Hooray! Just Finished Radiation - #17 to # 20

Today, I had my last radiation blast which means, I am so done, done, done with all treatments and yeah, I am ready to move forward with my life. Wait a minute.... I am doing the happy dance here...... I am a Rad Grad.... Thats me and my dearest daughter/caregiver Tinashe wearing our big smiles in the clinic just after my last radiation blast. The last and final one....  Drumroll please........ Thank you!

I AM DONE AND I AM STILL STANDING STRONG!!! Yeah, I am holding my special mask used during the radiation treatment. Now a souvenir.... any takers - bidders??? Calling once, calling twice... Ha ha ha ha... Just kidding. I am just excited that today marks a big milestone in my life.... I feel like I climbed this very high mountain and now I am standing on top of the mountain and just looking down at the mental gymnastics and the physical aches and pains that I endured this past year. Sighhh....

Wooo hooooo! It is such a wonderful feeling! I probably will not be able to sleep tonight and the following couple of days! It will probably only sink in next week when I dont have to hop into a taxi to go for my daily treatments. I cannot believe that I have come to the end of this truly arduous and formidable journey - Nine long months to be exact. Wow! today, Friday marks the final countdown. I just wish you could all see me. Budding like flower - ready to blossom. Can you believe it has almost been a year since I embarked on this onerous and no picnic journey? This mountain? Maan! it was or rather is high because I feel like I am still climbing. I still have obstacles, challenges and difficulties. Therefore, I am still work in progress. Incredible! I am not a talented singer but, hey right now I am singing "I have overcome, la la la la..". I am singing just to satisfy that basic human need to express emotions in a way that completely satisfies my whole being. And guess what, it is giving me absolute emotional tranquility. I am over that bleak and gloomy feeling that ever doubted the existence of a silver lining.

Even though I am still struggling with the side effects of radiation especially nausea and fatigue. I am feeling so happy that this treacherous journey has come to an end. I dont really care about the sores in my mouth and the difficulty I am experiencing with swallowing. When I look in the mirror, I see this big ugly and sore black burn on my neck. Wait, did I tell y'all that my gums have turned black from radiation. My teeth are sensitive and my finger nails and toe nails are black. But, hey its okay compared to what I have just gone through this is minor. My Chemo Oncologist has given me an appointment for early March to do all the testing again to make sure these cancer suckers are gone. At first, I thought wow, March is kinda far, but incidentally, the radiation continues to work on my body for the next four weeks and by the time I see my Oncologist, hopefully the side effects would have either gone or diminished. So, stay tuned like always......