I was so nervous the first night of taking the chemo pills. I was prepared in case I threw up! I was just fine and 3 weeks in I continue to be just fine. I take an anti-nausea pill at 8 pm and chemo at 9pm.

I slept well and was ready the next morning to go to my first radiation appointment. This first one was scheduled for 2:15pm so I had all day to worry about getting there and wearing my radiation mask!! I did a couple of walks and some yin yoga to keep calm.

Putting on the mask required some alternate nostril breathing which works a treat to calm the nervous system. Check it out, you may like it! Once the mask was on, the team left while the radiation was administered. I began to visualize paddling Rattlesnake Lake. I counted strokes as I paddled from the boat launch to the Eagle log. (The one in the middle of the lake that is always sticking up!) I got to 200 paddles and it was all over. the team came in, removed the mask and off I went. Day 1 down just 29 more to go.

Each radiation day follows the same pattern

• Wake up and do yoga before breakfast
• Drive to Swedish
• Park in the priority radiation spots
• Get the covid safe sticker
• Get buzzed into radiation
• Scan my ID card
• Put on the mask ( look up radiotherapy masks to see what this looks like)
• Visualize to relax
• Head home.

Usually after radiation I feel light headed and unsteady. I always am ready for a nap before noon. Then am refreshed for my walk after lunch.

So far this is going well. I am experiencing some of the symptoms I had before surgery but they warned me that I might. I am unbalanced and my left side does not always do what I want it to do! I can reach for something with my left hand but them it will not let go!! All in all, I feel very lucky as I feel great for the most part, not climbing Si yet but working towards it!!

https://awaken.com/2021/02/the-10-best-yoga-breathing-exercises/

I do radiation and chemo 5 days a week and get a break at the weekends. AT the weekend we have been making sure to do fun stuff.

My bestie in Canada came for the weekend. I have not seen her in 2 years due to Covid. her visit coincided with a family picture day so the whole family was here… so much fun and laughter. What better healing tonic than that? A reminder of what life is all about.