Thursday

May 22, 2025

    Should I start a new countdown (or count up). 13 days past my last radiation treatment.

    It wasn't my intention to skip last Thursday, but Cathy and I were in Texas, and I didn't take my computer. Our nephew was graduating from SMU, and we had decided last year that we wanted to go, and we were going to make a vacation out of it. We planned a little "tour de Texas" before arriving in Dallas for the graduation. It was also originally part of our "checking out places to move to" scouting expeditions in case we ever decided we wanted to leave California. With my cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatments, we won't be leaving California anytime soon.  I don't want to start this all over with new doctors.  

    When we realized I would be finishing radiation on Friday and we were leaving on Sunday, Cathy and I had discussed pushing the trip off for a week, going to Dallas first and then working our way through Waco and San Antonio. But I decided I could make it work, and we went with our original plan. In hindsight, maybe not the best idea. The doctor told me that I would still be feeling the effects of the radiation for another week or so after stopping and he was absolutely correct.  I would even say that the week after stopping radiation was worse than any of the five weeks having radiation.  There is definitely a cumulative effect on the body. The skin has blistered, cracked, bled, and oozed as we try to keep it moist with creams and lotions. Trying to find a comfortable position while sitting was not always easy. Thankfully driving wasn't too bad. 

    We flew into San Antonio on Sunday and spent Monday and Tuesday there.  We visited the River Walk (amazing) and the National Museum of the Pacific War. Tuesday, we visited the Alamo and then stopped at the Natural Bridge Caverns on our way to Waco. That was one of my highlights of the trip. Check it out on-line and if you are ever in that part of Texas, we highly recommend the experience. That night in Waco I started to have some issues and they were serious enough that we went to an urgent care the next morning. They told me I was in the process of passing a kidney stone. That pretty much put us on the shelf for the rest of that day though we did have a great lunch at Schmaltz's Sandwich Shoppe and found an incredible independent bookstore, Fabled. 

    Wednesday in Waco I woke up doing much better (thankfully there was never much pain) and we did the Chip and Joanna tour.  We had breakfast at Magnolia Table and spent the morning at the Silos, including cupcakes at Magnolia bakery. After lunch we visited the Texas Ranger Museum and Hall of Fame, and for dinner, we went to Bertie's at the top of Hotel 1928. Unfortunately, I had another rough night, this time stomach upset so we canceled our van tour of Waco and Fixer Upper homes, and our visit to the Dr. Pepper Museum. Instead, we just headed up to Dallas. 

    I relaxed and rested Friday (skipping one graduation party) and felt better on Saturday.  I was able to go to Shain's graduation ceremony.  SMU is a beautiful campus and it was a proud moment for us all to see him receive his degree in mechanical engineering. That same weekend another nephew, Tyler, was graduating from USC and Biola with his degrees in physics and engineering and mechanical engineering, too. That's four nephews and nieces that are college graduates now, with three more to go. We celebrated at lunch and later at dinner with Shain's family and friends. Sunday, we went as a family to Shain's church in Dallas and had one more lunch together before saying goodbyes. 

    Cathy and I stayed three more days.  Monday we drove back to Waco for our tour and the Dr. Pepper Museum. Tuesday, we took a golf cart tour of Dallas, with special emphasis on the John F. Kennedy assassination area and then drove to the Fort Worth Stockyards to see a cattle drive. It's an old west themed city in that area with a John Wayne Museum put together by his family. They did a very nice job. Finally on Wednesday we went to the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the SMU campus.  We've been to Reagan's and Nixon's, and this one is excellent, too. We wish we had had more time. We finished out the trip with a tour of AT&T stadium where the Cowboys play (nice, but SOFI is better). 

    While the trip was challenging at times, I'm very glad we went.  I think it's important when going through something like this to get back to normal as soon as possible and not miss out on opportunities (but taking some time for rest is not a bad idea either). We have great pictures and lots of amazing memories. 

    I have my first three-month check-up with the surgeon on June 3 and then I check in with the dermatologist in July and the radiation oncologist in August. It will be interesting to see what tests and scans they have me do to keep track of the cancer.  Is it still completely gone? That is the prayer.

    Romans 8:38-39

        For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

    Ephesians 3:17-19

        So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith -- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love o Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

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