kick in my pants

I got a little kick in the butt today that I'm slacking on the blog...tanks Stan Lee...I needed dat.

I started the next leg of treatment on Tuesday which is radiation.  It sounds all complex, but from the time I park the car to the time I get back in the car is about 10 minutes.  I roll in all rockstar style - shooting shakas to the staff, some of which I've known since I was in diapers.  I change into a gown, get on the big sci-fi table with the huge rotating laser and lay out for the meanest suntan ever.  They shoot 2 beams at me, each only about 15 seconds and then I'm all pau.  The sci-fi table lowers, I put my shirt back on and roll on out shooting shakas again.  You can't really feel anything for the first 2 weeks of treatment.  It'll start to accumulate later into a sunburn, and then the last week it will be like if you stuck your armpit around the handle of a scalding pan that was in the oven (tribute to Dina and her poor blistered hands...er, not armpit).

I tell you though, I'll take radiation over chemo any day.  I'm back on modified chemo, only 1/3 of what I was taking before so I feel as close to normal as I have felt since I was re-diagnosed last July...or August?  I don't even remember.  Radiation will last about 1 month, then watchout Seattle people, I think I'll be up there to go see the fancy Breast Cancer Specialist to determine what the next step of treatment will be.  I'm looking forward to that!  All of my SF jackets and boots are neatly tucked away in the storage closet...so funny, I spent the last 5 years lamenting about the cold foggy weather, now I can't wait to don my fluffy warm clothes again.  I don't even know how to dress myself in warm weather anymore!

Bri's Mom and Gram just arrived yesterday.  I am so proud of Gram for enduring the 20 hours of travel to come all the way to this lush tropical island!  It's so fun to see her look around in wide-eyed amazement of the greenery and big blue ocean everywhere.  It helps me to appreciate the infinite beauty that surrounds us too.  The weather is showing off for them - it was 86 degrees today and not a cloud in the sky.  The vog (volcanic haze) has even lightened up so we don't look like downtown LA right now, although the last few days the vog has been a bad as I have ever seen it.  Burns the eyes, throat, and makes the head heavy...not fun.

I've been missing a lot of SF people lately, even more so with Vern and Dina and crew putting together the House of Shields Benefit for me and Bri...how I would love to be there to see all your loving faces.  I love when my friends from all of my different groups come together.  You all have so much in common - from my Acupuncture buddies, to my old RHT pals, to Brian's friends, to my SCU girls and everyone that I have met in-between.  You are all good people that live by honesty and individuality.  You are all my inspiration to keep my own life interesting - it's hard to keep up!

love,
nise