Hello friends of Alice:
Sorry about sneaking in a post from me while you were probably expecting one from Alice. In a weak moment I mumbled something like, “you want me to do a post for you?”. She, ever the slave driver, jumped at it. She is always trying to get me to do her work. So here I am stuck with doing the post and I welcome all your sympathy.
Alice had her last radiation treatment yesterday and we really did not know how to celebrate it. There were no side effects to worry about and the whole treatment regimen was rather mild and boring, at least from my viewpoint. The worst part was having to drive to the hospital every day, five days a week for four weeks. Now that she was done with that, Alice felt like she was just freed from prison and didn’t know what to do with herself. Now neither one of us can handle a free morning. It is a good thing that we are dog sitting for our daughter and I can occupy my mornings with a long walk with him. Otherwise I would be nagging Alice about going to the gym.
We did have a celebration of sorts yesterday evening. When I asked Alice what she would like for dinner (I still cook dinners most of the days) and gave her several choices including going out to a nice place to eat. She wanted to go to a Vietnamese restaurant Indochine, where we had nice meals before. So, that is what we did to celebrate her freedom from the daily drive to the hospital.
What is next? We wait about four weeks for her next PET/CT scan and meet with her oncologist about the results. Being an optimist, I expect a clean diagnosis “no evidence of disease” or NED. Alice has already decided that NED is going to be her new friend and we both hope that “he” is going to be around for a very long time.
We both are doing okay having gone through weeks and weeks of angst. I am sure that we could not have handled it as well as we have without the support of Alice’s blog friends from all over the world. For all of that a big Thank You.
My Wintersong 
You are BOTH extraordinary people. You’ve had a difficult time and walked through to the other side. I’m so happy for both of you!
Sounded like a great way to celebrate. Alice, I’m so pleased to hear how well you’ve done, but not surprised. You’re a woman with a lot of strength and I wish you a wonderful report in four weeks!
Opps……..almost forgot….sending bushels of sympathy to Hubby! But have a feeling all of it was a labor of love. Take care and keep posting!
*********** I’m throwing confetti in the air for Alice.*******
Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am delighted for both of you on sooo many levels!!!!!!!
Well that’s just supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Really wonderful news!
Keep enjoying life!
My favorite poet (one of them) Jane Hirshfield:
“For What Binds Us”
There are names for what binds us:
strong forces, weak forces.
Look around, you can see them:
the skin that forms in a half-empty cup,
nails rusting into the places they join,
joints dovetailed on their own weight.
The way things stay so solidly
wherever they’ve been set down —
and gravity, scientists say, is weak.
And see how the flesh grows back
across a wound, with a great vehemence,
more strong
than the simple, untested surface before.
There’s a name for it on horses,
when it comes back darker and raised: proud flesh,
as all flesh,
is proud of its wounds, wears them
as honors given out after battle,
small triumphs pinned to the chest —
And when two people have loved each other
see how it is like a
scar between their bodies,
stronger, darker, and proud;
how the black cord makes of them a single fabric
that nothing can tear or mend.
love Rachel
Great news. The best! I had no doubts. love sue
You two are strong forces in many lives. Hurrah for the end of the daily trip to the hospital. Hurrah for the end of this time of Angst. I’m just sitting here grinning away imagining the best, and thanking you for your entry even tho you aren’t herself. 🙂
OK, here’s the sympathy and a long-distance pat on the back. You poor man. What a mensch you are! But, more than that, what a wonderful companion and supporter you have been. It’s not easy to sit on the sidelines and watch. “They” say that strong family support and love improves the outcome of all patients. So, Alice should be here for a long, long time.
Hi to you both from Tornado Alley. Knowing what you have been going through has inspired me not to complain about the hectic events in my own life. I am so happy the treatment is over for you and you can plan some new goals or maybe just kick back and enjoy nothing for awhile. I would like to actually talk with you when you are up to it. Much loving energy coming your way.
It was a blessing to share in your experiences out here in cyberspace. You are noble people who faced adversity as such and set an example for those of us who have not been through such a trial as yours.
I’ve never “face2face” met either of you but still consider you special kinds of friends. You are both amazing – in life’s arena and in the writing arena, too!
Enjoy the lazy, hazy days of summer treatment-free.
Renae
Finally got a chance to catch up with you and landed on a great note. Congratulations. I’m so pleased you are finished and hope your relationship with NED lasts a long time.
And thank you, hubby, for all of your good work.
Hope to be hearing all about NED soon.
Michele
I missed out on this somehow, Delighted that the four weeks of trips to the hospital are over and look forward to Ned being around for a very long time!
Somewhat belated but HURRAY! That’s wonderful news.
Since it’s nearly impossible for me to attach a time frame around the word “recovery,” as I have to keep pinching myself that all that stuff really happened, it’s never too late and I thank you very much! 😀