Finally

Hello all- Well, I am done. YEAH!!!! I finished 28 sessions of radiation today. They sent me home with balloons and the song, "Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more...". It was cool. I was crying my whole way through the last treatment. I was trying really hard to keep my breathing regular but it was hard with tears rolling down my cheeks. Brian came with me for the last one and he brought me flowers. It was a very emotional day. We are now having a couple friends and their families over tonight for a small celebration and then I plan to followup in a couple months for more of a full blown celebration. Not for me but for all the people who helped me through it. So now we have been joking, what am I going to do with all my extra time? Although I still have some followup meetings, etc, it will seem different not having this hanging over my life.

I feel great, in good spirits and looking forward to what comes next. Oh, I almost forgot, we booked our celebratory trip to Hawaii. It has been a year in the works and we finally booked our flights and hotel. We are going the end of July. It will be wonderful icing on a bittersweet cake.

Yahoo!!!!!

Britt

4 more

As your reading this Britt will be in her 5th to last Radiation treatment, we can see the finish line, and are very happy. I am happy too that I can be here for her last 5 treatments, I will take her on Thursday for her final one. Of course it is not really the end, they still have Herceptin, and Estrogen treatments, and they say you have to have no recurrence for 5 years to be considered cured, but it marks the end of the three step process they use to eradicate the cancer so we are excited.
As Britt said in her post I did take her to a treatment last week, and it was really amazing to see what they do, using lasers, and large computer servers they are able to pinpoint treatment areas to a fraction of a millimeter, and attack them aggressively while not endangering the surrounding cells. They even measure her breathing (they shoot on the intake), to make sure they hit the right sight. Through it all Britt has to lie very still with her arms above her head, for at least 30 minutes, just one more form of torture this has put her through.
The toughest part of all of this for me has been I have still had to travel, a lot. I travel about 60% of the time for my job, and this has meant I have had to be away for a lot of the treatments. I am constantly facing the work/life dilemma, my work is important to me (especially since the cost of treatments without insurance would bankrupt someone), but Britt is more important, so it has been very tough. Fortunately I can be very thankful to a whole lot of people who have stepped up to help. Starting with my mother, and Britt's mother, who put large parts of their lives on hold to come and help us out, as both of them have made two extended trips. Britt's sister Kara, has been there as well, she even went with Britt on one of the toughest appointments she had, as the doctor at Stanford explained the cancer had spread further then previously thought. One of the more amazing out pourings has come from our little town of Los Banos, we have only lived here a little under two years, and yet we had so many friends that stepped up in so many ways, so to Heidi, Shawna, Sara Bowling, Sara Silva, Liz, Stepahnie, Veronica, Dawnie, Denise and everyone else who I might have forgotten, thank you so much from the Kelleher Family. Thank you as well to all of extended friends, and family who have taken the time to write cards, and send gifts they have meant so much to Britt and I to know that we are thought of, prayed for, and loved.
Easter like all of the holidays, seems to have taken on new meaning given the experience of the past year. It is a time of rebirth. Cancer takes a lot out of you, there have been moments of despair, losses of dignity (as well as hair), and times where you wonder if it will ever go away. But as you can see by Britt's picture she has come through both stronger and in the very biased opinion of this author as beautiful as ever.

Brian

Almost there

Hello all- I have only Six, yes, six radiation treatments to go and I have completed my medical therapy. I am feeling great and ready to get on with my life. My skin is holding up quite nicely considering the intense conditions I have put it through. Some redness but I use aloe and it seems to help. Brian joined me for a session last week. He might blog about it but he said it was really amazing what they are doing with my treatment. They are tracking 14 different locations across my upper body where they are zapping possibly cancer cells. It is very specific and they tell me I am one of the more complicated treatment plans. I feel very happy that I have resources so close to my home for the best care possible. I have gotten to know the therapists well now too, I am there everyday, and I have my set routine. Don't get me wrong I am counting the days until I am done and do not need to return but I will make it. Six sessions will be over in a blink of the eye. So if all goes according to plan and the machine does not break down, or something, I should be finished on April 16th.

I am not wearing my wig in public anymore!! Yeah!!! With the security of the wig, it was an interesting public transition from longer blond hair to short, short brown hair. I did color it light brown and it looked much fuller. I can't do much with it though, other than spike it up using styling wax. There were three groups of people that I was encountering as I transitioned off the wig. Strangers- random people at the gas station, store clerks, etc. I didn't care who saw me, they don't know me and I will never see them again. Friends- These people knew the whole story and I was excited to show them my "new look". Everyone seems to like it and has been supportive. The last group that I found the most complicated was the acquaintances or loose friendships- These were people that never even knew I had cancer. I never felt the need to tell them. The guy who mows my lawn, some neighbors, people at my gym, parents on Paige's softball team and school. To go one day from long blond hair to this extreme haircut was somehow stressful for me. I didn't want to blow peoples minds and leave them with quizzical looks on their faces. So I told a couple acquaintances ahead of time, "I am finish chemo and radiation and the next time you see me I will have really short hair" and left it at that. I don't really feel the need to go into it with every person I see, if they ask, that is fine. So I am back to my natural hair and I feel great. It is certainly easy to take care of and everyday I can see a difference in the look.

Brian's mom goes home on Thurs. We are sad to see her go, she brought me a lot of comfort knowing Erin, for instance, was not getting into trouble and Paige was picked up a school on time. Thank goodness for family.

I am very much looking forward now. Our family was nominated by Nancy, my friend who works for Emanuel Hospital, to be interviewed for the Emanuel Hospital Newsletter about "treatment for the cure." They would interview us about our experience and take pictures etc.

I also had an opportunity to volunteer for the American Cancer Society for the "Look good feel better" Program. They were training volunteers who would hold the program for patients and I served as a "guest Model" for the training class. It was fun and I got a bunch of new makeup. They basically did my makeup and I told the volunteers about my experience. I am looking forward to giving back if I can. My experience has been "extraordinary" =). I would like to think other people can benefit from what I went through.

After radiation, all I have is ongoing Herceptin treatments until Sept (no side effects) and medication in a pill form that blocks my Estrogen and of course my final cosmetic/plastic surgery. Sounds like a lot but other than the final surgery, I hope it is manageable.

Hope Everyone is doing well.

Britt