Radiation Complete!!!

Phase I has been accomplished!!! I am officially done with Radiation forever, and chemo for 4 weeks!

My next trip to Madison won't be until April 3rd. WooHoo! I just got 5 hours per day back!!

Kim, my Mom and I went up for the final treatment today. We met with Diana who talked to us about the interim and our questions. She did a great job explaining everything to us. I will get an MRI when I go back in April and meet with Dr. Ian and Dr. Mehta. At that time, I will find out what arm of the clinical trial I will be in. Then I get the Chemo drugs and new calendars. In addition, they will read the MRI and tell us what is says. In addition, I have to send in weekly blood work so they can keep an eye on me. After that, I repeat that same routine every 8 weeks until Chemo is done, which will depend on what the MRI scans say. Using Dr. Mehta's words "no progression" is the magic words.

Getting the final radiation treatment was uneventful until the end. At the end, the techs gave me my mask as a souvenir, and a special certificate that the techs wrote notes to me and signed. Kim also brought some chocolate that she picked out for the techs....BIG HIT!!! I think they were gone minutes after we dropped them off.

After leaving the Radiation treatment, we celebrated with a great greasy burger at the Blue Moon in Madison (which I highly recommend) best greasy burgers in Madison. :)

After we dropped my Mom off, Kim and I decided to run some errands, which upon hindsight probably wasn't the best idea. The reason was that we were both physically and emotionally tired before we began our errands. So several hours later when we got home, we each had a mini meltdown. For both of us it was the last 6 weeks of emotion finally coming to the surface. So, we cried for a while and let it out. I think for me it was the realization that I had survived the first 6 weeks of treatment and did it in great shape. In addition, it was a realization of how much our life has changed and for me, how much of a sacrifice that Kim has made for me. I truly understand why there are so many support groups for CAREGIVERS...it is exhausting. I couldn't ask for a better primary caregiver in Kim, nor could I ask for a better support group than the one I have with all of you. I think it just piled up and decided it was time to come out. Tears are cleansing right? :)

It took all day, but it finally hit me. Phase I is complete and I am still alive! Moving into phase II is scary, but exciting as well. I am still waiting in the back of my mind for the day that dem smart docs say...OK...its all gone, you can go back to living your life. That, however, is not going to happen. With a GBM Tumor, "no progression" is good...as Diana says, make this disease chronic.

So, I MADE IT! Phase I Complete and as Diana put it I am doing better than most people with the same tumor as me. That to me is GREAT NEWS! I like being an overachiever. :)

The initial celebration has been smiles and tears, but all in all excellent. The celebration continues tomorrow with my good friend Mark. Can't wait to see ya brother!

Got Kisses from Miss Ava today and she told me to tell you... PEACE OUT!!