My radiation journey - Week 7

Steven,

Maybe one of the hardest things you have done and it is over.

I will proudly ring my bell for your success.

Keep drinking and swallowing and relax.

Peace,

Matt

So happy for you!!! I hope you have a relaxing few weeks on that couch!

I am now 2 weeks from completion myself and my couch is already calling my name.  Looking forward to it.

Keep us posted as I would like to hear your healing story as well.  Thanks so much for sharing you journey with us as it has helped me tremendously (although, if you want to finish my next 11 treatments for me that would help too!!)

Thanks again and best of luck during your healing process.

Freddie

Thank you for sharing your journey with us. As I wrap up week one, what's ahead of me feels so daunting. Yet, I have people like you who have walked a worn path in front of me and shine your light so I can keep moving forward to recovery. 

Congratulations Steve!  Prayers for the healing to start!  Thank you for sharing your journey. It gives us all courage and hope. 

Joanne 

Congrats and ring that bell. You will now be recovering so give it some time but you will start feeling much better. Radiation scrambles your DNA so when the cells divide they die. This will be still going on for a while as you recover. At times it can seem slow but if you just look to the week behind you will see the improvement. 

This is the celebration time, and celebration everything no matter how small it may seem. You have been through a lot and did great.

Bill

Congratulations Steven. Take care of yourself.  I have 9 more treatments to go!  

You did it, and now you are on your way. Tough journey, but you did very well and your insights will help a lot of people that will be going through this as well.

Bart T said:

CONGRATS

Congratulations on making it to the end – probably the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do, but well worth the effort. From the sound of your posts you did better than me, at least in the mental department.

Going into my cancer trip, I was 100 percent confident I could and would not only survive, but thrive. Lots of people told me things would get rough, but I was sure they were talking about regular people, not me. I was way too tough to let a little cancer get best of me. I wasn’t going to beat my cancer in a split decision, or even in a TKO. I was going to beat it in a first round knock-out.

One week to the day of my surgery, I got my stiches removed from my neck dissection, shaved and went straight to work. That was my way of sticking two middle fingers in cancer’s face. I was determined to show cancer that he finally met his match. The first few weeks of radiation had me convinced I was winning.

By about week five or six of radiation, I was feeling like a beaten man. I spent a lot of time feeling like the cancer would kill me, and as much as I hate to admit it, there were times when I felt like I wish it had. I tried my best to convince myself that all the people that told me I would get better weren’t lying, but deep down, I had my doubts. I didn’t discover this group until well after my treatment, and I wish I had found it while I was in treatment. Those of us who went through it wouldn’t steer you wrong. Trust us that you will someday be good again.

During your final “continue to cook” couple of weeks, focus on positive thoughts. I stopped work at about week four or five because my job requires much more mental focus and client interaction than I was able to muster, but I made it a point to keep as busy as possible and to go about my normal activities.  I didn’t miss one poker game, and even managed to play my regular doubles tennis, although I’m glad I wasn’t my partner. While a certain amount of normalcy may be important, you have a hard earned right to enjoy your sofa, so feel free to do whatever it takes.

Here I am, looking at my fight in the rear view mirror. A bit worse for the wear, but loving life as much or even more than I previously did. I did come out with hard-learned lesson in how tough cancer can be. I now see cancer as a very formidable opponent that can kill me if it wants to. I just take things one day at time and just hope that I fought back at least hard enough that cancer would rather not pick another fight with me.

 Congrats again on making it to the finish line, and the posts of your journey will hopefully enlighten, inform, and inspire those who will have to follow. 

Nicely said Bart.  Reminds me alot of my battle.  Steven, Congrats!  There are some very difficult weeks coming up for you in the "continue to cook" stage, but it sure is nice to not have to go to treatment anymore.  Well done.  Keep it up.

I'm going to celebrate my last day! I'm happy for you, Steven. Did you keep the mask?