Next Phase of the Treatment

We came home from Houston and I had about 6 weeks off from everything, what a joy! Remember, at this point I had quit my job so I was really enjoying these several weeks (of course, I was recovering from surgery but each day was better than the previous one). I knew I had to start my radiation the end of Aug so I made the most of it.

Prior to radiation, I had to get my 'tatoos' so they could be aligned with the machinery at every visit. My son thought how cool, mom is getting tats and assumed they would be little pink ribbons, how creative! They were instead pinhead size dots, what a disappointment :-). I will go on record as saying that I was the first in the family to get a tat! The radiation treatments start out benign and then as you get zapped and zapped the more tender the area becomes. They give you lots of lotions and potions to help, but it does get sore. Also as the dose increases, toward the end of the 7 weeks, I became fatigued. That didn't last long but I didn't think that would be me (they warned me about it thought I was different - aren't we all;-) Radiation treatment was five times a week for seven weeks. Going to the hospital everyday and being amongst other cancer patients is depressing. All of the staff are extremely nice, I give health care professionals a lot of credit, all of the ones I came in contact with are super!

Once I was done with radiation I got a break for about a month before starting tamoxifen. I relished the break as it gave me time to recuperate. My hubby and I also decided to take a little trip, we went to Newport RI and had a great time there! We look forward to going back there one day.

In the midst of treatment I decided to pursue a long time dream of mine...starting a home staging business. I had been exposed to this concept around 1996 and since have always fantasized about quitting my job and doing staging. I always loved interior design and have a natural gift for it. So since I quit my corporate job, I knew this was the time to pursue my new dream and I did. I took an online and book course during treatment and pursued and completed everything I needed to know and do to start my own business. So Rooms That Sell was born in 2006...more on that later.

As for now, I am somewhere in the mountains of VA enjoying an absolutely beautiful day, I savor these days and never take them for granted. I look forward to my next post...the birds are calling me :-)