I finished up my 5 weeks of chemoradiation yesterday and rang the bell, while the radiation therapists gave me a round of applause. I was surprised to learn that this is a relatively new tradition, dating back to 1996. It is a gratifying feeling, actually, to commemorate the milestone. Cancer treatment is an extraordinary amount of work (mentally, physically, emotionally) — so, a graduation-esque ceremony is fitting.

Just as they told me: side effects are worse this week. Sunday was bad; a lot of nausea and trips to the bathroom. The doctor had recently prescribed diazepam (Valium) to reduce (possible) rectal spasms. I took one of those, and that certainly helped me sleep.

Monday morning I was well-rested and everything was great. But shortly after my 3:15pm radiation session, the waves of nausea came back, along with some abdominal pain.

One more week to go with chemoradiation. Keeping track of this on our whiteboard in the kitchen.

A M-F chemoradiation schedule means that Sunday is a relatively lucid day — the brain fog dissipates. On this Fathers Day, I have been scurrying through to-do lists, taking advantage of this opportunity when I’m thinking clearly.

As Princess Kate rightly mentioned a few days ago:

….as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.

Just two weeks of chemoradiation to go! I’m feeling excited about that, along with some trepidation, as the final week (and the week after) are typically the worst in terms of side effects.

Yesterday, I was still chemo-foggy so I did simple things, such as picking a bunch of strawberries from out front. It’s amazing that all of these strawberry bushes came from a few starts that someone gave me, a few years ago.