedule