For the past seven weeks my life has been the same thing from 11:45 until 12:30.
I would pack up the kids, bring them to my parent’s house and go to radiation.
This is LAROC (Lakeshore Area Radiation Oncology Center). It’s the building where I get radiation done. There are no bad smells in the building. It’s not “clinical”. It’s very zen. There are water features and soothing music throughout the building. Oh and carpet. Not hard vinyl tile floor like a hospital.
Everyday I would walk in the sliding doors, proceed through the regular waiting room and go to the special waiting room. I named it special because it’s where people like me wait to get radiated (or what Dusty likes to call radiant). Then one of the radiation techs calls me back to a room that is built like a vault. It has a thick steel door and the walls are 4-6′ thick.
Here are the wonderful radiation techs who I see every day. Marie, Karen, A GVSU Student and Linda. Bob works there too, but he must have been at lunch. My appointments are always over their lunch shift.
This is the table that I lay on to have radiation. My arms go in the red stirrups and the triangular pillow goes under my knees.
Once I’m on the table, the techs get me situated perfectly so I don’t get accidentally radiated in other body parts. When I’m right where they want me, I cannot move an inch. They leave me alone in the room and go to their hub. Their hub has four computer screens and a closed circuit television to watch me on. Once they’re ready, the machine moves around me and I get radiated in five different areas.
Then they send me on my merry way. Although today they gave me a certificate and a coffee mug.
Today was my last day of all cancer treatments! No more chemo. No more radiation. Nothing. I feel like I should run through one of those finish line tapes that you see at the end of a race. If I see one today I’m going to run through it pumping my fists in the air. It feels awesome to be done. Absolutely wonderful. I can’t put into words how thankful I am to be done with treatment and most of all to be cancer free!
From this point forward I have routine check ups with my oncologist every three months where they check my blood and make sure my numbers are good. I’ll keep my blog updated when I get any news, but from now on, I won’t be writing much.
So many of you held my hand through my treatments and I will be forever thankful for you. I couldn’t have done it without the healing hand and grace of our great savior and God or without his wonderful people. Thank you for walking with us on our journey. God Bless.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
-Jeremiah 11