It’s been three weeks since my final chemo — 21 glorious days! As the chemicals work their way out of my body, every day I feel stronger and have more energy and stamina. I did have that problem with the low hemoglobin count (red cells) and Tuesday’s blood tests showed that my platelets were pretty low. But my oncologist said that the numbers will improve over the next few weeks, and that transfusion helped with the red cell count. So no need for further action right now.

But here’s the big news of the week:

The CT scan from last week showed that there is NO INDICATION that the cancer has spread to other organs or lymph nodes. This is HUGE!

So, with that news, I have officially graduated from stage two of the Ironwoman Cancer Triathalon and ready to start stage three: Radiation. More about that later.

In the meantime, I’m enjoying the HECK out of this “intermission” and am taking advantage of my free time.

We’ve gone to afternoon tea at Laura’s Tea Room in Ridgeway, a cute little town northwest of Columbia, we’ve attended a Friday night Greenville Drive baseball game with the Simpsonville Senior Center gang, we’ve spent a delightful Sunday in Columbia at the South Carolina State Museum, and we’ve attended our first concert at the Peace Center in downtown Greenville, where we enjoyed a fantastic evening with Harry Connick, Jr.

Indulging in a cuppa at Laura’s Tea Room — with Her Majesty’s approval

Cheering on the Greenville Drive

Enjoying an evening of great New Orleans-style musical entertainment with Harry Connick, Jr.

And next week’s I’m planning to take a “hookey day” with my two quilting buddies and drive up to Charlotte for a quilt shop hop — a tour of local quilt shops. My idea of heaven!

So, about the radiation stuff: We met with the radiation oncologist yesterday, and I had my “simulation” today, in which they measured and marked the exact spots on my abdomen and groin where they will zap me with Gamma rays (or whatever).

I start my treatments on Monday, June 25 and will go in daily for about 30 minutes each day, for 25 days, Monday – Friday. At the end of the 25 treatments, I will transition to a monitoring schedule where I’ll see the oncologist every 3 months for the first year, every 4 months for the second, and every 6 months for the three years after that. If the tests and exams show no sign of recurrence, I will be considered “in remission.” Looking forward to wearing THAT teeshirt…

From what both my oncologists told me, I should not have a lot of side effects from the radiation; mostly fatigue toward the end and possibly some digestive issues since the rays are focused on my lower abdomen. But any side effects generally clear up a couple of weeks after radiation.

I figure that if I survived five months of chemo, then five week’s of radiation should be a walk in the park. And if all goes according to plan, I’ll have a good two months to get myself in gear for Italy! Better get back to my walking regimen so I can hike through those Tuscan hill towns in October.