Last day of radiation!

 

I have gone to all my radiation treatments alone thus far. I’ve had my sisters meet me at the hospital, but I’ve done the 45 min drive to the hospital alone. Today it is my last treatment, and my husband, Derek, was planning to come with me.

We woke up, got ready to go, and I notice my 3 boys are up early (which if anyone has teenage boys can tell you, that does NOT happen). Derek and I get in the car and start to pull out of the driveway and out come my 3 boys! I start crying and tell them they don’t need to come but they assured me it was a big deal and they wanted to be there to support me.

Once we arrived at the hospital, I went in for treatment and while I was back there, Derek and the boys changed into these breast cancer shirts. I came out of treatment to a wave of pink waiting for me! It was very emotional and some very kind volunteer was able to grab this photo outside the radiology lab.

I feel like I was able to resolve this little “bump” in my story quickly and quite easily. During my journey I’ve attended cancer support groups and because my journey was short lived and so detected so early I have guilt being there. People will say “You had cancer?….your hair looks great!” Cancers are not created equal. I was on top of my yearly mammograms and it paid off for me. Not everyone is in the same circumstance. But “cancer” in any form is scary and everyone that has heard that word from a healthcare provider has felt the same uncertainty, fear and stress about how it will affect your family.

My cancer journey is over for now, but preventative screenings will happen twice a year for me now. Continue with the Tamoxifen for the next few years and hopefully stay in the clear. Remind your loved ones to get their yearly mammograms!