3 . . 2 . . . 1!!!

That's right, ladies & gentlemen, I have ONE treatment remaining. I saw Dr. Perez-Tamayo on Monday, and she agreed my skin was properly healed so we were able to resume treatments. I've had radiation every day since, and tomorrow is my final treatment. I'm wondering whether I'll be able to sleep; the excitement has overwhelmed me in the past hour or so!!!

I've spent the evening baking carrot cake cupcakes and oatmeal raisin cookies (1) because Al's birthday is Friday and those are his favorites, and (2) to take to my fellow radiation patients so they won't kick my ass when I dance through the halls tomorrow. I couldn't take anything with chocolate or nuts, as the prostate guys aren't supposed to eat those things. Two of the guys and one lady have been with me throughout my treatment, and we've become a support group of sorts for each other. Seems when one of us is bummed or feeling poorly, the others can rally to encourage them, and the more I've thought about it this week, they've been a big part of my healing, but more importantly the spiritual growth I've found in this experience.

I've been blessed that Marlene and Tom bumped into my life during treatment. He has been, by far, the most attentive caretaker I've seen in this waiting room. She was SO miserable (and scared, I think, of the treatment), but she always said hello and asked me how I was today. She started chemo first, then added radiation. When that got to be too much, she gave up the chemo. After a bit, she gave up the radiation. I understand her cancer was very widespread and late stage when she was diagnosed. We lost her just before Christmas. Tom, I learned, was not her husband as I had assumed. He was a family friend. A friend so caring he MOVED IN to look after Marlene and her husband during her treatment. He'd lost his own mother and then his wife to this dreaded disease and knew just what Marlene needed in her treatment.

Althea may be 97 years old and depend on her children and friends to bring her to treatment, but she's as energetic, positive, and hopeful a patient as I've seen.

I've reached out to three new patients just this week; two gentlemen with prostate cancer and a third with lung cancer. His wife is in ICU on the verge of death, and he's been getting chemo in Tulsa at the Cancer Center since July but he has his radiation here. He's angry, and tired of these battles with their health, and wondering 'why me?' as most people do, but I believe the anger sustains him. The older gentleman with prostate cancer is very friendly, joins in the conversation, but rarely initiates it.

Just today a couple closer to my age were in for the first activities of this thing called radiation for his prostate cancer. You could see his wife was scared senseless, but he is matter-of-fact and wondering what to expect. I saw fear in her eyes that reminded me of how I felt when I walked in with Al that day in 2005, so I took the extra 3-4 minutes away from work to talk with them and answer some questions. I hope they'll be there tomorrow so I can take a little more time with them.

It helped me realize how the people who work at the Cancer Center can show up day in, day out, year after year to face off this nasty thing called cancer. I believe it's knowing that you helped someone get better -- whether physically or spiritually -- that keeps them coming back.

I hope I helped somebody in this process. I think I did. I know they helped me.