The End


It has been a long several months...since May when the thing was first identified. I guess it matters little that the survival rate is up over 90%; there is still the anxiety associated with the diagnosis; the two surgeries; there is still the scourge of the treatments: 2 courses of chemo followed by 32 radiation burns. (My sister asked if the radiation was contagious, that is, would I glow in the dark from sleeping next to her? I don't.) This morning by 8 it all or nearly all became history, something to be remembered and talked about. The treatment is basically past. There will be Herceptin drips every 3 weeks through August but that is a different thing. And there is still the threat of lympodema developing, but it has not yet and with each passing day the threat wanes. And there is the peripheral neuropathy in the feet that can last years...nerve damage as a side effect of the curative of the poison...drip...drip...drip. But it's over. There remains the gifts of the black Mustang GT to sex up her life a little, the big screen TV, and the IMac computer, and all the little touches, the boys care, etc. But it's over though the left breast is as red as fire engine. But it's over. Tonight we celebrate. The end.