Lately, I’ve been dealing with a lot more exhaustion than I anticipated. There have been a few days where I’ve slept 16 hours or more - long stretches of rest that my body clearly needed. Thankfully, I’ve been able to sleep. I’m grateful that I have the ability and time to rest as much as I need right now. Most mornings I’ve slept late, and instead of feeling guilty about it, I’m trying to feel thankful. Sleep is healing, and I'm letting it do its work.
I also knew this phase was coming. Everyone warned me that post-radiation fatigue would hit like a wave - and it has. But because I expected it, I haven’t been overly worried. My husband has been incredibly kind and understanding. He sees this for what it is: part of the healing process.
The good news is, I really am healing. Every single day I feel a little better. Physically, I'm bouncing back faster than I expected. The irritation and soreness are fading. My skin is calming down. Emotionally, I’m in a surprisingly good place too. I've found myself almost pretending none of this happened. Not in a delusional way, but more of a way to stop dwelling and over-thinking. A little selective denial goes a long way towards feeling normal again.
I’ve been making an effort to keep up with protein intake, which isn’t easy for me. I don’t eat meat, so I’ve been leaning heavily on protein drinks and smoothies. It’s not ideal, but it’s manageable. I've never had the best relationship with food - and honestly, if I could just ignore food altogether, I probably would. But I know my body needs fuel to recover, and I'm doing my best to give it the support it needs.
There’s still a long road ahead, but I’m taking it one slow, sleepy, healing day at a time.
On Wednesday, I went for my two-week post-radiation skin check. The cancer center was a bit chaotic - I pipe burst and there were areas closed off and a big cleanup crew was hard at work - thankfully I was still able to see the nurse. She said everything looks great and I’m healing beautifully.
On my way I out, I saw my doctor for just a minute as I passed by her office. She had the picture I gave her and she was showing me where she was thinking of hanging it up. I was touched! She is such a wonderful doctor and such a nice person, I'm lucky to have found her.
In brighter news: we are taking a trip! We're heading out to visit our daughter while she's working in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The flights are booked, the hotel reserved and a rental car is ready. It’s a quick trip - just one week - but it gives us a chance to see the work she’s been doing. I'm beyond excited for a little adventure in such a beautiful place!
And from what it sounds like, I don’t have any worrisome restrictions now that radiation is behind me. I’ll need to be cautious of lymphedema and swelling due to the pressure of the flight and the altitude in Jackson, but other than that, I’m free to live my life and feel normal again. And that's exactly what I intend to do!
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