Like A Whole New Beginning

For the past few days, each morning has felt like a whole new world. 

Waking up and knowing that I don't need to shuttle myself off to the Farber or BMC, wear another Johnnie or have another IV (at least for now) has been a really strange feeling. Maybe as foreign as when Arial walks on sand for the first time in The Little Mermaid.  While I have lived most of my life as a fully functioning, healthy individual, the past year has certainly taken its toll on both my body and spirit.  Not to seem too melodramatic, there are times when I've almost forgotten what it feels like to be "better" and be capable of doing anything I want without any hindrances. 

While I wish I could run a marathon, go to a Baptiste power yoga class and resume my life as the Energizer bunny's preppier friend, I'm still not there yet - but I am closer than I was. Last Monday (8/30) I celebrated 90 days out of transplant so that means no more food or space restrictions (except no buffets/salad bars for a while). It was a huge victory for me last week when I asked my medical team about eating frozen yogurt (my favorite) and they said that was fine. Obviously my first thing I had on Monday afternoon was peanut butter fro-yo from J.P. Licks.

On top of being restriction free and full of fro-yo, I celebrated another big milestone last week: my last radiation treatment was on Friday! Radiation as a whole has been so much easier than chemo and transplant. It certainly isn't fun - there is nothing nice about having to go to the hospital every day, battle BWH traffic for 14 days, throat problems and a fun, itchy rash on my chest. BUT it is still better than nausea and infusions. Hands down. 

I do think that my radiation team thought I was a bit jaded because anytime they asked me about the discomfort, I always compared it to the pain I was in during transplant (10 out of 10) and this just can't compare. Obviously at times it did feel like someone was stabbing me through the throat but it has never gotten above a 5 or 6 on the pain scale. 

While radiation is over, I am still experiencing the fatigue, throat issues and skin irritation so I am hoping that everything will subside in the next week or so. It's amazing how trying to ignore the fatigue just ends up kicking you in the rear when you finally slow down.

Besides all of my radiation side effects subsiding in a few weeks, I have finally been approved to get rid of the prednisone on September 20.  This isn't really enough time to start looking normal again for my cousin's wedding, but it is going to be a super important day!

I hope you are all well, experiencing good health and good karma. I will post again after I get my port taken out.

xoxo

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