Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever!

I wish I could say a personal thank you to every single person who: prayed for me and my family, sent a text or called, commented here on Caring Bridge or Facebook, sent me a card, surprised me, brought us food, wanted to reach out but just didn't know what to say or do, picked up the slack, donated something in my honor, sent us gift cards, took care of me during radiation, solved problems without me knowing it, hugged me, listened to me when I was sad, mad, and overwhelmed, reminded me that it's ok to rest and then rest some more, understood when I didn't reply, and wore pink. So, I am thanking each and every one of you, right here, right now. From the top, middle and bottom of my heart, thank you!❤️ The best is brought out in people during times of crisis, as I have been privileged to learn over the last year.

Radiation ended on October 30th and I am just now feeling like I have had enough time to reflect on it and share some things with you. Here is what I have learned:

-10 days of radiation should never have the word "just" in front of it, like I kept saying. Any length of radiation is a big deal. Pray very hard for anyone receiving any amount of radiation or chemotherapy because it is a very difficult road.

- When the medical team says that a radiation burn is "like a bad sunburn", just know they are trying to do their best to describe it, but this is not quite accurate. I have never had a sunburn that lasted for 3 weeks and made me feel like I was going to scratch my skin off. If you know of anyone who is doing more than 10 days, trust me when I say they are going to feel miserable. Their skin will burn, bubble, eventually peel, and then do that all over again. And it will keep happening long after radiation is over.

- The fatigue is real. Be prepared to rest or help someone rest.

- The best lotion I found to help with all the skin pain and irritation is UltimateVitality Radiation Burn Relief Cream on Amazon.   UltimateVitality Radiation Skin... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JZHHF1R?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share If you know someone going through radiation, they would love to have this show up at their door.

- Radiation builds up in the body over time. Symptoms don't show up until the end of week two, typically. I worked every day during radiation. It was after radiation was over that I was wiped.

- It takes longer to get changed, up on the table, down from the table, and changed again, than the actual radiation treatment itself. Every treatment plan is different but mine was two minutes of radiation each time. So that is a total of 20 minutes of actual radiation entering my body over the two weeks. That is how powerful radiation is.

- The radiation team at the Bliss Cancer Center in Ames is amazing. They cared for me emotionally, physically, and yes, spiritually. Each one of them was the hand of God, blessing me and encouraging me. I will be forever changed because of their kindness and professionalism. We laughed so much! 

- When treatment is over, the patient gets to ring a bell. Try to be there for that and celebrate with them. My coworkers at Strands surprised me the next day during lunch. I was handed my own bell to ring so I could celebrate again. After I started ringing the bell, each one of them pulled out a bell and started ringing it too! They were clapping for me and giving me high-fives. It was a beautiful moment and one I will never forget.

- The medication I am on for the next five years is called Anastrozole. It is an estrogen hormone blocker which means more fatigue, hot flashes, random facial hairs that grow 1 inch overnight, achy joints, and possible bone density loss! YAY!!! Of course, I am going to do all the things the doctor recommends to combat these issues, with the understanding that all I can do is my best.


Can I be super real with you right now? Part of why it took me so long to do this journal entry is because I knew it would most likely be my last one. And this has been one of the biggest blessings of my journey...sharing it with all of you. And I'm going to miss it. God bless you and your families during this holiday season and beyond. Who knows, maybe I'll hop back on here and send something out in a few months. I'm sure my Ah-ha moments aren't over. All my love,
Julie