I’m moving along through radiation treatments.  I can feel the fatigue right around 2pm or so.  By now, 4pm, my eyes are doing the slinky thing.  My skin is just starting to turn pink, there is no sensitivity yet.  My hair continues to grow, I’m thrilled to say.

A suggested a while back that I might consider shaving my head when this is all over, to even things out and to mark the end of the treatments.  I told her I’d consider it.  Now I’ll say “if you want to shave your head with me, I might do it.  If you don’t, I think I’ll keep growing it, thanks. ” I do need a bit of a trim, though. How goofy is that??!  I can see the “curious George” widow’s peak once again.  The short hairs on the top all fell out during that last episode of chemo treatments.  Now I finally can see my hairline again.  It’s barely visible, but it’s there. The fuzz has turned to kind of fuzzy curls.  I wear my baseball caps mostly now, and it curls up around the edges.  I was backing out of a parking lot at the grocery store the other day, and an older gent who was walking from his car waved me on and said “come ahead young fella”.  I smiled.  I remember when I first cut my hair short before the shaving party, and my friend S told me she thought I looked cute like a boy with my cap and short hair.  It still makes me smile.

I’ve told people I work with to let me know if they think I’m losing my edge.  Sometimes I feel really spaced out, more than usual.  But I still feel like I can concentrate enough in the mornings, and spread my at home work out throughout the week.  Rest time is so important, and getting back to work when I can is equally important.  I’m not sure who decided on the 40 hour work week, but I think it’s crazy.  Finding time to draw has been impossible basically, but I’ve been out in the garden which is nourishing on a different level for me.  Last evening I put in spinach, radishes and lettuce and pulled up a carrot from last year.  There was no where else I wanted to be.

We are planning a trip to Alaska this summer.  I don’t know how long it’s been since we’ve done the family vacation, but it sure feels great to think about this time together.  Our trip will mark a year from when we first heard the news about my breast cancer diagnosis.